Career Exploration

 Career Services encourages career exploration and development. For your convenience, we have compiled on-line resources to support your research. Please feel free to take advantage of these resources including, on-line assessment inventories, information to specific career fields and other general career resources.

Click on topic for direct link:

• Majors
• Online Inventories
• General Career Resources
• Specific Career Fields
• Resources for Diverse Groups
• Career Link@BSU - Alumni Mentor Database

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Majors

What Can I Do With This Major/Degree?:  A convenient website that helps you connect majors with careers. For each major that interests you, an outline of common career areas, typical employers, and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities is highlighted.

Steps to Selecting a Major - A virtual presentation outlining the steps to choosing and selecting a major that is right for you.

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Online Inventories

FOCUS is a self-paced, online career guidance tool used to assist you in self-assessment and career exploration. Users of FOCUS learn to make more realistic decisions about their goals and plans, how to self-manage their careers and the importance of adaptability in these times of change.  In order to login, you must create an account on the FOCUS site.  To create an account or login as a returning user, Click Here.  The Keycode is Bridgew.  If you are a returning user you may use the login to the right.  Students are encouraged to meet with a Career Counselor to review the use of Focus as part of their total career management plan. 

Keirsey Temperament Sorter - Learning about yourself (e.g. personality, values, interests and skills) is a fundamental aspect of the career planning process. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is an on-line self assessment instrument which provides you with information about your personality. Prior to taking the test, go to the "About the Test" page at this site to learn about the terms and the way they apply to personality. Current BSC students are recommended to meet with a Career Services Office counselor to discuss the results of the Sorter and to explore additional aspects of the career planning process.

The Career Key - This instrument measures your skills, abilities, personality, and interests.  Based on your input, it will direct you to a variety of careers, which you can then research through the online Occupational Outlook Handbook.

O*Net Online - Developed for the US Department of Labor, select your skills and then find matching occupations.

Type FOCUS - Discover your personality type and strengths and how they relate to careers.

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General Career Resources

VAULT on line Career Library - Welcome to unlimited, premium access to the Career Insider.  Bridgewater State College in conjunction with VAULT.com has arranged for you to have free, unrestricted privileges to the largest most comprehensive online career resource available.  Content is updated daily so be sure to visit frequently.

Job Shadow - This site is an ongoing collection of interviews with people working in various professions. The goal of this site to get as many first-hand accounts of different people's jobs and careers as possible so people can discover what it is they might want to do for a living.

Occupational Outlook Handbook - Occupational information and projections on a wide range of fields. Produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

O*Net - The Occupational Information Network - This site developed by the Department of Labor assists users in finding occupations of interest and identifying skills and related jobs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Includes BLS Data, Economy at a Glance, and Regional Information.

Becomeopedia.com - A site dedicated to providing the most up to date and accurate information on how to become a professional in various fields.

The Massachusetts Career Information System - This free internet site gives information on occupations, tips for job hunting, info on non-traditional employment, military careers and working for yourself. In addition descriptions of over 1220 programs of study and training advice on post-secondary education and training.

BrainTrack lists over 10,000 higher education institutions in 194 countries and is continually updated with new resources for education and careers.

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Specific Career Fields

The following is a list of sites covering a variety of fields. We have included links to sites where we found occupational information related to each field. If you come across any other sites that may be helpful to particular majors, please let us know.

Accounting / Finance Anthropology Art Aviation Communication Computer Science Criminal Justice

Education Environmental Geography Health Care History Human Resources Human Services / Social Work

International Careers Mathematics Music Political Science / Law Recreation / Sports / Fitness Science Theatre Arts

Accounting / Finance

• Bridgewater State University Accounting & Finance Department

• AccountingEdu.org - AccountingEdu.org was created based on the idea that aspiring CPAs and other accounting professionals need a comprehensive resource that makes the work of accounting and finance understandable and accessible.

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants - The "bible" of accounting information - guides to programs, salary surveys, job listings, firm information.  Highly recommended by practitioners.

• Careers-in-Accounting - Comprehensive job search site for accounting.

• Careers-in-Finance - Comprehensive job search site for finance.

• Careers in Business- by Tim C. Olper, Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University. Includes profiles in Accounting, Commercial Banking, Insurance & Risk Management, Investment Banking, Management Consulting, Money Management, and Real Estate. Other features of the site include links to company profiles and job listings.

• Finbox - Finbox is the essential career intelligence and networking community for financial professionals.  Members include industry leaders, job seekers, hiring managers, recruiters and recent graduates.

• Managing a Small Business - The Small business Know-How Resource. This site has guides, tips, and new ideas to help you succeed in your small business.

• MSCPA On line - Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.  Through the MSCPA web site, you can visit the Student Lounge, get referred to a CPA, sign up for CPE courses, become a member or a student member, link to over 300 web sites.

