Taking Charge of Your Own Career Planning & Development: The Four-Year Plan
Freshman Year:
Listen, Explore, Set Goals, & Participate
Listen in your CLU class;
Try out classes that interest you;
Explore majors to find out what they are really about;
Look carefully at all the options for involvement outside of
class, where you can develop transferable skills;
Think about what you most want to get out of your college
experience;
Develop tentative short- and long-range personal goals;
Take the Myers-Briggs personality profile through the Career
Services office;
Identify interests, values and abilities through the Vocatio Center
Programs and printed materials (i.e. What Color is Your Parachute). As
Christians it is our responsibility to utilize and understand our
giftedness;
Explore different career fields and gather information about
career options by talking with professionals and reading career books.
Another source is talking with faculty;
Participate in any on-campus recruiting that is in your area of
interest.
Attend workshops on resume writing, interviewing and the job
search process;
Apply for and take necessary examinations for graduate school;
Continue to development professional contacts in your field of
interest;
Continue doing informational interviews; especially early in your
senior year, before you do actual hunting;
If offered attend a Senior orientation workshop;
Participate in any on-campus recruiting that is in your area of
interest;
Use resources for researching specific companies;
Register your resume with the Vocatio Center office;
Target job search efforts to two or three career areas;
Update your resume and cover letter being certain that it markets
your career-related qualifications;
Secure references from faculty, staff, or former employers who can
attest to your qualifications. Select individuals who know you best
and contact them for written references 4 to 6 weeks in advance;
Develop lists of potential employers related to your occupational
field. Utilize the NACE annual directory, chamber of commerce, library
references, employer directories, etc.;
Prepare contact lists of friends, faculty, and family you can
contact regarding available openings, possible employers, and
additional referrals. (About 75% of jobs are filled through personal
contact.)
Aggressively pursue related leads through the Vocatio Center, job
listings, and job fairs. Also, consider a targeted resume email
campaign to companies you have researched;
Responsibly follow-up on leads and send thank-you letters after
interviews;
Celebrate that new job with a note to all your networking contacts
regarding your new position.
Want to know more about your major?
Talk with other students in the major
What classes or professors have they liked best?
If there is a club, group, or honorary society for those majors,
attend their meetings.
Talk with professors in the department.
What do they have to say about the profession?
What opportunities do they know of in this field?
Read the catalog section on that department
Take an introductory course
Check the Career Resource Center
What opportunities exist for graduates with this major?
How can the major be linked to skills and occupations?
Evaluate the information you have gathered by your own
interests, skills, aptitudes, and choose a major for the reasons that
make sense to YOU!
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