Center for Internships and Career Development
Jumpstarting Your Career
FRESHMAN YEAR
Develop relationships with your professors. Don't just see them as people that try to convey information to you.
They can be much more than that. If they have knowledge in an area or major in which you are interested, ask
them for advice. They can be a great information resource and can provide you with a great perspective and
context.
Join clubs and organizations that interest you. These venues can offer a chance for you to meet people with
similar interests and expose you to additional information that you may not know existed.
Try and find a job during the semester breaks coincides with your interests. This could be a time for you to get
early exposure in a field you are considering for a career. Also, be open to something that does not exactly
match with your interests, because this could add another dimension to your plans for the future.
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Continue to meet with professors, advisors, and other faculty members. If you laid a solid foundation the
previous year, try and build upon this even more. If not, then acquaint yourself with professors that have a solid
background in your field of interest.
Try to incorporate interesting electives and diverse classes into your schedule. College is an environment that
should allow you to create a versatile schedule in order to experience all that a particular topic, or area of interest,
has to offer. Within each major are sub-disciplines that can allow you to gain a better understanding of the
major overall. For example, within Criminal Justice exists Corrections, Probation/Parole, and Law
Enforcement. Combining the sub-disciplines of different majors can create a very meaningful and interesting
experience. It is in your best interest if you try to incorporate a variety of fields over the course of your college
career.
Begin to contemplate the idea of doing an internship, externship, or community-based course. The best place to
start would be the Center for Internships & Career Development, which oversees and facilitates a variety of
experiential programs. These are great opportunities to get an idea of the field in which you are interested. You
get to meet new people, make good contacts, gain invaluable experience, and possibly receive credit for the work
you do.
Contact the Center for Internships & Career Development and meet with a staff member to discuss your skills,
interests, and values in order to start relating them to your major and future career choices. Also, ask about
workshops or programs in the Career Center on creating or improving your resume, learning interview skills, or
finding a job on the internet.
Center for Internship & Career Development, 3rd Floor, 1810 Liacouras Walk, Dr. Michael Székely,
Coordinator, mszekely@temple.edu, (215) 204-6704
JUNIOR YEAR
Continue to bolster the relationships you have with your professors. Ask them for advice concerning careers,
papers and assignments, and real-life issues. They never forget the face of someone that has put forth effort and
come to them not only as a student, but as a real person.
Consider running for office in an organization or club with which you are affiliated. This can also be good
practice for speaking in front of a group. Public speaking is surely something that you will have to do at some
point in your college career, and you'll probably have to do it more than once. This kind of experience can also
help you to develop motivational, interaction, and networking skills that will be useful later on in life.
Continue to take part in workshops sponsored by the Career Center. These can provide good preparation for
either informal or formal interviews with potential employers.
Attend Job and Career Fairs that are in connection with, or around, Temple. These events are a proverbial "gold
mine" as far as connecting with professionals that are currently employed in your field of interest. Take a resume
(and positive attitude!) to these functions because you never know who you are going to meet. If you talk to a
representative and things look like they won't work out for the time being, make sure the rep has a copy of your
resume with some type of contact information anyway, because things could still work out in the future.
SENIOR YEAR
Ask professors, supervisors, and other important personnel to write letters of recommendation for you. Do this
early enough so that you don't have to wait until the last minute and then be forces to rush. Make sure that the
letters are relevant. Inform those that have agreed to write these letters as to the specifics of the position for
which you are applying. If they know this information, it will be reflected in the letter they write.
Start compiling a career portfolio and resume. These items will be crucial in your last push before getting a job.
Keep letters of recommendation, transcripts, and any other material that may help potential employers get a
better sense of the type of person you are.
Compile small, but important, materials regarding interviews and contacting people. Cover letters, resumes
tailored to specific positions, and thank you notes may strike you as not being extremely vital now, but they will
be what speaks to your character and abilities. Make sure to cross all "t's" and dot all "i's"!
Hopefully by now you have an idea of your career choice. If not, don't panic, because you aren't the first, and
you won't be the last.
[Adapted from Symplicity.com, excerpted from Jumpstart Your Career in College, Kaplan/Simon and Shuster 2000.]
Center for Internship & Career Development, 3rd Floor, 1810 Liacouras Walk, Dr. Michael Székely,
Coordinator, mszekely@temple.edu, (215) 204-6704