NMSU-A » Career Center » Choices Planner

Choices Planner

The Choices Planner is available to any NMSU-A student interested in career/academic planning, however, incoming degree seeking freshmen are required to complete the Interest Profiler portion before or during their first semester at NMSU-A. Upon completion of the Interest Profiler, incoming degree seeking freshmen are required to print out a copy of the results and bring them to an Academic Advisor for career/academic planning and course selection.

Accessing Choices Planner (Printable PDF Version)

  • If you are a new user to the Choices Planner, create your own user profile and personal logon information by choosing “create a new portfolio.” This will allow you to save your Choices usage history and come back at a later time and continue Choices. Upon initial setup you will be required to key in the the following NMSU-A Site ID & Password:
    • Site ID: 0109231
    • Password: H9q2r5N8

    Note that for future visits to Choices you can go directly to http://www.bridges.com and sign in with your personal logon.

  • Once you have signed in, click on “Choices Planner”
  • Under the “Work” Tab, click on “Interest Profiler”
  • Answer all of the questions carefully and remember that this is not about what you know how to do, but rather what you would like to do. Pay attention to the action words like “build” or “help” as well as the job itself.
  • After you have finished, the planner will break your scores down into six categories, or personality profiles, based on your interests
  • Go to matching careers to see a list of careers that fit your top two profiles. Also, take note of the profile least developed, as this is likely not an area you would be happy to pursue.
  • Each specific career offers categories such as money and outlook, what to learn, work values, and skills. While optional, these can be very helpful to review.
  • Complete the Planner Worksheet (PDF Format) and bring it to an Academic Advisor.
  • The Interest Profile will also be saved to your portfolio, which you can access at anytime.
  • While only the Interest Profiler is required, students are urged to access other components of the Choices Planner. If you have questions about the Choices Planner please call Jeremy Patton, Academic Advisor, at NMSU-A at 575-439-3720 or via email at jpatton@nmsua.nmsu.edu.

Career Resources on the Web

Please be aware that access to much of the information from these and other related web sites is free to students and job seekers, however, some organizations do charge a fee for some of their services and/or access to certain information. Please read carefully before releasing any personal information or consenting to any agreements. Be aware that your personal information may be accessible by the general public.

Career Information & Job Search Sites

  • America’s Job Bank. Provides access to job opportunities nationwide and by state. This site is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Labor and the state operated public employment services. The site incorporates Career One Stop and O*Net.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Provides access to an electronic version of the Dept. Of Labor’s career exploration book, The Occupational Outlook Handbook, plus other labor market information.
  • New Mexico Department of Labor. Provides access to labor market and occupational information specifically for New Mexico.
  • Job Bank USA. Provides access to a large resume database where resumes are built and submitted and job searches are conducted.
  • Career Mosaic. Provides access to industry specific and regional career information, job opportunities, and resume posting.
  • Career Magazine. Provides access to job openings, resume posting, employer profiles, and career related articles.
  • CareerNet. Provides access to job and employer information and resume posting for the high-tech fields.
  • Online Career Center. Provides access to resume posting as well as job opportunities by U.S. city/state, foreign country, company, and industry.
  • Career.com. Provides assistance in job seeking(company, category, location, both national and international, or entry level) and in making connections with employers.
  • College Grad Job Hunter. Provides job search information targeted to college graduates: jobs, internships, employers, resumes, cover letters, interviews, etc.
  • Job Web. Provides access to the site of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and links jobs to job seekers as well as to other job search information, also sponsored by Job Choices Magazine.
  • HotJobs. Provides information on job searching for U.S., international, and entry level jobs, company profiles, and resume posting.
  • Monster.com. Provides access to a career services network for job hunting, resume posting, and employer information.
  • Career WEB. Provides opportunity for the job seeker to job match, store a resume, research career links, and locate career related books and other materials.
  • Riley’s Guide. A great guide to employment and job resources on the Internet.
  • Air Force Civilian Employment. Provides access to civilian employment announcements and information through the United States Air Force.
  • Army Civilian Employment. Provides access to civilian employment announcements and information.
  • Defense Manpower Data Center - From Military Member to Civilian. If you have any military service after 1 Oct 90, this site will give you your entire work history, and how it translates to a civilian job. This information is from the Department of Defense.
  • USAJOBS. The US Government’s official site for jobs and employment information provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.

