View suggestions from the Office of Career Development to strengthen your skills for future employment.
Freshmen
Looking Ahead...
- Develop good study skills
- Start to build a good GPA
- Learn good time management skills
- Participate in class
- Improve interpersonal skills by meeting new people
- Sharpen communication skills (oral and written)
- Join campus clubs and organizations for personal development
- Get to know your professors
- Meet with your advisors to discuss your academic needs
- Volunteer or get a part-time job for practical experience
- Attend appropriate career workshops and seminars (publicized in daily announcements)
- Begin to consider future internship opportunities
- Participate in campus activities
- Develop summer job search strategies
- Attend career fairs
- Discuss career opportunities with a Career Development representative or knowledgeable faculty member
- Become aware of what is happening in the world—read the newspaper
- Establish goals for the next four years
Sophomores
Striving for Success...
- Continue to build on your respectable GPA
- Determine what you value and start thinking about your skills and interests
- Continue to practice good study and time management skills
- Strengthen professional relationships with faculty and staff
- Broaden your cultural perspective by attending/exploring:
- Cultural events
- Debates
- Diverse classes
- Art exhibits
- Study abroad options
- Participate in:
- Internships
- Volunteer work
- Part-time employment
- Attend appropriate career workshops and seminars (publicized in daily announcements)
- Attend career fairs
- Become more involved in campus activities, committee work and group projects
- Meet with your academic advisors to discuss your class selection
- Investigate employment possibilities with a Career Development representative
- Utilize career resources at the Career Development Office
Juniors
Getting Ready...
- Review your academic plan with your academic advisors
- Take class electives in other areas to enhance qualifications, such as computer skills, public speaking, writing, etc.
- Research career trends in relation to your interests, skills, values and goals
- Join professional organizations
- Conduct information interviews for career information and employer contacts
- Decide whether employment or graduate school will follow your graduation
- Develop a resume
- Develop potential references:
- Faculty/staff
- Work supervisor
- Meet with a career advisor to discuss job search strategies and/or graduate school planning
- Practice your interview skills with a career advisor
- Attend career fairs and career seminars (publicized in daily announcements)
- Get an internship experience within your field of study and/or study abroad
- Meet with a financial aid counselor to determine the cost of graduate/professional school and how it fits into your budget
Seniors
On the Way to Your Career...
- Register with Career Development for employment opportunities including resume referral to prospective employers
- Complete course requirements for POE
- Send in graduate/professional school applications by December at the latest
- Explore scholarships, fellowships and graduate assistantships for graduate schools
- Maintain contact with faculty, advisors, administrators and supervisors
- Update resume
- Develop well-written and eye-catching cover letters
- Participate in on-campus and off-campus interviews
- Research company literature and prepare for interviews, begin to utilize National Association of Colleges and Employers Guides
- Conduct mock interviews in the Office of Career Development
- Contact companies "posting" job vacancy announcements
- Send resumes and letters of inquiry to target employers
- Evaluate career employment options
- Send thank you letters to employers following interviews