Four Year Approach to Career Planning

By setting your goals early, you will be able to make choices relevant to your ultimate career goals: selection of courses, appropriate summer experiences, membership in clubs and organizations, etc.

First Years: Get to know your Career Center resources...

• Explore your interests and career options by using the resource books and computer programs.

• Conduct informational interviews and job shadow with professionals in your field of interest.

• Make an appointment with a career counselor to discuss your interests, skills and values, possibly including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory (SII).

• Sign up for Skills for Academic Success with your first year advisor.  Usually 1-2 sessions focus on Career Center resources.

Sophomores: Explore your career possibilities...

• Get a part-time job to help you develop basic work skills and learn more about your work preferences.

• Attend programs that bring alumni back to campus to discuss how they found career success.

• Talk with upperclassmen and faculty in the fields that interest you.

• Explore internships and summer jobs.

• Create a professional résumé; have it critiqued by a staff member.

• Attend Career Expo to explore internship options.
   

Juniors: Test out career decisions...

• Attend workshops on résumé and cover letter writing, interviewing, job hunting, and graduate school selection.

• Conduct informational interviews with professionals working in careers of your choice.

• Seek career-related summer jobs, part-time jobs, internships, and volunteer experiences.

• Utilize the computer-aided tools available in the Career Center to assist with résumé preparation and distribution, job search, and graduate  school.

• Attend Career Expo each semester to inquire about internships and summer and full-time jobs.

• Investigate graduate/professional school opportunities, including entrance requirements and application deadlines.

• Sign up for a Mock Interview.

• Consider taking CML 100

Seniors: Gain confidence in your abilities and marketability...

• Finalize your résumé and cover letter and have them critiqued.

• Attend Career Expo.

• Sign up for a Mock Interview.

• Sign up for campus interviews.

• Plan your job search strategy or graduate school application process.

• Use the Career Center's website and library to research employers, locate and apply to vacancies, or research graduate and professional schools.

• Have your graduate school statement of purpose critiqued by the graduate school advisor.
   

Tips for all students