Self-Assessment, Career Center, Ball State University

Self-Assessment

As you begin to explore careers, you will need to understand yourself: What do you want to do? What are you prepared to do? What is important to you? What are your goals? You need to know yourself before you choose a career or begin a job search. If your values and interests are not compatible with your job, you probably will not be happy in your career.

To get started, answer the following questions:

What is my long-term career goal?
Where can I get more information about my ideal career?
What skills and experiences do I need to attain that goal?
What classes do I need to take to obtain those skills?
What kinds of jobs (part-time, summer, internship) can I get to test my career choice and obtain the experience I need?

Sometimes these questions are not easy to answer. But don't worry; Ball State University offers many services to help you conduct a thorough self-assessment and find answers to these questions.

The Career Center, Lucina Hall 235, offers Quest, an assessment program that matches your interests with Ball State majors, core curriculum courses, and careers. Click the Quest link on the left side of this page to get started.
The office also offers TypeFocus, a Web-based self-assessment program that takes approximately half an hour to complete. Click the TypeFocus link on the right side of this page. You will need your Ball State Outlook username and password to log in. If you are a Ball State graduate, you can call the Career and Experiential Learning Resource Lab at 765-285-2422 for an alternative Web address and password.
You can also meet with a Career Center advisor specializing in majors that interest you.
The Counseling Center offers in-depth career testing and counseling by appointment. Contact the Counseling Center at 285-1736. The Counseling Center's Web site includes a self-assessment section.
The Learning Center features the Major/Minor Center with several computerized self-assessment tools to help you discover a major that is right for you.
Explore a variety of self-assessment Web sites from links on the Career Center's Great Links to Explore Web page.

It's easy to see that you are not alone in your pursuit of a major and a career choice. Ball State is here to support you.

Get started by printing and completing the self-assessment worksheets; just click on the Worksheets link on the right. These worksheets can help you as you research and evaluate career options.