Company/Organization Employment Sites

Career/Job Search Sites for Specific Fields

  • Art and Graphic Design
    • Printjobs.com. Information on employment in the printing and graphic arts industry.
  • Computer and Technology Jobs
  • Criminal Justice
    • Cop Career.com. Information on law enforcement career opportunities around the country in various agencies.
  • Education
    • Teachersplanet.com. Employment opportunities for teachers preK-12 plus job hunting tips, information on teaching supplies, etc.
    • www.K12jobs.com. Concentrates in posting job opportunities available at Kindergarten, Elementary Schools, Junior High, High Schools and Vocational Schools. Each job posting has complete information, including; school’s name, location, deadline, salary, contact information, school’s e-mail, and the school’s web site.
    • http://www.nmreap.net/. Free service to find employment in education in state of New Mexico.
  • Engineering
    • Engineer Jobs. Information on nationwide career opportunities for engineering related areas.
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Fire Science
    • The Fire Station. Provides information on fire departments throughout the country.
  • Health Care/Nursing
    • Absolutely Health Care. Access nationwide opportunities in the health care industry including nursing, medical laboratory technology, and medical office type positions.
    • The Nursing Network. Information for nursing health care professionals including information on nursing organizations.
    • Allnurses.com. Resources for nurses including jobs, news, books, etc.
  • Law
    • Law.com Career Center. Information on legal employment opportunities including paralegals and legal secretaries.
  • Social Services
    • Social Work Jobs. This site is affiliated with the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and has information on employment for social workers.

Education Sites

  • CollegeNET. Provides opportunities to conduct various searches including searches for colleges and college resources, scholarships, financial aid, etc.
  • CollegeView. A college search service providing comprehensive information targeted for use by students, parents, Admissions, and counselors.
  • CollegeZine. Provides access to information on undergraduate colleges/universities, graduate and professional schools, careers, financial aid, and study skills.
  • Peterson’s CollegeQuest.com
  • Culinary Schools

Career Planning & Development

Career Center

The Career Center assists students through the career choice and job search processes. Assistance and general information are available on topics such as choosing a career, career and educational exploration, the resume and application, the cover letter, thank you letter and references, job hunting, interviewing, and job success.

Individual appointments can be scheduled with the Career Advisor for career decision making, career exploration, job hunting, resume and interviewing, employment forecast information, and nationwide college/university information. Several free handouts are also available. Drop-ins are ALWAYS welcome.

The Career Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, however the Career Advisor is not available on Friday afternoons.

General Services Offered

Career Advising

The Career Advisor can meet with you on an individual basis to discuss your career plans and options.

CHOICES Career Planner

The CHOICES Career Planner is used extensively in the Career Center for assessment and for occupational and educational information. CHOICES is web-based and can be used on any internet accessible computer, including those in the Career Center. CHOICES is a comprehensive career search software program made up of several databases: occupations, post secondary schools, graduate schools, financial aid awards, and New Mexico employers. The Assessment component is made up of the Interest Checklist, the Work Importance Locator, and the Skills Checklist. CHOICES also connects to America’s Job Bank allowing a job seeker to conduct a nationwide job search. Assessment tools are used to gather information on your interests, values, and skills to help you make a more informed career decision.

Interest Inventories

Interest inventies help in focusing varied interests into potential career opportunities. The interest inventory used is the Interest Checklist in CHOICES.

Values Inventories

Values inventories focus on what the individual feels are the most important aspects of work. Every person has a values set that needs to be reflected in a job for work to be fulfilling and rewarding. The Work Importance Locator in CHOICES identifies your most important values for use in the Career Search.

Skills Checklist/Work History Search

This checklist/search focuses on skills and work history. This type of search is helpful if a person wants to use skills he or she already possesses in a future career.

Career Exploration

This information is available via career reference books like the Occupational Outlook Handbook and The Guide for Occupational Exploration as well as in CHOICES and over the Internet. Career specific books and videos are available which focus on, but are not limited to, career fields related to NMSU-A majors and programs.

Educational Information

Information on New Mexico universities, correspondence/independent study courses, pre professional/professional programs, graduate studies, and technical/vocational information is available.

Workshop Series - “From College to Career”

The following workshops can be conducted on an as needed basis for classes or groups. If you are interested in any of these topics, please contact Bobi by phone at 439-3720, or bobi@nmsua.nmsu.edu, or stop by the Career Center. Participation in any of these workshops is free and all are welcome.

  • Choosing a Direction-The Search for a Career
  • CHOICES-Career & Educational Exploration
  • The Resume & Application-It’s a Reflection on You
  • The Cover Letter, Thank You Note, & References
  • Job Hunting-Getting an Edge Over Your Competition-Part 1
  • Job Hunting-Getting an Edge Over Your Competition-Part 2
  • Successful Interviewing
  • Being A Success on the Job