The Career Development Center provides career counseling for all Samford students, including those taking classes online. Individual career counseling sessions provide students the opportunity to meet with a career counselor to discuss their interests and career aspirations.
Hear what students have to say about their experiences with the CDC.
Exploring Majors
Choosing a major is an extremely important decision, but it is only one of the many decisions that you will have to make in your life. Statistics indicate that approximately two thirds of all university students change their major at least once during their college career, so you should take advantage of the assistance offered through the Career Development Center (CDC) to help with this process.
While you are not expected to know your major as a freshmen, the CDC encourages you to begin exploring your major options and related career interests as early as possible in your college career. Individual career counseling is available to help!
These career counseling sessions provide students the opportunity to meet with a career counselor to discuss their career aspirations, take a battery of major and career-related assessments through the CDC, and more. To set up a meeting, simply call 205-726-2980 or stop by 217 Dwight Beeson Hall. Walk-in appointments are also available most Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Resources
Five Things to Know
View YouTube videos about Samford’s undergraduate Academic Departments. Created from a career development perspective, these short videos can help you explore and compare what you would learn, the classes you could take, the characteristics that are a good fit for that field of study, and potential career paths. SU username and password required to sign in.
What Can I Do with This Major?
Search a variety of majors and discover related career areas, potential employers, and strategies to make you a more marketable candidate as you plan for a successful job search. This resource can help you connect majors to careers, which is a very important element in your decision-making process.
Your Faith, Your Future (pdf)
Consider questions related to the career planning process and read corresponding Scriptural passages to inspire and guide your prayerful decision making concerning your major and vocational path. The CDC supports your journey of faith as you venture into your career future.
Majors Connection Plus Graduate and Professional Programs, Too!
Visit this annual event, held in October, to learn more about all of the majors, minors, concentrations and graduate/professional programs that Samford has to offer. Talk with representative faculty/staff and students in a fun, casual and outdoor setting.
Self Assessment
While self-assessments won’t make a major or career decision for you, they can provide insight and assistance in your self-exploration journey. Below is a list of those offered at no charge to Samford students and alumni. To schedule an assessment appointment, simply call 205-726-2980 or stop by 217 Dwight Beeson Hall.
Self-Directed Search Interest Inventory
We strongly recommend students start with the SDS when beginning their major or career decision-making process. Based on John Holland’s codes, this assessment matches competencies and interests with Samford majors and potential occupations. Contact our office for the link to this assessment and to set up an appointment for interpretation.
MyPlan.com
MyPlan.com identifies your Myers-Briggs Personality Type and relates your personality preferences to work styles and career choices. Instructions for this assessment can be found below. Please contact our office if you would like to discuss the results.
MyPlan.com Student Access Instructions
Focus V.2
Focus v.2 is most appropriate for upper classmen and alumni and helps identify top career choices that match most often with interests, personality traits, values and skills, helping you in the decision-making process. Instructions for this assessment can be found below. Please contact our office if you would like to discuss the results.
Attention Faculty: Please contact the CDC if you would like to offer an assessment to your class so we can help you determine which one would be most appropriate.
Exploring Careers
LinkedIn is an excellent resource to network, find jobs, and grow your professional skills. Create your profile to connect with Samford Alumni, recruiters, and other Samford students. You can even take skills certification tests to earn a skill badge for your profile. Use Linked in to find job titles related to your skills, interests, or major, or look at job descriptions to use in your job search.
Informational Interviewing
Informational interviewing is a way to connect with professionals and learn about different types of positions as you explore different careers. It is also a good way to learn the different kinds of education and experience you will need to pursue different career paths. Use LinkedIn to find people in careers of interest, and then reach out for an informational interview!
Career Research Resources
Web content can provide timely and current information in an ever-changing career landscape. However, the sheer volume of websites and sometimes conflicting information can be frustrating to career explorers. Below, please find the trusted websites that the CDC staff uses to direct students in their career research.
Salary Research Resources
Reviewing salary data can be helpful in determining what jobs you want to apply for, what cities you want to apply in, and for salary negotiation during the hiring process. The links below are good sources for viewing salary information.
Pursuing Graduate School
Samford University offers over thirty high-quality graduate programs in a variety of areas, providing students with small class sizes, talented faculty, and state-of-the-art facilities.
Resources
Planning Your Financial Future
Tap into Regions Next Step to explore the wide range of resources to support you through each step of your financial journey- before, during and after college. Whether you are a Regions customer or not, these resources can help!
Resources
- Take the guesswork out of preparing for the future with real-life insights, budget calculators, fraud prevention tips, downloadable templates, and more.
Learn More - Learn about how to plan your money goals, manage student loans, and transition from classroom to workplace with Regions Bank’s Insights for Students podcast series.
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