Breaking Through Walls to A New Career!

 

Gain strategies to get a new career!

The news has highlighted that from entry level graduate to experienced job seeker people are looking for new employment!

You have the keys to a new career!

Your degree and transferable skills are keys to your next job opportunity!

Match Degree Program to Another Career

Our Explore Careers and College Major Programs has two programs that help you to explore careers using two methods –

• Explore Occupations by Job families
• What Can I Do If I Majored In

Explore Occupations by Job Family

To research the careers using Explore Occupations by Job Family, go the Explore Occupations by Job Family

• Look on the Main Menu page under Explore the Possibilities section.

Explore Career Possibilities

• Click on the Explore Occupations by Job Family link.

Explore Occupations by Job Families

See some of the Job Families –

• Architecture & Engineering
• Arts, Entertainment, Sports, & Media
• Building & Grounds Maintenance
• Business & Financial
• Community & Social Service
• Computer & Mathematical
• Construction & Extraction
• Education & Training
• Farming, Fishing, & Forestry
• Food Service
• Healthcare Practitioners & Technical
• Healthcare Support
• Installation, Maintenance, & Repair
• Legal
• Life, Physical, & Social Science
• Management
• Office & Administrative Support
• Personal Care & Service
• Production
• Protective Service

Open the job family that interests you. You will find a few different occupations.

For example, Education & Training occupations are -

• Agricultural Sciences Professor
• Anthropology and Archeology Professor
• Aquarium Curator
• Architecture Professor
• Archivist
• Area and Cultural Studies Professor
• Art, Drama, & Music Professors
• Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
• Biology Professor
• Business Professor
• Career / Technical Education Teacher
• Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
• Chemistry Professor
• Communications Professor
• Computer Science Professor
• Criminal Justice Professor
• Curriculum and Assessment Director

Click on an occupation.  An Occupational Details web page appears.

See different sections in the career profile.

The different sections in the career profile are –

• Occupational Overview
• Earnings
• Outlook
• Training
• Job Tasks
• Work Interest Profile
• Values
• Skills
• Education Requirements
• Professional Associations

What Can I Do If I Majored In …

Explore What Can I Do If I Majored In

The What Can I Do If I Majored In covers information about some of the following college majors –

• Agriculture and Related Sciences
• Architecture
• Area, Ethnic and Gender Studies
• Basic Skills and Developmental/Remedial Education
• Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Business, Management and Marketing
• Citizenship Activities
• Communication and Journalism
• Communication Technology
• Computer and Information Sciences
• Construction Trades
• Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services
• Education
• Engineering
• Engineering Technologies
• Foreign Languages, Literature, and Linguistics

Go to the What Can I Do If I Majored In Tool.

On the What Can I Do If I Majored In, click the desired major.

As an example, clicked on Education.

Related Majors appear. You go down the list until you find the right major, for example Counselor Education - School Counseling and Guidance Services.

The Counselor Education page appears.  On the page, there is a college program/ major description.  You can save or print the description.

Explore Counselor Education - School Counseling and Guidance Services

Under the program title and description, there is a list of potential careers matched to the desired major.  Scroll down, view, click or save the desired occupation, for example: Career, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors.

Scroll down to the Educational Requirements.  You will again see desired college majors –

• Counselor Psychology
• Counselor Education – School Counseling and Guidance Services
• Education
• Psychology
• School Psychology

For example: Counselor Education - School Counseling and Guidance Services.

A program that prepares individuals to apply the theory and principles of guidance and counseling to the provision of support for the personal, social, educational, and vocational development of students, and the organizing of guidance services within elementary, middle and secondary educational institutions. Includes instruction in legal and professional requirements, therapeutic counselor intervention, vocational counseling, and related sociological and psychological foundations.

