Steps to Successful Career Planning
Choose a year...
FRESHMAN YEAR
Themes
Self-Assessment
Choosing a Major
Exploring Career Options
Getting Experience
Steps
- Make an individual appointment with one of the career counselors
- Use SIGI 3 to clarify your interests, skills and values
- Take the Strong Interest Inventory
- Conduct Informational interviews
- Get involved with campus activities
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Center homepage & Career Library; read a book or two
- Research majors options in Career Library
- Take a variety of courses, and stay open-minded about the selection of a major
- Attend “Choosing a Major” workshop
- Participate in on-campus work/off-campus work
- Find a summer job that interests you
- Explore the idea of doing an internship
- Attend the After Dinner Mentors programs
- Register on the Berry Career Connection
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Themes
Self-Assessment
Choosing a Major
Exploring Career Options
Getting Experience
Steps
- Make an individual appointment with one of the career counselors
- Use SIGI 3 to clarify your interests, skills and values
- Take the Strong Interest Inventory
- Participate in campus activities (work towards a leadership role)
- Declare your major
- Continue with on-campus & off-campus work (school year and summer)
- Join the student chapter of a professional association related to your major
- Use Career Center resources to research career options and read books on career planning
- Explore the links on the Career Center homepage
- Talk to faculty about careers and possible internships
- Conduct informational interviews
- Identify four skills employers want and begin planning how to acquire them
- Attend the After Dinner Mentors programs
- Register on the Berry Career Connection
JUNIOR YEAR
Themes
Identifying Career Options
Getting Experience
Exploring Graduate/Professional School Possibilities
Steps
- Develop your resume and have it reviewed by a Career Center counselor
- Use SIGI 3 to explore job/career options
- Conduct informational interviews with alumni & others (use Alumni Career Network)
- Attend relevant Career Center workshops (“Networking Basics,” “Writing a Resume” etc.)
- Get on-campus & off-campus work that is related to your major
- Line up an internship that is related to your major
- Develop a list a career options to explore
- Research potential employers
- Attend on- and off-campus job fairs to talk to employers about the types of jobs they offer
- Research/visit graduate school programs
- Begin to build your professional wardrobe
- Attend the After Dinner Mentors programs
- Research potential employers using Career Search
- Use the Berry Career Connection to research potential jobs
SENIOR YEAR
Themes
Identifying Career Options
Job and/or Graduate School Search
Steps
- Make an individual appointment with one of the career counselors
- Revise resume and draft a cover letter to be critiqued by a Career Center counselor
- Use SIGI 3 as needed
- Use the Career Library, Career Center homepage links and other resources to identify career options
- Develop an employer prospect list w/ company contact names and addresses and send them your resume
- Network! (use the Alumni Career Network)
- Conduct informational interviews
- Check Career Center webpage on weekly basis for dates of fairs and interviews
- Research employers prior to interviews
- Participate in on-campus interviewing
- Send thank-you note after interviews
- Attend on & off-campus career fairs; follow-up with a letter and resume to employers that interest you- don’t give up!
- Continue with off & on-campus work opportunities and organizations
- Take graduate school exams and apply to graduate/professional programs
- Attend the After Dinner Mentors programs
- Use the Berry Career Connection to manage your job search