Resources for Exploring Majors and Careers
Use the UMD catalog to explore majors and minors at UMD.
What Can I Do With This Major?
Use this tool to learn about some of the career options associated with specific majors.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Use this resource to find career descriptions, salaries, projected outlook for the next 10 years, and similar occupations to the one you are exploring.
Roadtrip Nation
At Roadtrip Nation, they know what it's like to feel lost, because they’ve been there. That's why, in 2001, they hit the road to get advice from people who'd found fulfilling work. Their wisdom taught us there's no "right" way to build a career—that there were actually endless unique paths we could take forward. Now, their stories will guide you toward work you care about, too. They take road trips to capture empowering stories that give you the confidence and tools to find a career that matters to you.
CareerOneStop
Find out what occupations are growing fast, have the most openings, and have the largest employment by education level. You can also explore occupation descriptions, salaries, and much more. It’s worth your time to browse around this rich resource.
UMD Career Center
- Choosing a Major
- Meet with a Career Counselor
- What Recent Grads Are Doing
- “Discover what you can do with a potential major! Find where recent graduates are currently working or studying, their salaries, and their undergraduate experiences in internships, study abroad, work, etc.”
Video Recommendations
- Why Some Of Us Don't Have One True Calling
- What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone. In this illuminating talk, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick describes the kind of people she calls "multipotentialites" -- who have a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime. Are you one? Watch this 13-minute Ted Talk to learn more!
- The Happy Secret to Better Work
- We believe we should work hard to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backward? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.
- How To Find Work You Love
- Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learned in this deceptively simple talk about finding out what matters to you — and then getting started doing it.
- Candid Careers
- Watch videos about specific majors and careers. This is a great way to explore your options!
Book Recommendations
- The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
- How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up by Emilie Wapnick
- The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People With Too Many Passions To Pick Just One by Margaret Lobestine
- Making a Living While Making a Difference by Melissa Everett