References

There are excellent web sites that provide match careers to your degree.  University web sites list web pages that match majors/ degrees to the following areas –

• Common Career Paths
• Employers
• Strategies
• Common Employers
• Getting Started and Advancing Steps
• Professional Associations
• Occupational Outlook
• Employment Opportunities
• Related Resources

The most common reference resource is https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/ from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

• Facing entry-level job crunch, new grads question the value of a degree (Washingtonpost.com)
• Young Graduates Are Facing an Employment Crisis (Wall Street Journal)
• New grads are struggling to find jobs and they’re being locked out of the labor market because of 3 key factors (Fortune)
• New Grads Are Facing Major Challenges Finding Work. Here’s Why (Inc.)
• Layoffs, Job Market Trigger Record Low For Employee Confidence Index (Forbes)
• The Jobs Market Is Starting to Fall Apart (Wall Street Journal)
• Thousands of laid-off government workers are flooding a shrinking job market (Fortune)
• What Can I Do With This Major. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/ 2023 This web site is used by many universities!
• What Can I Do With A Majors UC Berkeley. Career Engagement https://career.berkeley.edu/start-exploring/majors-to-career/what-can-i-do-with-a-major-in/, 2025
• What Can I Do With This Major? University Career Center, University of Michigan, Youtube video!
• What Can I Do With This Major? Youtube Video University of North Texas video
• What Can I Do With A Major In...? Loyola University Maryland https://www.loyola.edu/department/career-center/resources/major-career-exploration/majors/
• What Can I Do With A Major In?  Middle Tennessee State University, 2025 https://www.mtsu.edu/career/majors/

Break the job search using Transferable Skills

Next steps - Using transferable skills in career exploration ...

Mission Possible

Mission Possible!!! Build awareness of what matters to you the most.

There are two paths - your interests or your skills. Your interests are what you like doing. Your skills are what you are good at!

These are the two paths that you can take on the road to destiny your destiny.

Take the first step! Go to the Start Here Blog - bit.ly/44flyQC

RIASEC and Transferable Skills Scale Overview 2025

Time to discover your strengths and interests. Match your talents to future careers and training programs. Careerplans4all.com has tests, videos, graphics, downloads and much, much, more! 

Build awareness of interests and skills with two new online, easy-to-use, Holland Code career tools.  Explore career interests or transferable skills.  Create a list of potential careers. Generate a printable PDF report.  Learn more at bit.ly/4nCdm4I

Careerplans4all.com releases new career planning resources!

CareerPlans4All.com has released new career test bundle, videos, graphics and membership programs.

Get strategies to help you make wise career decisions about careers, colleges/ universities, trades and apprenticeships.

 

Evaluating Our Career Options

 Choosing the Right Career Path

What are your career goals?

Look at the different apprenticeships, technical training programs, and college/ university degree options:

• College/ university degree programs
• Technical training
• Apprenticeships

Understand your goals!

Are you seeking a specific, in-demand trade, or are you looking for broader career path with more flexibility?

What is your focus?

• Streamlined courses and learning methodologies focusing on manual, mechanical, or technical skills for specific occupations that will allow you to gain hands-on experience in a specific trade or
• Critical thinking skills to build your reasoning and logic widening and building diverse knowledge relevant to an industry

 The choice is yours!

When you are looking at an apprenticeship, technical training, or college/university program, you should conduct research. This is essential to find the right training programs or college/university majors.

 What factors should you consider?

According Research.com, the cost of college is important to consider. The duration of the study and job prospects are also things to consider when making your decision.

What tools are available ?

Holland Codes, Career Planning Tool

Holland (RIASEC) Codes are keys to discover the right, apprenticeships, technical training programs, and college majors! Holland (RIASEC) Codes can match your interests to training programs or college/ university majors. 

What are the differences between the different options?  Understand the differences!

Colleges and universities help you hone your reasoning and logic and widen your knowledge about your field of study. Research.com.

Trade, technical school, vocational school, or vocational college schools

• Allow you to develop industry-specific skillsets that employers will surely find impressive. Research.com
• Focus on honing manual, mechanical, or technical skills for specific occupations. Research.com
• Involve streamlined courses and learning methodologies that allow students to gain hands-on experience in a specific trade. In this way, students can become equipped to enter the workforce faster.
• The accelerating technological advancements have produced the need for specialized trade school training and high-demand roles. Research.com

 Consider the different factors!

 Important factors to consider when making your decision about apprenticeships, technical training programs, and college/ university majors degrees are –

• Duration – Length of Time to Graduate
• Cost of Attendance
• Institutional accreditation
• Job prospects
• Return on Investment (ROI)
• Job Readiness
• Career Flexibility
• Average Salaries
• Admission Requirements
• Check the program accreditation

 Use available resources!

 The College Affordability and Transparency List from the U.S. Department of Education outline the different factors –

• Which colleges have the highest and lowest tuition and net prices
• How much do career and vocational programs costs?
• How fact are college costs going up?

