Maria José (MJ) Hidalgo Flores, M.S. is an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Education & Development at the UCLA Career Center and Founder of Career Confidence. In this episode, MJ unpacks the question of “How do I figure out the right career for me?” From different types of career assessments, how you should evaluate career assessment results, and whether you should turn your passion into a job, MJ shares insights on various topics related to career exploration and career selection. Choosing a career path can be a scary and overwhelming process and with that, I hope this episode can give you some guidance on where to start and what questions you should ask yourself as you embark on your career journey.

📃Resources mentioned in the episode:

Free Career Assessments: 

• O*Net Interest Profiler: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip 
• 16 Personalities Assessment: https://www.16personalities.com/ 

Paid Career Assessments: 

• Strong Interest Inventory: https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Products-and-Services/Strong 
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: https://www.mbtionline.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwyY6pBhA9EiwAMzmfwVbiD041CnvyBaWJ3zxa0ANDm23-LtRH0Npjgy2cCM7uXe2l7IIQYhoCnG0QAvD_BwE 
• Clifton Strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx 

Topics we discussed (See below for timestamps):

✔What are the different career assessments available?

✔How should you interpret the results of a career assessment?

✔How to choose a career if you have too many interests

✔Questions to ask yourself to guide you through career exploration

✔Different perceptions of jobs

✔Should you turn your passion into a job?

✔How to create your own career path/journey

✋Have a career question you would like answered? Fill out this survey!

👉Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

📽YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide

📷Instagram: @career.explorers.guide

😄TikTok: @career.explorers.guide

💼LinkedIn: @Career Explorer’s Guide

✉Email: [email protected]

🎙About the Podcast:

Career Explorer’s Guide is a podcast that guides students through career exploration and professional development. Listen in to various professionals sharing how they chose their career paths along with actionable advice on resume building, career pivoting, choosing a major, interviewing, networking and much more. Let’s embark on this career journey together!

Music: @CAS

Armine Kulikyan, M.S. is an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Education & Development at the UCLA Career Center and Founder of CareeRise. In this episode, Armine shares tips on how to best prepare for internship recruiting season. From sharing the benefits of going to a career fair, to how to best market yourself to recruiters at a career fair, to how to effectively build your LinkedIn & Handshake profile, Armine shares numerous insights on applying to internships.

Get more advice from Armine on her website and her Instagram.

Topics we discussed:

• When is the recruiting season?
• Should you apply to internships even if you don’t have that much experience?
• How to manage your time between school and applying to internships
• Benefits of going to a career fair
• How to best market yourself to recruiters through an elevator pitch
• How to effectively build your LinkedIn and Handshake profile
• How to deal with rejections
• Balancing professionalism and showcasing your personality

Have a career question you would like answered? Fill out this survey!

Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Make sure to check out our other platforms!

YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide

Instagram: @career.explorers.guide

TikTok: @career.explorers.guide

Email: [email protected]

Music: @CAS

Daisha McDaniel is a diversity, equity, and inclusion talent integration advisor at Activision Blizzard. In this episode, Daisha shares her diverse experiences (interning in the human resources department, doing a marketing rotational program, working at a bank, supporting an entertainment lawyer, and more) and how each step led to where she is today. Throughout her story, Daisha shares the importance of trying out new roles and how to best market yourself to employers.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Adfellows marketing rotational program

Topics we discussed:

• Daisha’s undergrad experience (studying communication with a concentration in entertainment studies) and wanting to go into entertainment law
• Pivoting into new career paths through the guidance of mentors
• Challenges of finding a job after receiving her MBA
• What’s a rotational program and do you do in a rotational program?
• How she got into DEI
• The value of trying out different roles even if you think you would not enjoy them
• Importance of learning how to market your experiences and skills to employers

Have a career question you would like answered? Fill out this survey!

Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Make sure to check out our other platforms!

YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide

Instagram: @career.explorers.guide

TikTok: @career.explorers.guide

Email: [email protected]

Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Music: @CAS

Pam Bennet is a social media manager and business owner of SoPamSocials. In this episode, she shares her journey from studying psychology, becoming an preschool teacher, and launching her own business as a social media manager. Pam discusses her personal journey to overcoming content creation burnout, learning the value of embracing authenticity, and maintaining a healthy relationship with social media.

Topics we discussed:

• How Pam became a social media manager
• What do you do as a social media manager?
• How to decide what type of social media manager you want to be
• How to become a social media manager
• The difference between copywriter, graphic designers, editor vs a social media manager
• Is there a lot of competition among social media managers?
• How to not get burnt out from content creation
• Courses you should look into to become a social media manager
• Is being a marketer similar to being a social media manager?
• What skills or traits are needed to succeed as a social media manager?
• One advice Pam would give to her undergrad self

Have a career question you would like answered? Fill out this survey!

Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Make sure to check out our social platforms!

Instagram: @career.explorers.guide

YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide

TikTok: @career.explorers.guide

Email: [email protected]

Music: @CAS

In this episode, Kevin Kawakami, shares his journey from receiving his bachelors in environmental science, becoming a residential director at UCLA housing, dabbling in interior design, working as a senior assistant director at UCLA Career Center, and now a diversity, equity, and inclusion manager at NBC Universal. Kevin discusses factors to consider when making a career pivot, how to stand out as a candidate with no direct experience in a new field of work, how to best support yourself through a career transition, and the importance of embracing change.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• List of values from Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/

Topics we discussed:

• How do you know when to change careers?
• How do you figure out your values?
• When should I utilize the career center at my school?
• How do you stand out as a job candidate if you have no direct experiences?
• What are some transferable skills that have helped him succeed in transitioning careers?
• How do you face the thought of “will I ever find the right career”?
• How do you work through imposter syndrome when entering a new career field?
• Who should you talk to when you are considering a pivot?
• Do you need to have a job lined up before quitting?
• How do you support your mental health while changing careers?

Have a career question you would like answered? Fill out this survey!

Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Make sure to check out our social platforms!

Instagram: @career.explorers.guide

YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide

TikTok: @career.explorers.guide

Email: [email protected]

Music: @CAS

Hello and welcome to the Career Explorer’s Guide, the podcast that helps students navigate career exploration and professional development through interviews with professionals! I'm your host Alisa and through these interviews with professionals you'll get to hear raw, authentic career journey stories, learn about different career paths, and gather tips on professional skills such as resume building, interviewing, networking, and much more.

Be sure to check out our social media platforms!
YouTube: @Career Explorer's Guide
Instagram: @career.explorers.guide
TikTok: @career.explorers.guide
Email: [email protected]

If you have any career questions, submit them through this form!
Career question form: https://forms.gle/WRue3xxNyuY3oigZ6

Music: @CAS