Section B · Page 8
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, September 26, 2000
Watkins office helps lead students down career path
By Jacqueline Lenart
Kansan correspondent
In recent years, it has become one of the most popular schools available at the University of Kansas: the College of Undecided.
Of the more than 13,000 students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, approximately 3,000 have yet to declare a major.
"I have a wide variety of interests, so it's really hard and a little bit scary to narrow them all down and pick one thing to do," said Shannon-Elizabeth Bickham, Oklahoma City freshman. "Right now, I'm just keeping an open mind and researching careers that I'm interested in."
There are options for students like Bickham The Career Counseling and Planning Services Office, 2124 Watkins Health Center, offers one-on-one career counseling, a career information library, a computerized career exploration program and the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. The Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
CCPS is designed for students at all stages of the career-planning process, from those who are clueless about major selection to students who need more information on the careers that they've chosen.
Three counselors are available to see clients, and the center is in the process of adding more. Walkins are accepted, though making an appointment is recommended. A $25 service fee is charged for total services, including all consultation and testing. There is a $9 charge to take the Myers-Briggs test.
Director of CCPS Dick Nelson said the average number of visits to the center per student was three, consisting of an initial interview with a career counselor, testing and an interest
"We spend the most amount of time helping students get more information on themselves. We try to find out what they're looking for in a company."
for in a career:" Dick Nelson directo of CCPS
inventory.
"We spend the most amount of time helping students get more information on themselves," Nelson said. "We try to find out what they're looking for in a career."
Students who want to get a better grasp on their personalities and career interests can take the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, a widely used psychological personality test that breaks up test-takers into one of 16 different categories. The test also can be taken online at www.kearsey.com/cgibin/newkts.cgi. If taken at the center, however, counselors are available to perform a detailed analysis of testing results with the student.
Jeff Heidrick, Wichita junior, took the Myers-Briggs test and talked with a counselor his freshman year.
"Taking the test gave me a new set of options that I hadn't considered before," Heidrick said. "A counselor suggested that I take some classes based on my test results, and now I'm majoring in anthropology because of that."
One of many books based on the Myers-Briggs test is *Do What You Are* by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger. After taking the test, the book outlines the 16 different personality types and what each represents. Also included are popular occupations and profiles of professionals' experiences in their career fields for each personality type. Work-related strengths and weaknesses for each type also are given.
"Do What You Are is a great book that can be very helpful," Nelson said. "But the Occupational Outlook Handbook is the best source for students looking for basic career information."
The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides information about working conditions, job tasks, necessary education, average salaries and job prospects. The most recent edition of the handbook can be accessed online at stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm or by following the link off of the KU Web site for Counseling and Psychological Services. www.ukans.edu/~caps.
For students who already have a particular major in mind, the CCPS offers an Informal Interview. The center will suggest a professional in the student's interested career field that has a minimum of five years experience. Most of these professionals are employed on campus or in the Lawrence area. Also provided is an interview sheet that includes 26 suggested questions for students to ask the professionals.
About 30 percent of the students that seek consultation at CCPS take advantage of this program.
With the variety of career-searching tools available, students such as Bickham have a chance to quiet their fears and leave the College of Undecided.
I wasn't really aware of all of the options that were available to me," Bickham said. "Now my searching process will be somewhat easier."
Edited by Casey Franklin
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