• National Society of Accountants - Professional organization for more than 30,000 independent practitioners who provide accounting, tax, auditing, financial and estate planning, and management services to 19 million individuals and businesses. 

• SCORE - Serve Corps of Retired Executives is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.  SCORE is dedicated to aiding in the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide.

• SmartPros - Accounting - Good resource that offers a career center with searchable job listings, news in the field, a resource library and more.

Anthropology

• Bridgewater State University Anthropology Department

• American Anthropological Association - Offers a variety of educational materials, including the informative pamphlet, "Anthropology:   Education for the 21st century" which details educational requirements and the current work opportunities available to anthropologist.

• An article on the field of anthropology - By the Wadsworth Publishing Company.

• Anthrojob.com

Art

• Bridgewater State University Art Department

• NY Foundation of the Arts Classifieds from the New York Foundation for the Arts but not just for NY artists.

• Animation World Network: The largest animation-related publishing group on the Internet and includes job postings and industry information.

• American Institute of Graphics Arts

• The Riley Guide: Job listings and resources in arts and humanities.

• Society of Illustrators - Promotes interest in the art of illustration, past, present and future. 

• Resources and links for photographers

• School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Aviation

• Bridgewater State University Aviation Department

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) web site

• AvCrew - AvCrew provides career related information and tools for professionals employed in business aviation, including Pilots, Flight Attendants, Dispatchers, and Aviation Maintenance Technicians.

• AVJobs - Aviation job search

• Aviation News - Offers interactive community features for pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

• Flight Global - Online magazine for the global aerospace industry.

• Career advice for aviation job seekers

• More flight jobs

Communication

• Bridgewater State University Department of Communication Studies

• Association for Women in Communications - AWIC's membership is made up of more than 7,500 professional communicators representing the spectrum of communications careers.

• International Association of Business Communicators - With 125,000 members, IABC promotes quality standards in organizational communication.

• National Communication Association - NCA's focus is primarily academic and stresses the study, criticism, research, teaching, and application of communication principles.

• Public Relations Society of America - Made up of 18,000 members worldwide, it is active in developing public relations talent.

• American Advertising Federation - Made up of 50,000 members, the AAF cultivates the industry's present and future leaders.

• Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Inc. - A foundation that encourages young people to pursue careers in journalism.

• Society of Professional Journalists - SPJ is an excellent resource for students interested in directing, editing, and presenting news and editorial content both in broadcast and print formats.

• American Society of Newspaper Editors - ASNE provides information on breaking into the journalism professions. The site also lists job fairs and internship programs.

• National Association of Broadcasters - For 75 years, NAB has focused on maintaining a favorable governmental climate for the business of free over the air broadcasting.

• Marketing Jobs Help.com - Provides detailed marketing career information including career paths, typical salaries, job interviews, etc.

Computer Science

• Bridgewater State University Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

• Association for Computing Machinery - Founded in 1947, ACM advanced the skills of information technology professionals and students worldwide. 

• Computer Science Daily News - C. S. Daily is a computer science news site. Emphasizing applications, it contains useful information for professionals, researchers, students, and instructors. C. S. Daily is not updated daily.

• ComputerCareerTips.com  - This website provides career related information for those interested in working with computers including types of computer careers, advantages and disadvantages of computer careers, degrees needed for computer careers, etc.

• IEEE Computer Society - With nearly 100,000 members, the IEEE Computer Society is a leading organization of computer professionals.

• Resources of Scholarly Societies - Maintained by the University of Waterloo, this site has links to many computer science societies.

• Computing Research Association - CRA is an association of more than 200 North American academic departments of computer science, computer engineering, and related fields; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia engaging in basic computing research; and affiliated professional societies.

• American Association for Artificial Intelligence  - Founded in 1979, AAAI is a scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines. 

• National Science Foundation - Computer and Information Science information published by the NSF,  an independent agency of the U.S. Government.

• Computerworld's Career News- Online source for industry trends and opportunities.

Criminal Justice

• Bridgewater State University Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice

• National Criminal Justice Association -  The NCJA represents state, tribal and local governments on crime prevention and crime control issues.  Its members represent all facets of the criminal and juvenile  justice community, from law enforcement, corrections, prosecution, defense, courts, victim-witness services and educational institutions to federal, state and local elected officials.

• Criminal Justice Links - A comprehensive site published by the Florida State University Criminology & Criminal Justice department.

• American Correctional Association - An international correctional association that serves all disciplines within the corrections profession.

• Massachusetts State Police 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Drug Enforcement Agency

• Central Intelligence Agency

Education

For links to research schools and school districts, go to the Education Resources section of our site.

