First Semester/Freshman Year:
___ Meet with a Career Services Coordinator to assess your interests, values, and skills to identify a
major which fits with who you are.
___ Begin researching occupational interests.
___ Conduct informational interviews with people who are working in the industry you would like to pursue.
___ Investigate on-campus and off-campus involvement; learn how to balance academic requirements with
campus activities and a social life, work, family, etc.
___ Speak with your Advisor about course selection and about taking an internship for academic credit, if
possible, and where that may fit best in your academic course rotation plan.
___ Review/develop skills that are in demand in your field and that employers want.
Second Semester/Sophomore Year:
___ Begin developing your resume’, if you do not already have one. Pick up information from Career Services to
help you create this document, or schedule an appointment with a Coordinator to help get you started.
___ Know your field; look for electives/opportunities that complement your major and increase your
marketability.
___ Watch for postings and announcements about career-related events on campus: workshops, presentations,
Career Fair, etc. Attend these very important and informative opportunities to build upon your network
and expand your knowledge of career-related issues.
___ Begin utilizing CareerNET!
our job search database. Post your resume’, search for jobs and internships,
and keep updated with events on your campus.
___ Continue researching your occupational interests and assessing yourself; how are your classes going? Is the
major you’ve chosen still the right choice for you?
Third Semester/Junior Year:
___ Keep building a network for employment possibilities through informational interviews, volunteer, and
professional association activities (DECA, BPA, SHRM). Networking and personal contacts are the best
resources for landing your first job.
___ See your Advisor, Career Services Coordinator, and Department Coordinator to discuss internship
opportunities. Continue gaining experience to develop your resume’.
___ Update your resume’ continually; be sure to have Career Services professionally critique it.
___ Attend Career Fair/workshops to help you fine-tune your skills.
___ Set up a mock interview with Career Services, to practice and develop interviewing skills (ENG 311).
___ Draft a cover letter and a thank-you/follow-up letter.
Last Semester/Senior Year:
___ Polish your resume’ and cover letter writing and interviewing skills.
___ Gather a list of people to use as references and make sure they can speak positively on your behalf as a
professional in your field—this is where the networking pays off!!
___ Sit down with a Career Services Coordinator to go over effective job search strategies; attend Career Fairs.
___ If further education is your next career step, begin applying to graduate or professional schools.