Career Decision-Making Cycle

The Career Decision-Making Cycle includes five continuous phases: discover, learn, gain, plan, and reflect (Sampson et al., 2004). Throughout the process, students explore their interests and strengths, learn about majors and careers, gain hands-on experience, plan their next academic or career steps, and reflect on their experiences and decisions. Students may move through the stages in different ways and revisit them throughout their college journey.

Use the side bar to find resources to help you navigate each stage of the Career Decision-Making Cycle (Sampson et al., 2004). You may identify with different stages at various points of your college experience, and working with our advisors to dig into each stage can help you identify ways to move forward in your decision-making process.