Matching Talents to Careers: From Self-directed to Guided Pathways

College plays an important role in connecting students with jobs and careers. Individuals with college degrees are on average able to secure higher paying, higher status jobs than are those with no college credential or even some college. Students do bring to college innate aptitudes, tastes, and temperaments that may make them better suited to certain careers than to others. Yet, the experience of college is intended to help them not only build on their talents in ways that will enable them to advance in the labor market, but also explore career options and develop interests that will help them determine what occupations they want to work in. This article examines the matching process between students and college programs or majors.