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Chapter 4: Career Exploration & Pathways

Schools@monroecc.edu

Each semester

The following is part of a checklist for each semester. What have you already completed for this semester? What do you need to complete for next semester?

In the section below, you will find additional benchmarks to measure your progress each semester.

Path leading to mountains

Success doesn’t come to you . . . you go to it. —Dr. Marva Collins, civil rights activist and educator

The Schools@MCC

At Monroe Community College, students have access to seven Schools or clusters of academic programs. Each School offers a variety of programs from which students can choose. The purpose of the Schools at MCC is to provide clear pathways to every student so they know they are on track to completing college and achieving their goals and dreams. The Schools@MCC connect students to an academic home and the people who will support their personal success at the College.

 

Key Terms

School: MCC academic programs are clustered into related interest groups or Schools. Each School provides students with an academic home and allows for purposeful outreach and strategic support.

Student Success Coaches: Each incoming student is assigned a Success Coach who is a specialist in their school.  Success coaches connect students to appropriate resources and help them navigate the college.

Schools@MCC Email

Unsure of who your Success Coach/Advisor is? Don’t see your Success Coach/Advisor listed on Degree Works? Not sure how to find your Success Coach/Advisor in Starfish? Having difficulty contacting your Success Coach/Advisor? Have a question about advisement and you are not sure who to contact? If you have any of these questions, email schools@monroecc.edu for more information.

Pathway: Refers to a student’s intended program. The pathway you choose will determine which of the 7 Schools @ MCC you are matched with.

Program: MCC academic programs refer to the requirements leading to a specific degree or certificate. MCC offers over 100 degree and certificate programs.

Major: Your major is the academic discipline you commit to as an undergraduate student, or an area you specialize in, such as accounting, chemistry, criminology, archaeology, digital arts, or dance, each major contains core courses and electives. When you applied to Monroe Community College you selected a major, and that major belongs to one of the seven Schools at MCC.

During your first semester, you’ll want to check the major listed in your Degree Works to be sure it is correct. Then you’ll want to take some time to map out the classes needed to complete the major. Information about how to do those important tasks is offered later in this chapter.

Your major is important because it’s a defining and organizing feature of your academic career. Ultimately, your major should provide you with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors you need to fulfill your college goals and objectives. When you successfully complete the required courses in your major, you qualify for a degree.

How to Select Your College Major (if you haven’t already)

Some students have difficulty declaring a major, so MCC offers two short-term options: undeclared and undecided. An undecided student has chosen a School but has not yet decided upon a program within that School; an undeclared student has not chosen a School. Students are strongly encouraged to declare their major as soon as possible, and assistance is available to help them do so before they complete their first 15 hours of coursework.

Selecting your major is one of the most exciting tasks you are asked to perform in college. Although many decisions are tied to choosing a major, the process is easier if you have good guidance, patience, and enthusiasm.

Explore What Can I Do With This Major? “a website featuring 106 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources are included.”

The video below offers five steps to designing the life you want:

 

Career Development (CDL) Courses

MCC offers Career Development, or CDL, courses for undeclared and undecided students, as well as those who are still unsure of their career pathways even after taking a college success course and following the steps described throughout this chapter. Additional inventories designed to help you choose your major are offered in Chapter 4 Activities. If you’re still unsure about choosing a major after taking them, a CDL course may be an appropriate next step.

Roadmap to Success

As mentioned above, one of the purposes of Schools@MCC is to help students get on an academic path that is appropriate for them and to support them to stay on that path until they complete their course of study. The following guide provides a road map for students to help them identify important benchmarks to achieve along their path to graduation:

During your first semester . . .

  • Connect with your assigned faculty advisor
  • Reaffirm your PATHWAY in DegreeWorks
  • Review your semester-by-semester course plan in DegreeWorks
  • Explore career and transfer plans
  • Connect to academic, financial, and personal resources
  • Read the Daily Tribune every day (in your MyMCC portal or in your student email)
  • Check your MCC email often
  • Watch for early alert messages through Starfish (in your MyMCC portal or in your student email)
  • Join a student club
  • Attend FYE events
  • Attend a Schools event (listed in your MyMCC portal)
  • Register for the next semester

During every subsequent semester . . .

  • Connect with your assigned faculty advisor
  • Reaffirm your PATHWAY in DegreeWorks
  • Review your semester-by-semester course plan and track your progress in DegreeWorks
  • Refine graduation, transfer, and career plans
  • Continue to connect to academic, financial, and personal resources
  • Attend Schools and campus events
  • Consider leadership in a student club or student government organization
  • Update your resume and attend a workshop event in the Career Services Office

Holland Code

Based on the research of Dr. John Holland, majors and careers can be clustered into six broad interest areas that correspond to six different personality types. The Holland Codes may be used to illustrate how you may find your area of interest in one of the MCC Schools. Please note that this system is only a starting point that provides a preliminary way to identify majors and careers that might be a satisfying fit for you.

