Choosing a Career: The Science of Finding Purpose through Interests and Values

Today’s students are challenged with selecting a major and aligning it to a career path. Addressing this challenge often requires a combination of self-reflection, career exploration, mentorship, and access to resources such as online tools and career counseling. Colleges and universities can play a vital role in helping students navigate these complexities and make informed career decisions.

Bryan Dik, Ph.D., vocational psychologist, and Kurt Kraiger, Ph.D., industrial-organizational psychologist, have had a substantial impact on the field of vocational and industrial-organizational psychology through their research, publications, and teaching. Their work has contributed to a better understanding of career development, job satisfaction, and effective workplace practices. They joined us for an insightful discussion on ways college leaders can help learners make their decisions with confidence, titled Choosing a Career: The Science of Finding Purpose through Interests and Values. 

In this on-demand version of the presentation, you’ll learn:

• The science behind a person’s interests and values
• The role of interests and values in career choices
• Why finding purpose is important to student well-being and persistence
• How to apply these learnings to your work with students and alumni

Speakers:

• Bryan Dik, Ph.D., Vocational Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Colorado State University
• Kurt Kraiger, Ph.D.,Organizational Psychologist and Professor and Chair of the Department of Management, at the University of Memphis
• Keesa Sung, Director of  Product Marketing at PeopleGrove

Referenced Resources:

• Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace
• The Purposeful Graduate
• Intelligence, personality, and interests: evidence for overlapping traits
• O*Net
• Q&A from the Webinar