Getting started & Handshake 101

Find the career that’s best for you

Whether you’re a first year, a PhD or a professional planning a career change, start your journey by getting to know yourself better, finding your best career fit, and making a plan that puts your goals within reach. If you are an incoming first year undergraduate student, start by visiting our virtual orientation.

Explore how choosing your undergraduate major can affect your career path.

  • Your major doesn’t have to determine your career path, but it’s still helpful to learn about some common pathways for people in your area of study. Dive into our resources for choosing your major.

Get to know yourself better: Conduct a self-assessment

  • Identifying your values, skills, and interests will help you figure out where you’ll be happy – and what’s a deal breaker.

Find the best career fit: Research career options

  • You’ll find your perfect job in the sweet spot between your passions, your skills, and the world’s needs. But what does the world need? What kinds of jobs are out there? Research various career paths to determine the right fit for you.

Put your goals within reach: Make a career plan

Career Readiness: Competencies for Successful Entrance into the Workforce

Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management.

For new college graduates, career readiness is key to ensuring successful entrance into …

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Handshake 101: What it is & how to use it

CAPD is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone we serve. If you need any disability-related accommodations to access Handshake, please email capd@mit.edu and our staff will be happy to set up appointments or assist in navigating other …

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Values Card Sort

What is most important to you? What do you value? Identifying your values may help you focus and prioritize your career planning and development. These values can also help you refine your search and in choosing between offers. For in-person …

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ExploreHealthCareers.org

ExploreHealthCareers.org is a collaboration between today’s health professionals and leading health care associations designed to help people like you start down the road toward a career in health. Here you’ll find the latest health career information and tools to guide …

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Choosing a Major Worksheet

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Featured Resources

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We could be wrong, but chances are a person never found their purpose by just sitting somewhere and doing nothing. …

Wondering how to make an appointment with a CAPD staff member? Follow these steps to get connected with someone who …

This article, written by Alison Doyle of the Balance Career provides information on free career aptitude tests available online.

Career planning is an essential part of your career development. By coming up with a career plan, you can start …

As the major declaration date approaches, many first-year students are nervous about making the decision. This resource by Yan Wu