Career Success Syllabus
Grab your future by the horns by following this general guide to completing career milestones during your college experience.
All Years
- Attend fairs, events and networking opportunities - find them in Handshake
- Utilize applicable services offered to you by your Career Development Center - discover more at CDC webpage
- Check your university email regularly for tailored messages as a part of the Beyond the Bullpen monthly series.
- Make your plan! Please note the following is an approximate timeline, customize the timing & tasks to suit your own unique career needs
First-year
Explore Your interests, Skills and Talents
- Take the FOCUS
- Review the Major Question Work Booklet and explore any areas of natural interest
- Get involved on campus! Consider joining a student organization
- Consider a part-time job, work study or volunteer role - find opportunities on Handshake
Develop Your Understanding of Careers
- Check out What Can I do with this Major?
Manage Your Career Path
- Log in to SkillsFirst to take the career exploration assessment and create your first resume
- Complete your Handshake profile
Second-Year
Explore Your interests, Skills and Talents
- Talk with your advisors, faculty, career advisors or mentors about majors, study abroad and career paths
- If undecided, meet with a career advisor to guide you moving forward
- Use Forage to explore careers and prepare for the job with hundreds of free job simulations designed by the world's top employers
Develop Your Understanding of Careers
- Conduct and informational interview with someone working in your field of interest
- Explore O*Net or the Occupational Outlook Handbook
Manage Your Career Path
- Begin building your network by creating and using a LinkedIn profile
- Use Handshake to find an internship or summer job
- Use SkillsFirst to practice interview questions and build a stand-out cover letter
Third-Year
Explore Your interests, Skills and Talents
- Begin to explore graduate schools if additional education is needed for your career goals
- Seek out leadership opportunities in 1 or 2 student organizations or extracurricular activities
- Use SkillsFirst to review a variety of career advice videos
- Discover paid, flexible, real-world experiences through Parkey Dewey Micro Internships
Develop Your Understanding of Careers
- Consider setting up a job shadow to stregthen your network and explore different career paths in your major
Manage Your Career Path
- Build your resume with applied experience such as internships, part-time jobs, undergraduate research, volunteer work or study abroad
- View Candid Careers, Major in Minutes and Majors in Action videos to inform your career path options
- Explore opportunities on GoinGlobal
Fourth-Year
Explore Your interests, Skills and Talents
- Revisit your many experiences and skills you have developed to prepare for interviewing
- Develop STARR stories
Develop Your Understanding of Careers
- Set your job and strategy early
- Update your resume, cover letter and other application materials - tailor each to the position you are applying for
- Do regular searches on Handshake and use filters to find opportunities of interest
- Reach out to your LinkedIn network
Manage Your Career Path
- Build your elevator pitch with the help of SkillsFirst
- Get your free professional photo taken at the CDC Photobooth and update your LinkedIn profile to prepare for the job search
- Think about which faculty, advisors, supervisors, mentors or coaches could be psoitive references for your - be sure to ask before submitting
- Complete the Graduate Follow-Up Survey
