Career Quest Fall 2026 is here. View the full schedule to register for workshops and employer sessions.

Finding the right career starts with understanding yourself.

In Career Milestone 1, you’ll:

  • Explore careers that match your interests and strengths
  • Reflect on your values and personality
  • Identify a career goal that fits your future

Steps to Create Your Career Goal

Before you can make career choices, it’s important to know what matters most to you.

Figure out your career needs by completing PART 1 in the Self-Assessment & Career Pathways Worksheet.

Save a copy of your Self-Assessment & Career Pathways Worksheet for future reference.

Screenshot of Part 1 instructions in the Self-Assessment & Career Pathways Worksheet

My Next Move is a tool that helps you explore careers that match your interests, so you can choose a career path that truly fits you.

Take the Interest Profiler on My Next Move and explore your career matches.

Choose 1-3 occupations to research further and add them to your “Favorites.”

Go back to your Self-Assessment & Career Pathways Worksheet. In PART 2, note what you learned about each occupation, and rate how well it matches your career needs from PART 1.

Now that you’ve explored your traits and career options, setting a SMART career goal gives you direction. It helps you stay focused and take the right steps toward landing your dream job.

Use the SMART Career Goal Worksheet or AI Quick Guide to create your career goal. If you use the AI Quick Guide, copy and paste the AI’s responses into the worksheet once you’re done to save your goal!

See more details about each resource below.

Silhouette of a woman in profile. AI Quick Guide
  • Fast and simple (10-15 min) – Get instant, personalized feedback.
  • AI does the research – Requires less effort and personal input.
  • Simple goal setting – Great for setting a goal without deep reflection.
Screenshot of SMART Career Goal worksheet
  • Guided walthrough (20-30 min) – Follow clear steps to create your goal.
  • You do the thinking – Requires more thought and personal input.
  • Reflective goal setting – Great for thinking deeply about your goal.

Save a copy of your worksheet so you can remember your career goal and stay focused.

Supplemental Enrichment Activities

Most successful careers don’t follow a straight line

By Keith Spencer, Career Expert with AI resume builder Resume Now

In the early stages of your career, it’s easy to feel like you’re supposed to have everything figured out. Choose the “right” major. Land the “perfect” internship. Secure an …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
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Beat the ‘Sunday Scaries’ of Fall: How to Reset Your Career Goals in August

August offers a strategic window to recalibrate professional objectives before the year’s final push begins. Career experts recommend a systematic approach to evaluating current progress and mapping out achievable goals for the remaining months. This guide presents five proven methods …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
Read more

Pause, Ponder, Progress: Professional Development Activities to Keep Your Career Moving

Many people periodically become reflective and start to ask questions like, “Am I truly productive?” or “Am I making adequate progress toward my goals?” It’s common to evaluate personal objectives and assess areas where progress has been made and where …

By Jennifer Rhodes
Jennifer Rhodes
Read more

Career Resources

My Next Move is a free career exploration tool from the U.S. Department of Labor. It helps you discover careers …

Use this worksheet to create a SMART career goal.

A SMART goal is:

By using the SMART framework, you’ll set …

This worksheet will help you make informed career choices by aligning your values, needs, strengths and interests with potential career …

Informational interviews are informal conversations with professionals in a field you’re interested in. The goal is to learn about their …

O*NET Interest ProfilerO*NET has designed a set of self-directed career exploration/assessment tools to help individuals consider and plan career …

Connect with fellow graduates and expand your professional network using the WGU LinkedIn Alumni Tool. This resource allows you to …

Contact & Location

Phone
877-214-7008 option 3
Address

4001 S 700 East, #700
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Career Service Hours

Monday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MT
Tuesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MT
Wednesday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MT
Thursday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MT
Friday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm MT
Saturday by appointment only
Sunday by appointment only

Office hours nationwide are 6am MT to 7pm MT.  Appointment and drop-in hours are available on weekends. Please reach out to careers@wgu.edu for assistance at any time.