Review the information below to help you determine your specific Holland Code. First, read the six descriptions and identify the three that describe you best. Those three letters together comprise your Holland Code, and that code, along with other assessments and advisement, can help you choose a career that will fit your personality and your style.Holland Codes diagram

Artistic (Creators)

People who have artistic, innovating, or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.

  • Are you? creative, imaginative, innovative, unconventional, emotional, independent, expressive, original, introspective, impulsive, sensitive, courageous, complicated, idealistic, nonconforming
  • Can you? sketch; draw; paint; play a musical instrument; write stories, poetry, or music; sing; act; dance; design fashions or interiors
  • Like to? attend concerts, theatre, and art exhibits; read fiction, plays, and poetry; work on crafts; take photographs; express yourself creatively; deal with ambiguous ideas
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Actor (AES)
    • Advertising Art Director (AES)
    • Advertising Manager (ASE)
    • Architect (AIR)
    • Art Teacher (ASE)
    • Artist (ASI)
    • Copy Writer (ASI)
    • Dance Instructor (AER)
    • Drama Coach (ASE)
    • English Teacher (ASE)
    • Entertainer/Performer (AES)
    • Fashion Illustrator (ASR)
    • Graphic Designer (AES)
    • Interior Designer (AES)
    • Intelligence Research Specialist (AEI)
    • Journalist/Reporter (ASE)
    • Landscape Architect (AIR)
    • Librarian (SAI)
    • Medical Illustrator (AIE)
    • Museum Curator (AES)
    • Music Teacher (ASI)
    • Photographer (AES)
    • Writer (ASI)

Enterprising (Persuaders)

People who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, leading, or managing for organizational goals or economic gain.

  • Are you? self-confident, assertive, persuasive, energetic, adventurous, popular, ambitious, agreeable, talkative, extroverted, spontaneous, optimistic
  • Can you? initiate projects; convince people to do things; sell things; give talks or speeches; organize activities; lead a group; persuade others
  • Like to? make decisions; be elected to office; start your own business; campaign politically; meet important people; have power or status
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Advertising Executive (ESA)
    • Advertising Sales Rep (ESR)
    • Banker/Financial Planner (ESR)
    • Branch Manager (ESA)
    • Business Manager (ESC)
    • Buyer (ESA)
    • Chamber of Commerce Exec (ESA)
    • Credit Analyst (EAS)
    • Customer Service Manager (ESA)
    • Education & Training Manager (EIS)
    • Emergency Medical Technician (ESI)
    • Entrepreneur (ESA)
    • Foreign Service Officer (ESA)
    • Funeral Director (ESR)
    • Insurance Manager (ESC)
    • Interpreter (ESA)
    • Lawyer/Attorney (ESA)
    • Lobbyist (ESA)
    • Office Manager (ESR)
    • Personnel Recruiter (ESR)
    • Politician (ESA)
    • Public Relations Rep (EAS)
    • Retail Store Manager (ESR)
    • Sales Manager (ESA)
    • Sales Representative (ERS)
    • Social Service Director (ESA)
    • Stockbroker (ESI)
    • Tax Accountant (ECS)

Social (Helpers)

People who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure, or who are skilled with words.

  • Are you? friendly, helpful, idealistic, insightful, outgoing, understanding, cooperative, generous, responsible, forgiving, patient, kind
  • Can you? teach/train others; express yourself clearly; lead a group discussion; mediate disputes; plan and supervise an activity; cooperate with others
  • Like to? work in groups; help people with problems; do volunteer work; work with young people; serve others
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Clinical Dietitian (SIE)
    • City Manager (SEC)
    • College/University Faculty (SEI)
    • Community Org. Director (SEA)
    • Consumer Affairs Director (SER)
    • Counselor/Therapist (SAE)
    • Hospital Administrator (SER)
    • Historian (SEI)
    • Insurance Claims Examiner (SIE)
    • Librarian (SAI)
    • Medical Assistant (SCR)
    • Minister/Priest/Rabbi (SAI)
    • Office Manager (SER)
    • Paralegal (SCE)
    • Park Naturalist (SEI)
    • Physical Therapist (SIE)
    • Police Officer (SER)
    • Probation or Parole Officer (SEC)
    • Psychologist (SEI)
    • Real Estate Appraiser (SCE)
    • Recreation Director (SER)
    • Registered Nurse (SIA)
    • Social Worker (SEA)
    • Speech Pathologist (SAI)
    • Teacher (SAE)
    • Vocational-Rehab. Counselor (SEC)
    • Volunteer Services Director (SEC)

Realistic (Doers)

People who have athletic ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants, or animals, or to be outdoors.

