Career, Major and Vocation Exploration
Finding Purpose in Your Career at Saint Xavier University
At Saint Xavier University, grounded in the Mercy tradition and committed to lives
of purpose and service, we believe your career journey should be more than a resume.
It should reflect who you are, what you value, and the impact you hope to make.
A career is the work you do, while a vocation is the deeper sense of purpose that
guides why you do it. A career can change over time, but a vocation reflects your
values, passions, and the kind of impact you want to make. When you align the two,
your work becomes more than a job. It becomes a meaningful expression of who you are
and how you want to contribute to the world.
Vocation
A vocation is a personal calling to live and work with intention, integrity, and meaning. Vocation applies not only in professional work, but also in your family and friendships, community engagements, relationship with the earth, search for meaning, and pursuit of justice. It's living your life with purpose, directed toward both your personal flourishing and the common good.
Key Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Your Profession and Vocation:
- What issues or challenges in the world move me to take action?
- When have I felt most alive, motivated, or proud of my work?
- How does my major help me serve or improve the lives of others?
- What do I want my work to say about me?
- How do I define a "successful" life?
TED Talks for Thoughtful Moments
Have a minute? Here is an inspiring list to get your ideas going!
Exploratory Resources
Explore your skills, interests, and values through these assessments:
- CliftonStrengths: The CliftonStrengths assessment helps individuals identify their strengths and connect these to a possible
major or career. There is a fee associated with this assessment.
- Holland Code (Interest Profiler): Use the My Next Move Interest Profiler assessment to determine your top three occupational themes and explore occupations within six categories, e.g. Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.
- 16 Personalities: 16 Personalities (similar to MBTI) is a free online assessment that will provide you with an accurate description of who you are and why you do the things you do. These results may be helpful in understanding major and career fit based on personality.
- Ikigai: One way to discover your purpose or calling is to use the Japanese concept of Ikigai, meaning "a reason for being." To identify their Ikigai, we ask the following four questions: 1) What do you love?, 2) What does the world need?, 3) What are you good at?, and 4) What can you get paid for? Interested in discovering your Ikigai? Start mapping out your reason for being on our Ikigai Planning Sheet!
- What Can I Do With This Major?: What Can I Do With This Major? is 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.
Explore career and vocational options using these resources:
The Four-Year SUCCESS Plan outlines academic and career development initiatives that students can complete while in school to make themselves stand out to peers both on their resume and in interviews.
O*NET (Occupational Information Network) is a free online database that can be used to explore information about careers, industry, and positions including the skills and knowledge needed as well as job outlook.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics details information about specific careers and industries including salary information.
CareerMatch contains resources for nearly all career development needs including job search, networking, resume writing, and industry information.
Job Shadow contains information and videos which allow individuals to shadow professionals in a variety of career pathways.
The Illinois Career Information System is an internet site that provides individuals with tools for career planning. There are several components to this free site including career assessments as well as information regarding occupations, employment, education and training. User ID = Illinois | Password = careers
My Next Move is an exploratory tool for students to learn about potential careers and industries. Undecided students might find this tool helpful when narrowing down a major.
Mentorship
Mentorship is one of the best ways to explore your career or vocation and gain valuable
guidance. Saint Xavier University offers mentoring opportunities through athletic
coaches, academic advisors, career advisors, faculty mentors, and SXU alumni. Students
are encouraged to take advantage of these connections for support, insight, and networking.
To connect with alumni or learn more about mentorship opportunities, contact the Career
Development Center at careerdevelopmentFREESXU.
Saint Xavier University proudly partners with various external organizations to connect
students with exploratory resources and mentors:
- America Needs You: America Needs You is a nonprofit organization that prepares first generation college students for successful careers through intensive career readiness training, one on one coaching, internships, and strong peer and alumni networks.
- CareerSpring: CareerSpring is a national nonprofit that connects first generation and low income college students with volunteer mentors from top companies. The program focuses on career exploration, professional skill building, and expanding students’ professional networks to support long term career success. Students can request access here.
- Step Up: Step Up is a mentorship nonprofit providing the structure for girls (and those who identify with girlhood) to define their ideal destination and get there – wherever that destination may be.
Additional Help
For more information about major and career exploration, please refer to the Career Readiness Guide. You can also schedule an appointment with a career advisor through Navigate to help you navigate various career pathways, choose a major, or change your major.