Major, Career, and Calling

I need help exploring different majors to find one that aligns with my interests and strengths.

CBU’s Career Center offers tools like the FOCUS 2 assessment to help you identify majors that match your values, interests, and skills. You can register for courses that you are interested in to confirm if you find an interest, explore over 120 majors through resources like “What Can I Do With This Major?”, and meet with Student Success Coach to discuss how general education courses can spark interest in potential fields. The Academic Advising Office is here to support you in exploring majors.

I want to identify a career path that feels fulfilling and matches my long-term goals.

CBU’s Career Center provides personalized career counseling, access to Handshake for job and internship opportunities, and career fairs to connect with over 450 employers annually. Resources like the Occupational Outlook Handbook and BigFuture help you research job duties, education requirements, and career outlooks. CBU encourages networking with alumni and employers via LinkedIn and on-campus recruiting to align your career with your goals and faith-driven purpose.

I’m searching for my true calling, something that gives me purpose and motivates me every day.

To discover your true calling, explore passions through courses like Studio Art for creative expression or Social Work to serve others, while volunteering in community programs to test your interests. Reflect on your values and strengths through journaling or mentorship to identify what motivates you daily, whether it’s inspiring others, creating meaningful art, or pursuing roles like teaching or counseling. Invest time in internships or projects that align with your purpose, ensuring your career and personal life reflect a calling that feels fulfilling, not just a job. A job can be you calling, but also a job can support your calling.

Common Questions

Spiritual Guidiance

What burdens or needs in the world stir your heart, and how might they reflect God’s call for you?

A calling often reflects a God-given burden for issues like caring for the marginalized, so reflect on what moves you deeply and pray for wisdom to discern how to respond through a role, ministry, or career. Test this calling by exploring opportunities such as internships, mission work, or community outreach.

How might God be inviting you to serve others through your unique gifts?

Scripture (1 Peter 4:10) highlights that your gifts, like compassion or creativity, are meant to serve others and glorify God. Try using these talents in small ways, such as volunteering at church or helping a neighbor, while praying for discernment on how God might guide you to apply them further.

What does it look like for you to trust God’s plan for your life right now, even if it’s unclear?

Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages trusting God to guide your calling, which involves surrendering fears or taking small steps of faith like praying or fasting for clarity. Seek counsel from a pastor or Christian mentor to explore how God might be leading you.

Career Exploration

What activities or topics make you feel energized or fully engaged?

Activities that captivate you highlight your natural strengths and passions, so identify 2-3 moments when you were fully engaged and note what made them compelling. Explore how these interests connect to potential majors or careers by taking related courses or speaking with professionals in those fields.

What’s a skill or strength you’re proud of, and how might it fit into a career?

Your strengths can lead to a fulfilling career, so reflect on a rewarding moment when you effectively used a skill and why it felt meaningful. Explore majors or jobs that value this strength by taking a related course, attending a workshop, or using tools like O*NET to identify matching roles.

What moments in your life have felt most meaningful, and what made them so special?

Reflecting on moments of deep fulfillment, when you felt truly alive or purposeful, can reveal patterns tied to your calling by identifying 2-3 such instances and noting common themes like creating or teaching. Explore these themes further through activities like volunteering or taking a relevant class to uncover potential career paths.

Career Quiz - BigFuture

Explore Majors and Careers

Self-Reflection

What’s holding you back from choosing a path right now?

The fear of choosing the wrong career path is common and reflects your desire for a meaningful choice, but you can pivot later if needed. To ease this worry, take a small step like researching careers on LinkedIn, talking to professionals, or taking a career assessment like the Strong Interest Inventory to align your interests with potential paths.

What fears or barriers are making it hard to choose a path?

Identifying obstacles like fear of failure or lack of information allows you to address them proactively. Taking small steps, such as researching careers on LinkedIn, consulting a career counselor, or trying a low-stakes activity, can reduce uncertainty and build confidence.

If you could try any career for a year without risk, what would you pick?

Dreaming about a career can uncover hidden interests, so identify what excites you most about it and why those aspects appeal to you. Test its fit by experimenting with a related course, volunteering, or starting a small project to see if it resonates.

What Career Personality Are You? The Six Career Personality Types (Holland Codes)

Common Areas of Need