 Accreditation is an important factor!

 An essential Check the accreditation of the school that you are interested in.  Go to  https://www.bestcolleges.com/trades/are-trade-schools-accredited/

 Looking at College/ University Majors

 One of the university/ college major exploration web sites is Big Future.  Find the right colleges or university for you. College or university search web site is here to help you make the best decision for you. To begin, choose one of two starting points. Use MatchMaker to generate a list of colleges that match your preferences. Use QuickFinder to research a college that you already have in mind.

 Areas included involve –

• Majors
• Location
• Type
• Affordability
• Campus Life
• Credit
• Admissions
• Reach, Match, Safety
• Degrees

 Trade Schools

The programs in trade schools are designed to provide students with specific training. They focus on the hard skills needed for a particular job. The curricula involve streamlined courses and learning methodologies that allow students to gain hands-on experience in a specific trade. Students can enter the workforce faster. They can get the best jobs for trade school graduates.

 Advance CTE (Association for Career and Technical Education) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association. It was formerly the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc). It is committed to advancing education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. 

 According to Research.com, Advance CTE has defined 16 different vocational clusters and 79 trade school careers that students can take.

Apprenticeships

 One of the Apprenticeship web site is ApprenticeshipUSA.  ApprenticeshipUSA is a unifying brand that encompasses the entire National Registered Apprenticeship system and brings awareness to the proven and successful

ApprenticeshipUSA connects all stakeholders in the National Registered Apprenticeship system. This includes employers, industry associations, labor unions, and education and training providers. It also involves apprenticeship contractors and grantees, apprentices, and community-based organizations. Additionally, equity partners, Ambassadors, DOL Apprenticeship Staff, State Apprenticeship Agencies, Federal partners, and intermediaries are connected.

 Registered Apprenticeship is a proven recruitment strategy. It’s also an effective method for training and retention across all industries. This strategy enables employers to develop, train, and retain their future workforce. It offers career seekers affordable paths to secure high-paying jobs. In fact, 93% of apprentices retain employment after completing an apprenticeship program. This retention contributes to a high return on investment for employers and industry leaders.

 For more resources, visit our resource web page! 

 Have a blessed day,

 Dr. Mary Askew

careerplans4all.com

References:

·       Trade School vs. College: What’s the Difference? By TBS Staff Writers,  October 8, 2024 https://thebestschools.org/degrees/trade-schools-vs-college/

·       Trade School vs College for 2025: Pros & Cons, and Job Opportunities, Imed Bouchrika, Phd, MAY 16, 2025, https://research.com/universities-colleges/trade-school-vs-college

·       Advance CTE (n.d.). Career Clusters. Retrieved from https://careertech.org/career-clusters

·       Carnevale, A.P. & Cheah, B. (2018). Five Rules of the College and Career Game. Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce. Retrieved from https://1gyhoq479ufd3yna29x7ubjn-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Fiverules.pdf

·       National Center for Education Statistics (2021, May). Undergraduate Enrollment. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha

·       Plumer, B. (2013, May). Only 27 percent of college grads have a job related to their major. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/05/20/only-27-percent-of-college-grads-have-a-job-related-to-their-major/

·       Quiroga-Garza, M.E. Flores-Marín, D.L. Cantú-Hernandez, R.R. Rojas, I.E.E., & Cabrera, M.V.L. (2020). Effects of a vocational program on professional orientation. Heliyon 6(4). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03860

·       Thompson, D. (2020, October). College Grads Lack Job Readiness. TD Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.td.org/magazines/td-magazine/college-grads-lack-job-readiness

·       Torpey, E. (2019, January). High-wage occupations by typical entry-level education. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2019/article/high-wage-occupations.htm

·       U.S. Department of Education (2020). College Affordability and Transparency List Retrieved from https://collegecost.ed.gov/affordability

·       U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020, May). Learn more, earn more: Education leads to higher wages, lower unemployment. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2020/data-on-display/education-pays.htm

·       But, Do I Need a College Degree?: Understanding Perceptions of College and Career Readiness among Students Enrolled in a Career and Technical High School Genia M Bettencourt 1,✉, Chrystal A George Mwangi 2, Keisha L Green 3, Daniel Morales Morales 3https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8614215/