Know Yourself

Self-discovery is the first step in finding your career path.  Assess your strengths, weaknesses, interests, values, skills and abilities to narrow the path of your career exploration.

Career Beam lets you access the most current information and research tools for your job search.  For self-assessment exercises, complete the Interests and Skills and Talents exercises.  Click the Career Exploration drop-down menu and then select the Assessing Yourself option. Watch this brief tutorial for tips on how to use Career Beam.

Focus2: Career & Education Planning Solutions is an online assessment system that will help you develop a picture of your personal strengths, interests, needs, and preferences, and help you develop a career plan. It can also help you to narrow down your selection of a major, if you have not yet decided. Once you have used FOCUS2, consider printing out your results and scheduling an appointment with a career advisor to discuss your findings:  Call 413-545-2224, or email careerservices@umass.edu. To set up a FREE account to use FOCUS2, you will need an access code.  The access code is "Goodell".​ 

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) identifies your personality type, your strengths, and your preferences as they relate to a potential career. It is not an online assessment—you must complete it at Career Services and there is a fee charged for the materials. Make an appointment with a career advisor, who is qualified to administer and interpret the MBTI and will help you understand what the results mean for you.