Event helps students think about the future
Coordinator of Advising for the College of Arts and Sciences Lela Mixon held a forum on making major and minor decisions on April 4 in Good Hall. During the event, Mixon described three tools that can help students navigate toward the right career path—Sigi3, O.net Online and Career Services.
Sigi3 is a program located on the MyUIndy website under the Students tab. Once in the Students tab, the Career Services tab is located on the right side of the screen. According to Mixon, students can take a Sigi3 personality and interests assessment that only takes 30 minutes and is very helpful.
Mixon also said that O.net Online is a useful website that is like Sigi3 but offers more advanced searches.
“I like O.net better than the tool that was uploaded on Sigi3,” Mixon said. “The searches are more informed, established and easier to navigate.”
These programs both work by measuring personality traits and interests to suggest what career fields students may enjoy and succeed in. According to Mixon, the resources are very helpful, but not many students use them to help guide their college careers.
Mixon asked students to consider whether they are preparing to do work that is their life’s calling or that will deplete their energy. She also said that finding the answer to that question is difficult at times, and if that is the case, students should visit Career Services in Schwitzer Student Center 206.
Mixon quoted motivational speaker Zig Ziglar who once said, “We deplete [Earth’s] natural resources by using them up. We deplete man’s natural resources by failing to use them.”
Mixon said that, although a full-time job is considered to be 40 hours a week, normal work weeks are starting to creep into 50 or more hours, with less vacation time. According to Mixon, this means that not having the proper job for one’s personality can cause depression as a result of being at work more than at home.
“Find what motivates you,” Mixon said. “Then find how you are inspired.”
Mixon said that people working in the current business world sometimes take work home with them on the weekends or stay late during the week to catch up. She also said that students should not spend a majority of their time studying for a job that they will not enjoy, especially when they could have found out beforehand simply by asking for help or using online resources.
“Work is a big chunk of our week,” Mixon said. “You want to make sure you fulfill that time. You want to be energized, not be negative and bringing that into your work week.”
