21 Career Exploration: Values and Interests
Learning Objectives
In this section, you will
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Learn about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how it might apply to career choices
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Reflect on your values and how they connect with potential careers
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Reflect on your interests and how they connect with potential careers
When we think about potential future careers, we often prioritize financial stability. Being able to provide for ourselves and others is understandably a priority for many students. Yet a career promises to be most fulfilling if it also connects with higher level needs, including our values and interests. You may have begun to explore what really matters to you in the “Understanding Myself” section of your ePortfolio. When thinking about choosing a career, you might also consider Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs. Maslow envisions a pyramid of human needs in which one tier builds on another: needs on the bottom level – such as food and shelter – have to be met first in order to attend to higher-level needs such as self-respect or self-actualization. Different individuals and communities might prioritize different needs, and it is worth considering what is most important to us when choosing a career. If we apply Maslow’s concept to career choices, we may find that we often prioritize physiological and safety needs, but what about our higher level needs? What kind of career might take us beyond security and biological needs toward finding a sense of belonging, respect, and purpose?
Figure 1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Source: Wikimedia)
Reflection
Values
An essential part in your self discovery journey of your career exploration process is identifying what is most important to you–your values–and to learn how they influence and motivate your goals. Values drive our actions and they motivate your goals. Your goals help you establish your priorities in life, guide your decision-making, and affect your evaluation of your success and happiness in life.
To deepen your thinking about the ways in which values define how we want to live, consider Jan Stassen’s TED talk “Why Values Matter”:
Reflection
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Stassen shares his experience of traveling Europe with his friends as an example of a guiding value in his life (=friendship). He then suggests that we all have different life stories that indicate our personal values. Take a moment to think of a life experience that connects with a particular value that is important for you. How might this value matter in determining your future career choices?
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Stassen talks about the “Museum of Values” he created with his friends. What object might you contribute to the museum? Why did you choose this and what value does it stand for (what is the story of the object)?
You can take the thought experiment above a step further and create your own museum of values by adding multiple objects that represent the values that are most important for you. Think about careers that might match your own values. For instance, if helping others is important to you, there are many careers that could allow you to realize this value: you could become a teacher, a social worker, or a nurse, among other career choices. Aligning your career goals with your values will help you stay motivated and fulfilled.
If you are not sure how your personal values might connect with work values, try out this self-assessment activity at CareerOneStop.
Exploring Your Interests and Skills
Ideally, a career should not only match your values but also your interests and skills. To find the right career path, it is helpful to identify your own interests and skills first as this can help shape your career trajectory.
Reflection
Take a few moments to think about the skills and talents you possess. How might you use them in the career(s) you are considering? List 1-2 examples (wherever you are taking notes).
Let’s take some time to think about the things you like to do to consider how your current interest and skills can inform your future career pathway.
Exercise
Figure 2. “Career Interests Exploration” (Source: OER Project, www.oerproject.com)
2. What are one or two careers that you can think of that align with your interests?
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REFERENCES, LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS
Career Interests Exploration grid. Adapted from OER Project. Career Interests Exploration. www.oerproject.com. CC BY 4.0.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid (2025, May 2). In Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs_Pyramid_%28original_five-level_model%29.png
Stassen, J. (2019, Jan. 17). Why values matter [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a1Fc6nwpks
Work values matcher (2026). CareerOneStop. https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/work-values-matcher-results.aspx?assessment=55131544415423322132
