Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ

Ìý

Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ Logo

Career Readiness

4-Year Career Readiness Plan

year 1 icon

Year 1: Self-Assessment & Career Exploration

  • Meet with a career advisor and take the Focus 2 Career Assessment to explore how your values, interests and skills match Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ majors.
  • Activate your Handshake account and create a résumé.
  • Review the materials you received at SOAR to learn about campus resources.
  • Use Ó£ÌÒÊÓƵ Live to identify student organizations and co-curricular activities.
  • Make connections on campus by participating in career-related in-person and virtual workshops and events.
  • Learn the 8 Career Competencies and see how they relate to your coursework.
year 2 icon

Year 2: Making Career Decisions

  • Meet with a career advisor to discuss your career development plan for the year.
  • Create a professional social media presence using Handshake and LinkedIn.
  • Research opportunities to build experience, such as working on campus, studying abroad, volunteering, co-ops and internships.
  • Use online resources to discover occupations related to your major.
  • Create a digital portfolio to showcase your work (projects, internships/jobs, student organizations and more).
  • Attend networking events to meet professionals in your field.
  • Consider taking the Career Development Strategies course to further research career paths.
year 3 icon

Year 3: Preparing for a Career or Graduate School

  • Meet with a career advisor to revise your career development plan for the year.
  • Update your résumé, Handshake profile and LinkedIn account.
  • Take leadership and executive roles in student organizations, co-curricular activities and volunteer opportunities.
  • Identify professional references and ask if they will give a positive reference.
  • Network with professionals in your field at career fairs and company presentations.
  • Apply for internships and shadow professionals in your field to gain experience.
  • Consider taking the Career Management Strategies course to prepare a job search strategy.
  • Articulate the 8 Career Competencies while networking and during interviews.
year 4 icon

Year 4: Job Search or Graduate School Implementation

  • Meet with a career advisor to create an action plan for your career path or post-graduate studies.
  • Update your résumé, Handshake profile and LinkedIn account.
  • Have your professional employment documents (résumé, cover letter, portfolio and references) prepared, updated and reviewed.
  • Create a job application plan and actively track and monitor your job applications.
  • Participate in mock interviews and use online resources to prepare for interviews.
  • Network with professionals in your field at events and follow up with them.
  • Articulate your diverse experiences and career competencies, leveraging them in interviews.