Your career journey doesn鈥檛 start with a job application; it starts with discovery. Whether you have a clear vision or are completely undecided, this page is your toolkit for figuring out your next steps. We鈥檝e brought together tools to help you connect your unique strengths to a meaningful career.
By exploring your options, you can achieve:
- Clarity and Direction: Discover how your unique strengths, values and interests align with specific academic majors and career goals.
- New Opportunities and Connections: Expand your horizons by discovering diverse industries and building a professional network of mentors and peers.
- Skill-Building and Adaptability: Develop the versatile skills needed to navigate an ever-changing job market so you can build long-term job satisfaction.
No matter where you are in this process, the UMA Career Connections staff is here to guide you every step of the way.
We offer personalized guidance to help you navigate your professional path from start to finish. We can assist you with:
- Academic & Goal Planning: Choosing the right major and defining your career goals.
- In-Depth Career Exploration: Researching different industries, matching your personality and interests to potential fields, and discovering what truly fulfills you.
Appointments are flexible to fit your schedule and are available in person, over the phone, via Zoom, or by email.
Inventories
We offer these assessments that can assist with career planning:
- World of Work Inventory (WOWI)
- Figuring out your major or career direction can feel like a lot of guesswork. The World of Work Inventory (WOWI) is a smart, multi-dimensional career assessment designed to help you find the right fit by looking at you from three critical angles:
- Interests: What actually excites and motivates you?
- Work Values: What matters most to you in a workplace (e.g., independence, high income, creativity)?
- Skills & Aptitudes: Where do your natural problem-solving strengths lie?
- With this information, the WOWI connects your unique profile directly to real-world career fields and majors.
- How to get started:
- Contact Haley Brown to receive your access link and instructions*
- You must be a current UMA student to be able to take the WOWI assessment.
- You must be a current UMA student to be able to take the WOWI assessment.
- Contact Haley Brown to receive your access link and instructions*
- Figuring out your major or career direction can feel like a lot of guesswork. The World of Work Inventory (WOWI) is a smart, multi-dimensional career assessment designed to help you find the right fit by looking at you from three critical angles:
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
- Ever wonder why certain work environments energize you while others drain you? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the world’s most popular personality assessments, designed to help you understand how you perceive the world, process information, and make decisions.
- The MBTI looks at four key areas of your personality:
- Where you get your energy: Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)
- How you take in information: Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
- How you make decisions: Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
- How you organize your life: Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
- Your unique four-letter personality type offers deep insights into your communication style, ideal work cultures, and natural leadership strengths, helping you choose a career path where you can truly thrive.
- How to get started:
- Contact Haley Brown (hbrown120@maine.edu) for instructions.
- Ever wonder why certain work environments energize you while others drain you? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the world’s most popular personality assessments, designed to help you understand how you perceive the world, process information, and make decisions.
Other available assessments include:
- Career Explorer in UMA CareerLink (available to UMA students and alumni only)
You don鈥檛 have to wait for an appointment to start figuring out your next move. Here are some free resources that can help jumpstart your search.
Career Exploration
Occupational Trends/Employer & Salary Information
- (Employment and wages of workers in Maine who graduated from Maine-based colleges and universities)
Other Resources
- New Ventures Maine
- New Ventures Maine provides free services in the areas of: career planning, starting a business, money management, and leadership. For more information,
- Maine Career Centers
- Maine Career Centers provide employment information and services to Maine residents. For more information,
Forage is an online resource which offers virtual job simulations designed by leading companies. Develop your skills and gain a real understanding of different roles and sectors by working through these self-paced modules, with tasks similar to those you would undertake during a traditional internship.
During the job simulations, you will work through a set of materials and tasks set by the company, which are designed to replicate the sort of work that you would undertake as an intern or graduate. All of our programs are self-paced (taking between 5 to 6 hours to complete) ensuring that you can fit your participation flexibly around other commitments.
These programs include:
- Video instructions and materials created by employees within your chosen organization
- Work that reflects real day-to-day tasks of interns and graduates
- The chance to compare your work with that of a graduate at your chosen organization
What are the benefits?
- Sample what work is like at leading companies
- Discover career paths that you may not have previously considered
- Build confidence and gain skills to get you ‘work-ready’
Our job simulations are completely free and open-access for students, and there are no lengthy application processes to participate.
Learn more about Forage and join over 2 million students worldwide on the .
What is career readiness?
Career readiness refers to the attainment of skills, knowledge, and attributes that prepare individuals for success in the workplace and in their chosen careers. It encompasses a broad range of competencies beyond technical skills, focusing on personal qualities, professional behaviors, and adaptability. Career readiness is essential for individuals to effectively navigate the complexities of today’s job market and to thrive in their careers.
Overall, career readiness is about equipping individuals with the skills, knowledge, and mindset needed to succeed in the workplace and to effectively manage their careers over time. It is a lifelong process of learning, growth, and development that empowers individuals to achieve their full potential in their chosen careers.
The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) has identified eight career readiness competencies, each of which can be demonstrated in a variety of ways.
- Career & Self Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
For more information about this initiative, please or