• Bridgewater State University College of Education and Allied Studies

• The International Educator (TIE) newspaper and its interactive website invites you into the world of education in American overseas and international schools.  TIE's 5 issues  are subscribed to by teaches, administrators, schools and institutions worldwide.  BSC students and alumni can access this site with the following password. User Name:  bsccso; and Password:  bsccso.

• Local School Directory - A completely free website that provides in-depth statistical information on 1320,000+ K-12 public and private schools.

• The Council for Expectional Children (CEC) - The largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and / or gifts and talents.

• U.S. Department of Education

• Massachusetts Department of Education

• www.youschools.org

Environmental

• Cyber-Sierra's Natural Resources Job Search - Links to the home pages of environmental associations and organizations, libraries, non profit groups, and government employers that offer career information and employment opportunities to environmental professionals.

• Environmental Careers Organization - A national non-profit organization offering a placement program, on-line career assistance, environmental career publications and a list of other helpful web sites.

• Environmental Career Opportunities - Over 400 environmental jobs every two weeks including jobs in environmental advocacy, policy, conservation & natural resources, education, engineering, and internships.

• GeographyJobs.com - Search for jobs in environment, GIS, academia.  Job seekers can post their resume for free.

• National Park Service Careers: Offering general and specific employment information.

• Yahoo-Outdoor Recreation - Provides an alphabetical listing of several "outdoor" link.

Geography

• BSU Geography Department

• About.com Geography

• Association of American Geographers

Health Care

• Bridgewater State University College of Science and Mathematics Health Professions - A Preparation for Careers in the Health Professions crated by the Bridgewater State University Office of Health Professions Advising.

• American Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts, Inc.

• American Physical Therapy Association Web Site.   This is a national, professional organization representing more than 75,000 members.  APTA's goal is to foster advancement in physical therapy practice, research and education.

• Careers in Allied Health Care - An interesting article regarding industry trends in allied health care including training programs and career links.

• Health Care Jobs and Career - This is a career center for exploring health care occupations and for those who are actively looking for health care jobs including jobs with the Veterans Administration in the federal government.

• Health on the Net Foundation includes a complete list on the WWW, internet medical support communities (listservs, newsgroups and FAQs), and extensive telemedicine resources.

• Health Career Center.org - This site was created to help aspiring healthcare and medical students and job seekers make better, more informed career choices by providing them with highly relevant, reliable and up-to-date job search, career development and employment information.

• Massachusetts Department of Public Health

• Maxguides.bridgew.edu/healthcareers - A subject guide, provided by BSU Clement C. Maxwell Library, on Health Careers that are suitable for BSU students of all majors to pursue.

History

• Bridgewater State University Department of History

• American Historical Association - Contains links to Perspectives Online, Affiliated Societies, Calendar of Events, General Information, and Links for K-12.

• History Buff's Homepage - Contains links to Reference Library, History Bulletin Board, and History Resources.

• American Association for State and Local History - Contains links to Publications, History News Magazine and Coming Events.

• Best of History Websites - Provides quick, convenient, and reliable access to the best history-oriented resources online in a wide range of categories.

Human Resources

• Bridgewater State University Department of Management

• On-line Learning Resources - Contains links to Internet discussion lists, newsgroups and web sites that cover training, development and adult learning related issues.

• Society for Human Resource Management - Includes Human Resources job openings and industry trends.

• American Society for Training and Development - An association of workplace learning and performance professionals.

• NEHRA - Northeast Human Resources Association

• ERI Distance Learning Centers - Your online resource for compensation & benefits information.

Human Services/Social Work

• Bridgewater State University Department of Social Work 

• Council on Social Work Education - A nonprofit national association representing over 3,000 individual members as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education.

• Massachusetts Board of Registration of Social Workers - This organization determines eligibility for admission to examinations for social work, conducts examinations and licenses qualified individuals at one of four levels of licensure

• National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts chapter - With about 8,300 members, this professional social work organization is committed to advancing professional social work practice and the profession.

• National Association of Social Workers, National Office - NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies

• Social Work Examination Services Publisher of Comprehensive Licensing Review Study Guides for Social Workers.

• Social Works Job Bank - State of the art on-line jobs board and career center devoted to helping professional social workers and employers find the perfect match.

• Social Services.com - The job site for jobs in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, mental health, case management, employee assistance, volunteer management, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence, community development, mentoring, youth development, child welfare, developmental disabilities and all other areas of social services.

• Social Work Degree.org - A great career resource that provides all of the information you will need to start a fulfilling career in social work.

• GoPsychologySchools.com - This site provides information about choosing psychology as a career including specialty areas, undergraduate and graduate programs.

International Careers

• Bridgewater State University International and Exchange Program 

• Monster.com Work Abroad - A comprehensive site focusing on international job search.

