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Career Counseling Guide

Kickstart Your Career Journey!

Figuring out your career isn't a one-time thing. It is a lifelong journey of learning about yourself and exploring all the possibilities out there. Career counseling is not just for students who are undecided about their major or career path, it's for anyone who wants to make smart, confident choices about their future.

Career development is all about discovering what makes you unique — your personality, interests, skills, values and goals-and using that self-knowledge to explore careers and majors that truly align with you.

Ready to start? Here's how you can dive in.

  • Reflect on YOU. What do you enjoy? What are you naturally good at? What matters most to you? Start connecting those dots to potential majors or careers.

  • Explore your options. Which jobs match your strengths and goals? What careers are you excited to learn more about? (Even a little curiosity is a great place to start.)

  • Know what it takes. Look into the education, certifications or experience needed in your field of interest.

  • Make a game plan. Set some short- and long-term goals, and work with a counselor to create your Student Education Plan (SEP).

Your future doesn't have to be a mystery — start exploring it now, one step at a time. And remember, you're not doing this alone. Citrus career counselors are here to help!

The earlier you get started making intentional decisions about your future, the better prepared you will be. We recommend that all students come in and meet with a career counselor.

Strategies for Choosing a Major infographic

The image is divided into six sections or groupings with bullet points for each. The sections are listed below and presented alphabetically.

Connect

  • Talk to professors in subjects that interest you
  • Job shadow and conduct informational interviews with professionals in the fields you are considering

Consult

  • Visit Citrus College Career/Transfer Center (CTC) to schedule an appointment with a career counselor
  • The CTC has additional resources to help you explore majors and careers

Explore

  • Take an introductory class in a subject that interests you
  • Sign up for a career course and learn about your interests, strengths, skills and personality to help narrow down your options.

Experience

  • Join a student club on campus
  • Volunteer with an organization
  • Apply for an internship or job related to your career of interest

Reflect

  • Learn about your interests, skills, values, strengths and how these fit together with a major or career
  • Use Focus 2, an online career assessment resource, to learn more about yourself

Research

  • Learn about job duties, employment outlook and more
  • Read publications/blogs and subscribe to social media feeds related to your career of interest
  • The more you know, the more informed your decision will be

Common Career Counseling Questions and Concerns

  • "I have no idea what I want to do with my life."
  • "I don't know what to major in."
  • "I don't know the difference between a major and career."
  • "I've narrowed it down to a couple career options, but I'm having a hard time choosing between them."
  • "I know what I want to major in, but I have no idea what I want to do once I graduate."
  • "I know what I want to do, but I'm not sure what the best major would be."
  • "I want to know what kinds of jobs I can get with my major."
  • "I don't feel like I know enough about all the different careers out there to know what I want to do."

  • "I like a lot of different subjects, and I keep changing my major because I'm not sure which one is the best for me!"
  • "I don't like any of my classes and none of the majors seem really appealing to me."
  • "I have a lot of work experience and I want to find a new career path that will build on the skills I already have."
  • "I always thought I wanted to be a _______, but I got into my major and I really don't like it!"
  • "I really like my major, but it's not what I want to do for my career."
  • "I know what type of work I'd like to do, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make enough money doing it."
  • "My family really wants me to be a _______, but I'm not sure if that's really what I want."
  • "I've always planned on being a _______, but I'm wondering if it's only because that's all I know."
  • "I want to find a field to go into where there will always be plenty of jobs."
  • "I want to find a career that will allow me to provide significant financial support for my family."

Career Exploration Tools

To explore and learn more about how your personality, interests, values and skills relate to different occupations and career paths, the Career/Transfer Center (CTC) offers career assessments for students. Assessments are used when working with students to help them examine their personal experiences and identify their personal assets.

Note: Not all students may need an assessment. Speak with a career counselor to learn more about your options and to determine whether an assessment will be beneficial to you in your career development process.

The CTC offers the following career assessments.

The following career exploration and research tools are used at the CTC.

Additional Career Resources

Citrus offers the following counseling classes to assist with your career planning and development

  • COUN 203 - Building Grit and Resiliency for Life Long Learning and Career
  • COUN 204 - Pathways to Careers in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • COUN 205 - Pathways to Healthcare Careers
  • COUN 206 - Pathways to Careers in STEM
  • COUN 207 - Pathways to Careers in Business and Information Technology Systems
  • COUN 208 - Pathways in Career and Technical Education

For a detailed list of counseling classes with descriptions, units and transferrability, please refer to counseling courses page on the Citrus College Catalog website.

The CTC has career guides on topics such as resume writing, networking, job and internship search and more.

Access all our career guides on this website.

While the CTC does not have job postings or offer job placement, career counselors can help you prepare for your job or internship search with the following services through one-on-one appointments.

  • cover letter writing
  • LinkedIn profile set-up or review
  • mock interview/interview prep
  • resume writing

Interested in learning more about the pathway to careers in fields such as law and medicine? The CTC pre-professional guides provide information about majors, required coursework and general information on how to prepare for careers in these fields.

These handouts are available at the CTC in SS 280.

Meet the Citrus College Career Counseling Team

Career counselors have master's degrees in counseling and have expertise in career development theory, counseling techniques, administration and interpretation of assessments and career information resources. Listed alphabetically by last name, you may access their employee profile by clicking on their name.

Scheduling a Career Counseling Appointment

You don't need to have it all figured out to book an appointment, just show up as you are. If you're not sure where to start, that's exactly what career counselors are here for. They will help you take the first step, no pressure.

Most appointments are 30 to 45 minutes, and if you want help with your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn or interview prep, you will get a full hour to dive in. Super easy, super helpful. Just book it!

To book an appointment, you may use the online scheduler, call the CTC at (626) 914-8639 or stop by the Student Services Building, second floor (SS 280).

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updated November 18, 2025