Career & Major Exploration | Hagerstown Community College
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Hagerstown Community College

Career & Major Exploration

Career & Major Exploration

Career & Major Exploration

Find your fit. Shape your future.

Not sure what to major in or what career path to take? You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

Career and Major Exploration is all about discovering what you enjoy, what you're good at, and how those things connect to real opportunities in the world of work. Whether you’re choosing a major, changing direction, or just exploring your options, we’re here to help you make confident, informed decisions.

HCC’s Career Development Services tools and resources can help you:

  • Understand your strengths, interests, and values
  • Explore majors that align with your career goals
  • Learn about in-demand industries and job outlooks
  • Connect coursework with real-world careers
  • Build a personal plan for success

Start where you are and discover where you can go. Take a career assessment, meet with a career advisor, or attend a career exploration workshop to begin your journey.

Self-Exploration

Finding the right career begins with understanding your interests, strengths, and personality traits. Start by exploring how these factors influence your choice of major and career path. Use these resources below to gain deeper insight into your educational journey at HCC.

  • FOCUS 2 APPLY: for prospective students – Not sure what to study in college? Focus 2 Apply offers a brief, 10-minute assessment that helps you to discover what careers and HCC programs (credit and non-credit) match your academic strengths and work-interests.
  • FOCUS 2 Career: for currently enrolled students – Focus 2 Career offers five self-assessments that include personality, work interest, leisure, values, and skills assessments. The reports provide in-depth results to help you discover majors and career programs that match your interests and strengths to occupations that could help you find your best career fit for lifelong career satisfaction. Use the “What Can I Do with this Major” feature to learn how different majors can lead to various career paths. (Access code: Hawks)
  • O*Net Interest Profiler and Career One Stop – both resources are all-in-one resources to evaluate interests and skills, assess what matters to you in a potential job, and link you to possible careers; including employment data, salary ranges, and what jobs are currently in-demand. The Interest Profiler and Occupation Search tool can help you discover work activities and occupations that match your interests. Use the “Occupation Keyword Search” to search by job title and learn about job requirements, characteristics, job analysis, and available opportunities. Career One Stop offers a comprehensive toolbox to research careers, find training, and search for jobs. Learn about salaries and discover what jobs are in-demand.

Career Discovery

Your time at HCC should focus on you. Learn more about what you can do with a major and discover about various careers in the “world of work.” Knowing what majors are available at HCC and what careers they may lead to can help you with this vital decision process.

  • Candid Career - Explore Careers: A library of short career advice videos to explore career options and gain information regarding jobs by industry, career titles, and college majors.
  • Firsthand Career Library: Explore materials that can be useful in the career planning and job search process from employer directories to career guidebooks to other occupational information. Connect with experienced mentors, review company rankings and profiles, find jobs and internships, access career guides and advice.
  • HCC College Career Resource Guide: Explore future career and internship resources, from interest profilers to career databases to labor statistics to help you find a major that can carry you from your interests to a job you love.
  • Learn How To Become: Provides plans for how to enter your field of interest, including major recommendations.

Additional Career Exploration Websites

Not sure where to begin? That’s okay! Start with a Focus 2 Career assessment or schedule a one-on-one planning session.

It is highly encouraged that you meet with a Student Support Advisor or the Career Development Services Coordinator should you have questions about career and major exploration.

We look forward to helping you on your career path. Email internshipandjobservices@hagerstowncc.edu or call 240-500-2260.