• The Riley Guide - Job listings and advice for global positions.

• International Career Fields - Informative site maintained by the University of California, Berkeley Career Center.

• International Career Resources - Overseas jobs on the Internet & university career sites.

• Peace Corps - An agency of the federal government that places volunteers overseas.

Mathematics

• Bridgewater State University Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

• Mathematical Science Careers Information -  Offers career options for mathematics majors.

• Mathematical Association of America - The largest professional society that focuses on undergraduate mathematics education. 

• Math.com - Math.com is dedicated to providing revolutionary ways for students, parents, teachers, and everyone to learn math.

• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership, and professional development to support teachers in ensuring mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students.

• American Academy of Actuaries - Organization that represents and unites U.S. actuaries from all practice areas and is the profession's voice on public policy and professionalism issues.

• Be An Actuary.com - A good site for anyone interested pursuing a career as an actuary.

Music

• Bridgewater State University Department of Music 

• Musical America - The business resource for the performing arts.  Articles, industry links and job postings are available "Career Center" posts free listings.

• New York Foundation for the Arts - NYFA contains job postings, fellowship, awards and other services.

• Digital Librarian - A librarian's selection of the best music resources on the web.

• The National Association for Music Education - An organization to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.

• William and Gayle Cook Music Library - Very comprehensive guide to the field of music, both academic and commercial.  Compiled by William and Gayle Cook Music Library, Indiana University School of Music.

Political Science/Law

For US Government Agency information visit our section on  Researching Employers.

• Bridgewater State University Political Science Department

• Bridgewater State University Philosophy Department

• American Political Science Association - A leading professional organization for the study of political science and serves more than 15,000 members in over 80 countries.

• Fedworld.gov - The FedWorld.gov web site is a gateway to government information and is managed by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) as part of it's information management mandate.

• Law Services' Website - Maintained by the Law School Admission Council, this site contains links to law school Web sites, LSAT registration, the latest news from Law Services, and more.

• The American Bar Association - The largest voluntary professional association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

• LawCareersNow.com - This site is a free resource provided by GEIS, a leader in publishing online educational and career materials.  It provides detailed information about careers in law.

• Politcalsciencecareer.com - This site was made by a small group of political science professionals hwo dreamed of creating a useful on-line resource to guide students interested in pursuing the field of politics or other related careers.

Recreation/Sports/Fitness

• Bridgewater State University Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion & Leisure Studies

• American Physical Therapy Association - Careers in physical therapy and other related resources.

• Cool Works - Linking to more than 22,000 jobs in categories including national parks, cruise jobs, camp jobs, resort jobs, ski jobs, ranch jobs, state park jobs, volunteering, and more.

• National Recreation & Park Association - Committed to advancing parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.

• National Park Service Careers -Offering general and specific employment information.

• Sports Careers - Provides targeted job listings, career advice and inside contacts you need to find your career in sports.

• Women in Sports Careers Foundation -  Provides women and girls professional guidance, education, and support to pursue and manage sports related careers.

Science

This listing of links includes Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Geography and Physics. 

• Bridgewater State University Biology Department

• Bridgewater State University Chemistry Department

• Bridgewater State University Department of Earth Sciences and Geography

• Bridgewater State University Department of Physics

• Biospace.com - A leading on-line community for industry news and careers for life science professionals.

• Careers in Botany - A brochure distributed by the Botanical Society of America.

• Career Choices: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services  - A detailed article outlining the various career options within the agency.

• National Geophysical Data Center - Manages environmental data in the fields of marine geology and geophysics, paleoclimatology, solar-terrestrial physics, solid earth geophysics, and glaciology (snow and ice).

• American Institute of Physics - A membership corporation chartered in 1931 for the purpose of promoting the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics and its application to human welfare.

• National Science Teachers Association - The largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA's current membership of more than 55,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in and committed to science education.

• National Institutes of Health - The National Institutes of Health is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. It is an Agency under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

• Science Careers - A job search site published by the Science Magazine.

Theater Arts

• Bridgewater State University Department Theater Arts and Dance

• American Society of Community Theater - The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) is the national voice of community theatre, representing the interests of its members and over 7,000 theatres across the U.S. and with the armed forces overseas. 

• The Riley Guide - Job listings and resources in arts and humanities.

• Playbill.com - Free listings of casting calls, paid subscription for job listings.

• NewEnglandFilm.com - Sources of jobs in the northeast film industry.

• Entertainmentcareers.net - Jobs in the film, radio, and TV industries.  Most opportunities in CA.

• American Film Institute - The only national arts organization devoted to film, television, and video.

• Actors Equity casting calls - A labor union representing over 45,000 American actors and stage managers working in the professional theater.

Last Modified: February 10, 2012