  • Are you? practical, straightforward, frank, mechanically inclined, stable, concrete, reserved, self-controlled, independent, ambitious, systematic
  • Can you? fix electrical things; solve electrical problems; pitch a tent; play a sport; read a blueprint; plant a garden; operate tools and machines
  • Like to? tinker with machines or vehicles; work outdoors; be physically active; use your hands; build things; care for or train animals; work on electronic equipment
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Air Traffic Controller (SER)
    • Archaeologist (IRE)
    • Athletic Trainer (SRE)
    • Cartographer (IRE)
    • Commercial Airline Pilot (RIE)
    • Commercial Drafter (IRE)
    • Corrections Officer (SER)
    • Dental Technician (REI)
    • Farm Manager (ESR)
    • Fish and Game Warden (RES)
    • Floral Designer (RAE)
    • Forester (RIS)
    • Geodetic Surveyor (IRE)
    • Laboratory Technician (RIE)
    • Landscape Architect (AIR)
    • Mechanical Engineer (RIS)
    • Officer (SER)
    • Optician (REI)
    • Petroleum Geologist (RIE)
    • Practical Nurse (SER)
    • Property Manager (ESR)
    • Recreation Manager (SER)
    • Service Manager (ERS)
    • Software Technician (RCI)
    • Technology Teacher (IER)
    • Ultrasound Technologist (RSI)
    • Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (ESR)

Conventional (Organizers)

People who like to work with data, carry out tasks in detail, follow through on others’ instructions, and may have the clerical or numerical ability.

  • Are you? well-organized, accurate, numerically inclined, methodical, conscientious, efficient, conforming, practical, thrifty, systematic, structured, polite, ambitious, obedient, persistent
  • Can you? work well within a system; do a lot of paperwork in a short time; keep accurate records; use a computer terminal; write effective business letters
  • Like to? follow clearly defined procedures; use data processing equipment; work with numbers; type or take shorthand; be responsible for details; collect or organize things
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Abstractor (CSI)
    • Accountant (CSE)
    • Administrative Assistant (ESC)
    • Business Manager (ESC)
    • Business Programmer (CRI)
    • Business Teacher (CSE)
    • Budget Analyst (CER)
    • Catalog Librarian (CSE)
    • Claims Adjuster (SEC)
    • Congressional-District Aide (CES)
    • Consumer Affairs Director (SER)
    • Cost Accountant (CES)
    • Court Reporter (CSE)
    • Credit Manager (ESC)
    • Editorial Assistant (CSI)
    • Elementary School Teacher (SEC)
    • Financial Analyst (CSI)
    • Insurance Manager (ESC)
    • Insurance Underwriter (CSE)
    • Internal Auditor (ICR)
    • Kindergarten Teacher (ESC)
    • Medical Records Technician (CSE)
    • Museum Registrar (CSE)
    • Paralegal (SCE)
    • Safety Inspector (RCS)
    • Tax Accountant (ECS)
    • Tax Consultant (CES)
    • Teacher (SAE)
    • Travel Agent (ECS)

Investigative (Thinkers)

People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate, or solve problems.

  • Are you? inquisitive, analytical, scientific, observant, precise, scholarly, cautious, intellectually self-confident, independent, logical, complex, curious
  • Can you? think abstractly; solve math problems; understand scientific theories; do complex calculations; use a microscope or computer; interpret formulas
  • Like to? explore a variety of ideas; work independently; perform lab experiments; deal with abstractions; do research; be challenged
  • Career Possibilities:
    • Actuary (ISE)
    • Agronomist (IRS)
    • Anesthesiologist (IRS)
    • Anthropologist (IRE)
    • Archaeologist (IRE)
    • Biochemist (IRS)
    • Biologist (ISR)
    • Chemical Engineer (IRE)
    • Chemist (IRE)
    • Computer Systems Analyst (IER)
    • Dentist (ISR)
    • Ecologist (IRE)
    • Economist (IAS)
    • Electrical Engineer (IRE)
    • Geologist (IRE)
    • Horticulturist (IRS)
    • Mathematician (IER)
    • Medical Technologist (ISA)
    • Meteorologist (IRS)
    • Nurse Practitioner (ISA)
    • Pharmacist (IES)
    • Physician, General Practice (ISE)
    • Psychologist (IES)
    • Research Analyst (IRC)
    • Statistician (IRE)
    • Surgeon (IRA)
    • Technical Writer (IRS)
    • Veterinarian (IRS)

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