The Career Planning Process
Presented By: Office of Career Services
Moody Hall 134; Ph. (512)448-8530
http://think.stedwards.edu/careerservices
The Planning Starts Today
Purpose of This Presentation
• Introduce parents to Career Services at SEU
• Explain the career planning process
• Encourage you to send your sons and daughters
to Career Services in their freshman year
(Note: This presentation is not delivered to freshmen, only to parents.)
Introducing SEU Career Services
Career Services Staff
Barbara Henderson, Director
Liz Narduzzo, Office Manager
John Lucas, Keri Swanson, Emily Salazar
Undergraduate Career Counselors
Laurie Doran,
Graduate Career
Counselor
Andrew Harper, Employer
Relations Manager; Sally
Perez-Ramos, Internship
Coordinator
Services and Resources
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Individual career counseling
Career assessments and long term planning
Decision-making: majors and careers
Job search, resume, interviewing guidance
Job and internship database:
Graduate/professional school guidance
GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT prep classes
Website: http://think.stedwards.edu/careerservices
More Services
• CPAM 1110 class (career planning for credit)
– Section 01: Independent Study
– Section 02: Graduate School/GRE preparation
• Workshops, employer panels, class presentations
• Annual Events:
– Job & Internship Fair; Internship fair
– Graduate and Professional Fair
– Networking and business etiquette events
How We Reach Out to Students
• Hilltop Careers and e-mails
• SEU weekly student E-news & faculty newsletter
• Social media:
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Pinterest
• Campus flyers, posters, and information stations
• Class presentations
• Collaboration with Academic Planning/Support,
FYSM classes, collaboration with all support services
The Career Planning Process
It’s Ongoing
Decisions/selfassessment
Job search &
Continuing
education
THE KEY=
PLANNING
AHEAD
Gaining
Experience
Exploring/gather
ing information
It’s Long-term
• Some statistics (Kate Brooks of UT and Dr. Fritz Grupe, mymajors.com)
– 80% of college students don’t know what they want to
major in, even when they say they do (SEU: 200+ AEP)
– 80% of college students change majors at least once
– Undergraduates try 4-5 majors by taking a course
– On average, college students change majors 3 times
– 44% of students change majors between their
2nd semester freshman year and graduation day
– 80% of college graduates will not be working in their
major field of study 10 years after they graduate
– College graduates change careers 4-5 times in their lifetime
In College - 2 Decisions Made
1. 1st decision = Major / 2nd decision = Career
– Major : means choosing academic field of study
– Career: means deciding on a job/industry after graduation
2. Major does NOT equal Career
– St. Edward’s is not a Vo-Tech; it’s a Liberal Arts school
3. Think of a career as a Job Title:
– You major in Psychology; business card says “Outreach Coordinator”
– You major in Art; business card says “M.D./Physician”
– You major in Business Admin.; business card says “Teacher”
A Word About Undecided/AEP
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SEU undecided students referred to as “AEP”
Lots of external/internal pressure on AEP students
They feel alone, but they’re one of many
It’s really OKAY to be undecided as a freshman
“Declared” students also benefit from meeting with
Career Counselor about their major (just in case)
A Word About “Special” Majors
• Special majors: students interested in Art, Theater,
Photography, Music, Sports…
• Should parents be concerned?
• How to advise students?
Researching Majors/Careers
• Information interviews
• Career Services website
-Occupational Outlook Handbook
-What Can I Do With a Major In?
• google.com
• Books, literature in Career Services library
Choosing a Career
• It takes longer to decide on a career
• It requires research, information interviews,
internships, extracurricular experience
• It’s more involved than just taking a class
• It may not happen until junior, senior year
Why is Experience Important?
• For decision-making, for experience in a targeted
field, and for resume building
• Best career decisions made are based on experience
• When job searching, employers will want experience
• Students involved in extracurricular activities often
do better in classes; their interest is peaked
• Experience can be achieved in many ways:
internships, study abroad, volunteer service, campus
activities, part-time jobs
Internships Are Most Important!
• Formal/Informal; Paid/Unpaid; Credit/Non-Credit
• How many: Every student should do AT LEAST ONE
related to their specific career path
• To be competitive: do 2-3 internships, or more
• When: Formal ones=junior, senior years; Informal
ones, no special time
• Employers or degree plan may set the criteria
• Career Services: Internship Coordinator, Hilltop
Careers, Internship and Job/Internship Fairs
Beyond Major & Career
Exploration
• Job search
(Tip: Students should browse job descriptions even in freshman, sophomore
years. They shouldn’t wait until senior year to see what employers expect.)
• Job market
• Networking: in person and online
• Planning/preparing for graduate school or
professional school (law, medical, dental, etc.)
Planning and Timelines
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Summer 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Summer 2015
Fall 2015
Spring 2016
Summer 2016
Fall 2016
Focus on required coursework, grades; visit Career Services
Decide on major or at least Academic Area: Humanities, BSS,
Natural Science, Education, Business/Management
Decide on job path or higher education path
--Job: focus on relevant internships/Education: Research schools
Take prep course for GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT
Internship and/or: Have taken graduate/professional school
admission test GRE, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, etc.
Internship and/or: Apply to graduate/professional school
Internship and Graduate from St. Edward’s
--JOB? or HIGHER EDUCATION?
Enter graduate/professional school
Four Years From Now
The Graduating Senior
• In 4 years your student becomes “a resume”
• For jobs, graduate/professional school, resume
must be competitive:
– Tight job market: Central Texas and beyond;
even Peace Corps and Teach for America…
– Higher education also competitive
• What will your son/daughter’s resume look like
in four years?
Resume – 4 Years From Now
Heidi Hilltopper
3001 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512)448-8530
smartgrad@stedwards.edu
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance
Summa Cum Laude, 4.0GPA; St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX
May 2016
Education alone on a resume ≠
a competitive job or graduate school.
Education without experience RELATED to career track, i.e. fast
food cashier, or receptionist, or lifeguard or
babysitter job ≠ competitive job
or graduate school admission.
What Have You Learned?
Final Exam
• What’s the name of database with jobs/internships?
• How many internships should a college student do?
• What’s the name of the career class taught by
career counselors?
• True or False: If a student is thinking about Art as a
major, you should tell them to pick a “real major”
like Business Administration?
• Where is the office of Career Services?
• When should a new SEU student visit Career
Services?
In closing…how can you help?
Just Do One Thing
• Encourage your son or daughter to visit Career
Services in their freshman year…
• We’ll take it from there!
Thank You