What Career Counseling is...

• Confidential sessions with a trained counselor.
• Processes that help you learn more about yourself and the world of work.
• Career Counseling process typically takes 3-8 appointments.
• Appointments last 50 minutes.

What Career Counseling Can Do For You...

• Identifies the steps in making a good choice in selecting a major or occupational field.
• Helps students locate resources to research major and career options.
• Assess interest, personality traits, values and abilities.
• Teaches students how to make decisions.

Assessments Used in Career Counseling

• MyPlan is the tool used by WTAMU career counselors to assist students in choosing a major or exploring different occupations that would be a good fit for them.

FAQ About Our Services

• Does career counseling help me plan my schedule - what classes to take - for next semester?

  No. Career counseling helps you explore majors and occupation choices. We leave the academic advising up to the Student Advising Registration and Retention Center (STARR Center) or the individual academic departments. All Freshmen and Sophomores are advised by the STARR Center as well as Juniors and Seniors who have not passed the TSI test or have not declared a major.  Juniors and Seniors who have passed the TSI test go directly to their academic department for advising.

• Is it as simple as taking the MyPlan to know exactly what I should do with my life?

  Yes and No.

  Yes, if you invest the necessary time to explore fully the options illuminated by taking the MyPlan, you could have a very clear roadmap of what you should major in or jobs that would be a good fit for you. We suggest that you print this tip sheet to reference as you  use MyPlan.

  No, if you think that all you have to do is take the MyPlan and go with the first option it suggests. This is the weakest strategy one can use in choosing majors or occupational paths. One needs to research the occupational fields suggested by the MyPlan to select the one that is the best fit. MyPlan is a starting point for further exploration.

• I need to make a decision on my major quickly because I register for classes tomorrow. Can I take the MyPlan and choose my major all in one day?

  No, not if you are going to make a good decision. There are numerous things that one has to think about and research based on the results from the MyPlan. The best plan is to take MyPlan and thoroughly investigate the majors and career fields the assessment suggests.  We suggest that you print this tip sheet to reference as you  use MyPlan. The next step is to schedule an appointment with a career counselor to discuss the results of the assessment and to gain further insight into how to use the MyPlan results to make a decision. Your career counselor will help you look at other options to try on your chosen career field before you graduate to see if this is really what you want to do with your degree upon graduation.

Career Resource Links

Trying to decide what your major is and what you can do with it is sometimes a difficult procedure. Our office strives to help you through the career decision making process by providing useful information. This page will provide you with links to self assessments, career plans, and career search. Explore this link to find answers about your career questions.