First Year Experience

The WCIDWAMI website is located here: https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major. For your convenience, the directions for the assignment are listed below.

NOTE: You are viewing a page that exists outside of Canvas. To complete this assignment, you must submit it in Canvas.

This assignment can help you determine your level of interest in various majors and learn about career options related to your major. You will explore information related to academic preparation, job duties, and salary information with respect to several careers and watch at least two video interviews of working professionals in the discipline(s) that interest you. If you are currently unsure of your major or career, this assignment can also help you explore careers and majors that you are considering and help you make an informed decision.

DIRECTIONS:

• Visit the What Could I Do With a Major In… (WCIDWAMI) site and select (click on) at least two majors that interest you. Be sure to peruse all of the information on each page, scrolling all the way to the bottom. There may be additional links that interest you!
• Take notes as your view the pages, using the REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT questions #1-3 (see below) as a guide.
• Visit the Candid Career site and watch at least TWO videos that interest you.
• There are two ways to search for videos that best match your interests:

1. 1. Click the “Career Profiles” link in the main toolbar of the site to explore videos by industry.
   2. Use the “Search” feature (magnifying glass at top of the site) to help you find videos from professionals who majored in the field you specify.

• • • Click in the search field.
    • Click “Advanced Search”.
    • Use the drop-down menu that appears to the right to select “Major”.
    • Use the search field to type the name of a major that interests you.

• Take notes while you watch each video, using the REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT questions #4-7 (see below) as a guide.
• Complete the reflection assignment below.

REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT (500-word minimum):

1. Which TWO majors did you explore on What Could I Do With a Major In… (WCIDWAMI)? Why did you choose each one?
2. What did you learn about each major that:
   1. most interests you (and why);
   2. least interests you (and why);
   3. makes you want to learn more (and why); and
   4. helps you know whether or not you have selected the best major to match your interests (and how).
3. For each major, which two items in the “General Information and Strategies” section (bottom of each page) do you think would be most helpful to you. Why?
4. Which TWO videos did you choose to watch on the Candid Career site? Why did you choose each one (if different reasons than you gave for #1)?
5. Describe what you learned from watching the videos that helped reinforce your choice of major/career OR helped you decide that you would like to explore a different major/career path? Be specific and cite at least TWO examples.
6. Describe your reactions to what the interview subjects mentioned about:
   1. how they chose their career;
   2. what they like about their career;
   3. the successes/joys they have experienced in their career; and
   4. the challenges they face in their career.
7. How can you use Candid Career as a tool to further explore your major/career decision?
8. Describe two things that you can do in the next year as a follow-up to this experience that will help you in your chosen career path (or help you identify a major that better suits you). Be specific and mention campus or community resources you could use to assist you.