Career Exploration: It’s not just for college seniors

Thursday, March 15, 2007

By Jim Van Wingerden

I had a conversation with a parent this week who was concerned that her first-year student, though doing well in his studies, seemed to be “drifting” through the first year without a definite career path in sight.  As best she knew he had not yet selected a major or a program at Calvin.  “Should we be concerned?” Several times she had suggested that he visit the Career Development Office and talk with a career counselor, but fears that her nagging has had a reverse effect.

I assured this parent that many first-year (and 2nd and 3rd year) students and parents are having similar conversations, and she need not be overly concerned.  The Calvin curriculum, with its’ many core requirements, allows students to sample and browse many choices of majors and programs during the first couple of years at Calvin. In fact most first-year students arrive on campus undecided, and many of them who have a specific direction in mind end up choosing a different path. 

I like to think of these students more as “explorers” than “undecided.” Explorers are embraced at Calvin.  A liberal arts education is ideally suited for just such a student, providing a bountiful smorgasbord of choices and possibilities. 

Certainly there are some programs at Calvin, particularly professional programs such as nursing, accounting, engineering, teacher education, which are designed with little forgiveness as to “browsing”—the sequence of these courses and consecutive requirements are followed most efficiently when interested students begin them during the first year.

For the most part, however, students do have time to explore during the first two years.  Students should be encouraged to continue that exploration outside of the classroom through summer jobs, student organizations, service-learning, internships, research opportunities, and the like.  All of these experiences are very important opportunities to introduce young women and men to the breadth of God’s Kingdom and a plethora of career paths that many may not have even imagined.

This parent is certainly on the right track in encouraging her student to visit the Office of Career Development.  We would like every first-year student to visit that office sometime during their first year and begin to establish a relationship with a career counselor. 

I encouraged this parent to make her suggestion more specific: ask your son to visit the Career Development Office and inquire about the Strong Interest Inventory.

The Strong Interest Inventory is a helpful tool that our Career Development counselors use to begin conversations with students about their interests and their futures. The test takes students about 30 minutes to complete.  Counselors usually ask students to also take the Myers-Briggs personality test (about 15-20 minutes to take) and use the results to begin conversations with students that can be very helpful in the career exploration journey.

Parents, we think it’s important that you know about this great resource and service: Calvin’s Office of Career Development.  Please encourage your son or daughter to utilize this resource early in the college career.

Career Development is not just for college seniors who are looking for a job.  It’s a valuable service for all of our students who are exploring their interests, their talents, and seeking God’s will for their lives.

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