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Choosing My Career Path

What careers exist? What is a particular job like? What will the job require of me? How much will it pay? What kind of training is needed? How easy is it to find a job in this field? There are many ways to find answers to questions like these. To begin:

• Read to generate ideas and to get the basics about the responsibilities, training and outlook for a particular field. Use books available in CDC's Career Resource Area, local libraries, career centers of other colleges and universities, bookstores, as well as the internet.
• Observe the world around you. Wherever you go is someone else's work environment. Get ideas from what you see and experience.
• Volunteer in your area of interest. Visit the Volunteer Programs homepage or contact an organization near where you live.
• Interview people who work in occupations you are considering. Most people are happy to talk about what they do and how they got there. This is called "Informational Interviewing." Use CDC's Quick Reference Guide on Networking and Informational Interviewing.
• Use the Alumni Career Network to connect with alumni in occupations of interest in order to enhance your network and expand your informational interviewing options.