me3® Major and Career Quiz

What is me3?

me3® is a career inventory and assessment tool that helps students identify their interests and career-related strengths. The assessment then maps those interests to careers and relevant Pitt majors to encourage the career and degree exploration process.

How does me3 work?

By selecting photos in the assessment, the tool identifies the user’s RIASEC interest code, which aids in identifying their interests and strengths. This code then allows the tool to match users with career choices supported by O*Net—the nation’s primary source of occupational information—along with applicable Pitt programs. This matching is linked to greater career stability and job satisfaction outcomes.

me3 Student FAQ's

What if I don't like either photo during the assessment?: The first thing to remember is that the photos are intended to show interest areas, not specific careers. Maybe think about it as choosing the one that you dislike the least. The 60 photo selections will be combined to identify your interests.
Is there any scientific basis behind me3?: By clicking on the photos that you like, you are identifying your interests. In this way, we are narrowing down your career interests using the “Holland” RIASEC career model. The RIASEC model has been studied for almost 60 years and has more empirical support than any other career theory. A match between one’s RIASEC interest code and one’s O*Net career code (also known as person-environment fit) has been linked to greater career stability and job satisfaction. The images that you see in me3® have been calibrated against results from validated assessments such as the Strong Inventory Assessment.
What if I don't like the career choices the tool gave me?: Although Career Assessments aren’t able to perfectly predict your one best career match, they are powerful tools designed to help facilitate a successful career exploration process. You will be shown three careers that most closely align with your RIASEC code. You can choose to remove a career from the list by clicking on the “x”. Even if you don’t immediately connect with the career choices you are given, we encourage you to look at what those careers have in common and look at other suggested careers. Remember that this tool is intended to start the exploration process, not to be able to see the future.
How were the career choices determined? Did Pitt make up those results?: me3® uses a sophisticated Euclidean distance matching algorithm. Based on your image selections you receive a score in each of the 6 RIASEC categories; me3® then compares your scores to those of more than 500 careers based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. The results you see are the careers with scores that are most similar to your individual results across each of the 6 categories.
I am ready to declare or change my major. Now what?: If you have identified that you want to declare or change your major, the first thing we suggest is that you contact your academic advisor. They can help to set you on the path to declare or change your major.
Who can I contact if I have additional career-related questions?: The Career Services office at Pitt-Greensburg provides one-on-one appointments, workshops, networking opportunities, and programming. Please call 724-836-7869 or visit Chambers Hall 219 if you would like to schedule an appointment with one of the Career Services staff.

me3 Advisor FAQ's

me3® is a career inventory and assessment tool that uses the empirically-supported Holland RIASEC model to help students identify their interests and map those interests to careers and Pitt majors. The goal of the tool is to provide a scaled resource to encourage the career exploration process for students.

How does the tool work? Is there any scientific basis?: By clicking on the photos that the student likes, they are identifying their interests. In this way, we are narrowing down career interests using the RIASEC career model. The RIASEC model has been studied for almost 60 years and has more empirical support than any other career theory. A match between one’s RIASEC interest code and one’s O*Net career code (also known as person-environment fit) has been linked to greater career stability and job satisfaction. The images seen in me3® have been calibrated against results from validated assessments such as the Strong Inventory Assessment.
What if students don't like the career choices that the tool gave?: The purpose and strength of any career assessment is to facilitate an exploration process. In me3®, students are shown three careers that most closely align with their RIASEC code. They can choose to remove a career from the list by clicking on the “x” in their career list. Even if students don’t immediately connect with the career choices given, we can encourage students to look at what those careers have in common and continue to explore other careers that match their RIASEC code. This tool is intended to start the exploration process, kicking off some conversations, not to be able to see the future.
How were the career choices determined? Did Pitt make up those results?: me3® uses a sophisticated Euclidean distance matching algorithm. Based on image selections, users receive a score in each of the 6 RIASEC categories; me3® then compares the scores to those of more than 500 careers based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor. The results seen are the careers with scores that are most similar to the user’s results across each of the 6 categories. In the implementation of me3®, each academic unit/school was tasked with mapping up to 15 careers for each major offered by the school/campus. These careers are reviewed on an annual basis, and as majors are newly approved or terminated, the tool is updated accordingly.
How can or should advisors incorporate this tool into academic advising conversations?: Academic advisors regularly have conversations with students that delve into career exploration, and me3® can be a useful tool for helping students explore or clarify options related to their plan of study. Academic advisors can use me3® as an additional tool to help students better understand the range of available career options to prepare for more guided conversations with a career counselor as part of a follow-up appointment. Additionally, there is a College Advisor Role within the tool that allows advisors to review student responses prior to meeting with the student. If interested, please email Kaylee Burns, Program Manager for Student Success, to obtain access to this role.
I am interested in holding a me3® workshop for my students - who can I contact?: Kaylee Burns, Program Manager for Student Success, is the product owner of the me3® Major and Career Quiz at Pitt. Workshops can be held virtually or in-person, depending on location. Please reach out to her directly via email for additional details on how to schedule a workshop.

For questions about the University of Pittsburgh’s instance of me3®, contact studentsuccess@pitt.edu.