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Academic & Career Center
Career Planning Guide - A Four Year Plan
Freshman Year - Ask Questions!
- Start a career information file.
- Schedule an appointment at the Academic & Career Center.
- Obtain and complete interest and career inventories.
- Identify four skills that employers value and develop a plan for acquiring them.
- Attend on-campus career events.
- Explore your interests, abilities, and skills through coursework.
- Talk to faculty, alumni, advisors, career advisors about possible majors/careers.
- Join college organizations that will offer you leadership roles in the future.
- Collect information on majors, internships, summer jobs.
- Consider volunteer positions to help build your skills, experience and resume.
- Review the Occupational Outlook Handbook (containing occupational information) and review other career-related information.
- Take a one credit six week Career Planning course (COL 150).
Sophomore Year - Complete Research!
- Update your resume and ask a professional to critique it for you.
- Consider an internship and summer job related to your interests.
- Explore at least three career options available to you through your major.
- Attend a resume and cover letter workshop.
- Attend on-campus career events.
- Identify professional organizations and associations in your interest areas and explore student membership rates.
- Join at least one professional or honorary organization related to your major in order to network with practioners in your field.
- Begin to collect recommendations from previous and current employers and internship supervisors.
- Subscribe to and read professional journals in your chosen field.
Junior Year - Make Decisions!
- Narrow your career interest areas.
- Review your internship and job experience to identify gaps in relation to your goals. Develop a responsive plan.
- Participate in interviewing, resume and cover letter writing, and other job search workshops.
- Review your progress in learning four or more skills employers seek in new hires.
- Take leadership positions in clubs and organizations.
- Consider graduate school; Obtain information on graduate entrance examinations (Some exams assume that specific coursework has been completed.)
- Update recommendations and ask professors to serve as references.
- Complete at least five information interviews in careers you want to explore. Shadow several professionals in your field.
- Research potential employers in the career library and talk to recent graduates in your major about the job market and potential employers.
- Purchase professional interview attire.
Senior Year - Job Search!
- Develop an employer prospect list with contact names and addresses.
- Gather information on realistic salary expectations.
- Refine and update your resume.
- Draft a cover letter that can be adapted for a variety of employers. Have a professional critique it for you.
- Participate in interviewing workshops.
- Take a one credit Job Search course (COL 405)
- If applicable, take graduate school entrance exams and complete applications.
- Follow up on all applications and keep a record of the status of each.
- Change answering machine message and email addresses to conform with your professional image.
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