Career Exploration
Career Advancement prepares UChicago students for professions across industries and around the globe. With career exploration resources accompanied by personalized support, our office can help you explore your professional interests and identify potential next steps during and after your time on campus.
Career Exploration Resources
Taking time to reflect on your interests, skills, and values will not only help you make informed decisions about your career, but it will also help you clarify goals associated with the overall college experience. The resources below guide you to articulate your personal priorities. You can then use this information to identify professional opportunities you would like to explore and career paths that align with your priorities. Career advisers are here to support you in connecting the dots between what energizes you and what you can do to make a living.
Academic Favorites
This worksheet asks you to list your favorite academic experiences and expand on what made them important to you. You are well-versed in studying and taking classes, so this sheet connects what you already know with ways your interests might show up in a profession. Connect with a career adviser for support in completing that final column.
Value Chart
This guide to rating your values can help point you towards a professional pathway that offers personal fulfillment on a regular basis. Just as your values evolve throughout your lifetime, so too will your career interests. Most professionals did not take a linear path to end up in their current position, and they may have pivoted when reevaluating their values.
Skills Inventory
The inventory asks you to identify both the skills you already have and the skills you hope to gain. This knowledge can aid you in selecting experiences during your time at UChicago as you look for roles that play to your strengths and offer you opportunities to grow and develop your skillset.
Energy Engagement Map
This map asks you to consider the activities you engage in on a regular basis and assess whether they replenish your energy or drain it. This can be used to determine what activities you would like to engage in on the job. For example, if you get energy from being with other people but grow weary doing research in the library, independent analysis may not be the role for you!
CliftonStrengths Assessment
The CliftonStrengths assessment measures the intensity of your talents across 34 themes. Watch our video and meet with a Career Adviser to learn how your results can help you explore potential career paths. You can reach out to for a personalized access code to take the CliftonStrengths assessment.
Personalized Support & Experiential Opportunities
The resources described above are just a starting point for your career exploration. Our Career Advisers are prepared to help you explore your interests, identify opportunities that fit your goals, and prepare your application materials. You can make a Career Exploration appointment in UChicago Handshake by searching under the “General Career Advising” Category.
Interested in hands-on programming to take your exploration into the field? Check out some of the options below that are expanded upon throughout our website:
Get weekly updates about your field of interest. Our "Careers in" programs help students prepare for careers in specific industries. Sign up to receive weekly e-mails on upcoming events and experiential opportunities.
Shadow a UChicago alum. Career Advancement's Job Shadowing Program provides opportunities for students to virtually shadow a UChicago alum and experience a "day in the life" of a career field that interests them.
Engage with employers and alumni in your field of interest. Treks bring groups of 15-25 students to meet with potential employers throughout the United States and around the world.
Learn from the experts: Learn how to leverage your UChicago network by watching our Networking video and signing up for UChicago Wisr to find alumni mentors who can provide advice and guidance.