Career Planning – A Four-Year Model

The No. 1 reason that most people pursue a college degree is to get a better job in the future. If this is a priority for you, it is very important that you maximize your future opportunities through effective career planning. The following model provides a step-by-step guide to help you make the most of your time in college. And remember, you’re not alone — Career Services provides resources to help you with every aspect of your career development.

YEAR 1 – Discover and Explore

• Take the career assessments online to help you see how your interests and personality relate to various career options.
• Read the undergraduate catalog and develop a list of possible majors. Try to be open-minded at this point.
• Visit the Career Services Web site and check out the “What can I do with this major?” section for information on any major.
• Identify past accomplishments, skills and abilities, hobbies and career-related values.
• Register with the TLU online job posting system or look on the job board in the ASC to look for a part-time job.
• Attend summer job and internship fairs to help you get experience in a field that interests you or help you make the most of the experience you get.
• Join campus organizations and participate in volunteer and community service activities.

 

YEAR 2 – Research and Focus

• Learn more about different careers by using our Web site and printed resources in our Career Resource Center. Compare work environments, salaries, worker likes and dislikes, important qualities, and future job outlook.
• Talk with advisers, professors, relatives, and friends, and use the alumni career network for career options.
• Choose a major.
• Consider volunteering. Organizations with jobs that interest you are easy to find – just be creative and show some initiative. It will count as experience.
• Create a career timeline for the next five years.
• Gain more exposure to the work world through job shadowing, job fairs and workshops.
• Develop a résumé. Register and upload your résumé into the job-posting system on our Web site.
• Use the computerized career guidance system on our Web site to learn about career information and to get a list of professional organizations to contact for more information.
• Conduct information interviews with professionals already working in the field. Start with the alumni mentor network.
• Participate in job fairs and workshops; see the Career Services Web site for other events.

 

YEAR 3 – Experience and Experiment

• Focus on major courses.
• Research graduate/professional schools. Plan to take required tests for admission. Attend graduate and professional school fair. Check out information on DISCOVER, www.gradschools.com and in the Career Resource Center.
• Write/revise your résumé and learn to compose job search letters; refer to our Web site for samples.
• Make tentative decision about career by learning about career options – work settings and job descriptions.
• Set up information interviews to get first-hand information on employers and work environments.
• Meet with Career Services or academic adviser to explore internship options.
• Schedule a mock interview to sharpen your interviewing skills.
• Attend job and internship fairs. Practice a good work ethic; learn how to work with people.

 

YEAR 4 – Choose and Implement

• See Career Services to help define job search objectives and strategies and to begin a formal search.
• Fine tune résumé and schedule a résumé critique.
• Update profile and upload your revised résumé on our online job board.
• Register with Career Services for résumé referrals and check job listings through our online job board; begin interviewing two semesters before you graduate.
• Apply to graduate/professional school early in the fall semester.
• Practice interview skills; schedule a mock interview to sharpen your interviewing skills.
• Network in chosen field; check out our Web site for those in the area.
• ATTEND JOB FAIRS!
• Sign up for campus interviews, which begin in September.
• Remember, keep your job search broad in the beginning. It is much easier to be selective after the job offers come in.