How to Choose Your Major

Well, you've decided to go back to school. Now what? Have you decided on what your major is going to be? How do you decide?
There are a few different ways. First, you can do some research on what jobs pay the best and go for the money. But is it really something you want to do the rest of your life? Does it entail doing something you're not good at? I mean why become an accountant if you hate math? And I wouldn't suggest being an architect if your not creative or can't draw.
The second option is to sit down and make a list of the things you like to do and are passionate about. Once you have done that you can start researching these areas and see if they fit into what you really want to do.
The best way I have found is to take a career assesment test. Ypu are asked various questions about your interests. personality and lifestyle in order to come up with a list of careers that may suit you. There are a lot of free sites, some sites will give you basic results but have to pay for a detailed report, and some are strictly pay sites. Here are some links to some good sites.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Fill in a questionnaire of about 70 questions, which is automatically scored on the Web. Your results will be in the form of Myers-Briggs Types, and suggestions of appropriate careers are made. Free.

CareerPlanner.com -- provides online career testing, as well as free career and job-search information, to help job-seekers discover your true purpose in life and their ideal career. A good source for high school students to career changers. Uses RIASEC method of matching your interests and skills with potential careers.Some elements free; others fee-based.

Career Directions Inventory at LiveCareer.com -- identifies your career interests (highest and lowest) and then tells you what jobs match your results in your highest scored categories. Also includes workplace fit preferences using seven approaches to work (and based on Holland Scale). Results are presented in text and graphic form. No cost to job-seekers for basic report.

TestingRoom.com -- a site dedicated to helping you learn more about yourself. The site includes access to numerous online tests and assessments for self-discovery (including career assessment, values competencies, and work personality). Membership, assessments, and abbreviated results are free, but you must pay for detailed test results.

Probably one of the beat that I have found is Sigi3 . You can check out occupations, take assesment tests and explore a number of different options on the site.


Next Step: What school do I choose?