5 Ways To FOCUS Your Career/Major Search

Hey JMU! Not sure what career to choose with a major in... ? Have a career in mind and no idea which major to choose? Use FOCUS on the CAP website to identify and evaluate careers and majors, and find the right fit for you!

1. Work Interest Assessment

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If you take the Work Interest Assessment on FOCUS, your results will be paired with the six Holland Codes to give you an idea of your top Work Interests. This is one step of your Self-Assessment journey and a good place to start with FOCUS.

2. Leisure Assessment

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What do you like to do in your spare time? How do your leisure activities influence your career options? You can take the Leisure Assessment and use this information to discover occupations that would be appealing to you based on your answers.

3. What can I do with a major in...

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Curious about the kinds of career doors your major could open? Discover the many career options you have with your major (or a major of interest) by using the "What Can I Do with a Major In?" feature on FOCUS or with the Career Guide to JMU Majors on the CAP website.

4. Compare 2 Occupations Side by Side

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Want to know what the difference is between two occupations? Use FOCUS' "Compare 2 Occupations Side-by-Side" feature to review the educational requirements, duties, skills, earnings, etc. of over 500 occupations.

5. Combine Assessments

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After completion of any of the five assessments (Work Interest, Personality, Leisure, Values, Skills) on FOCUS you will be able to combine the results to discover your list of Best Fit Occupations and read more about each career that was a match for you. You can also create a PDF listing the results of your combined assessments and share that with your advisor to start a conversation about your interests.

6. Meet with someone

After you've taken some of the assessments available on FOCUS, schedule an appointment with a CAP advisor to discuss your results and what they mean for your major or career decisions! We're here to help!