Unsure where you’re heading with choosing a major or career options post-graduation? Students and alumni have free access to several platforms that offer career assessments to help you explore your interests, values, personality, skills and more. Take a look below to explore your options!
Doctoral students and postdocs are encouraged to access ImaginePhD.
Undergraduate & Master’s Students
Consider FOCUS 2 or PathwayU!
FOCUS 2
All University of Maryland students and alumni are eligible for free registration.
FOCUS 2 is an online series of career assessments that provide a complete picture of your interests, values, personality, skills, and leisure activities. FOCUS 2 also provides suggested job titles and potential career paths based on your results.
How to Create a Free Account for FOCUS 2
- Login to your Handshake account. Once on the Handshake homepage, click on "Career Center" on the left navigation bar. Then click "Resources" and find FOCUS 2. Once on the FOCUS 2 website, click "Register" and follow instructions to register.
- Fill out the registration information in its entirety.
- The access code is goterps.
- Create and answer the security questions when prompted.
Once You Have Set up Your Account - Complete the Assessments
- Complete all 5 subsections under Self Assessment (Work Interest, Values, Personality, Skills, Leisure)
- You will be asked a series of questions and asked to review them based on the degree to which you would enjoy. There is a star rating system for you to follow.
- Once you have completed the self-assessment section, you will receive your report. You are encouraged to make an appointment with a career advisor to interpret your results.
PathwayU
Pathway U is a platform that acts as a career compass that guides you in discovering education and career pathways that fit your unique interests and values.
Check out this video on best utilizing PathwayU for your career exploration.
After Completing Your Self Assessment: Explore More
Choosing Majors and Exploring Careers Module
This is a self-paced module intended to help guide you through the process of selecting a major and a career path.
Industries & Career Paths
Many majors don’t point to a specific career path; rather, there are many possibilities to consider as you explore your academic and career interests. Industry Clusters are industry-themed groups designed to help you explore your areas of interest and potential career paths.
Doctoral Students and Postdocs: Consider ImaginePhD & Beyond the Professoriate
Imagine PHD
You can identify or affirm your interests, skills and values by taking the three assessments in ImaginePhD.
Beyond the Professoriate
Once you complete the ImaginePhD values and interests assessments, we recommend you watch the videos in Aurora by Beyond the Professoriate, a resource available to all students at the University of Maryland using your CAS authentication. These videos directly align with the assessments that you took in ImaginePhD.