It’s common for students to be unsure about career options before or even during college, and CareerBuilder’s new website, findyourcalling.com, is trying to help.
Around 41 percent of freshmen in higher education do not finish their college careers, according to the National Center for Education. All of these people who are unemployed and undecided on their next career moves have many resources that attempt to point them in the right direction, with findyourcalling.com now in that arena.
CareerBuilder is a company that “is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset: their people,” according to the company’s website.
In particular, findyourcalling.com is doing something different: it suggests career options based solely on personality.
According to CareerBuilder, “Find Your Calling puts data science and helpful insights behind choosing careers. Visitors on Find Your Calling start with a simple, interactive personality test for careers. Based on those answers, the student is presented with top careers that match their interests, which he or she can explore by diving further into associated career options.”
The website then gives overviews of specific jobs, including details such as average salary, market demand and the level of education needed. It encourages return visits by directing users to hone their career options as many times as needed.
Rob Sentz, the chief innovation officer at Economic Modeling Specialists International, said in a CareerBuilder release that he is very intrigued and confident about what CareerBuilder’s newest tool has to offer for its users.
“Millions of young people want to find that truly meaningful career, but struggle amid a deluge of hundreds of career and education options,” Sentz said. “Find Your Calling is designed to help students and parents become more informed career and education consumers, and dispel the disconnect between students and future employers by providing simple, but compelling data that is easy to digest and immediately actionable.”
Students at UNM believe the website can prove helpful, too -- including Ross Rader, a freshman computer engineering major.
“I think it sounds like a good program,” Rader said. “Especially because a lot of people don’t know what they’re doing or what direction they should go in. It’s definitely something that’ll help people get on the right track.”
Autumn Collins, a facilitator at UNM’s Office of Career Services, said that findyourcalling.com can be effective, but she recommends other, more effective methods of finding suitable career options.
“Just like any tool, it needs to be used properly in order to be effective,” Collins said. “But having an actual person help you navigate your career exploration is the most effective way to make progress in your career development.”
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The office does offer advisers for students seeking help on possible careers, as well as writing resumes and preparing for job interviews, according to their website. Their walk-in hours can be found at www.career.unm.edu.
CareerBuilder officially launched the website last week.
Matthew Narvaiz a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @RealMattNarvaiz.
