Planning for Your Career

• Take a variety of classes. You’ll want to to be introduced to various topics of study.
• Visit your college’s career center in person, and explore its Web site. You’ll find listings for part- and full-time positions, internships, co-op programs, and seasonal employment. You’ll also find on-campus interviewing opportunities for internships and for full-time employment after graduation. Attend workshops on advanced résumé writing, internship placement, interviewing, and other job search skills. Participate in mock interview activities to improve your interviewing skills.
• Take as many self-assessments as possible. Talk to a career counselor about your skills, aptitudes, interests, and career plans. Research possible occupations that match your skills, interests, and academic major (see the Tech Tip at the end of this chapter).
• Prepare a draft of your résumé and have it reviewed by a career counselor or a professional in your desired field. These individuals can provide you with useful feedback to improve your résumé.
• Create professional profiles on professional sites, such as LinkedIn. Share your skills and experience with potential employers and make professional connections.
• Get involved in clubs and organizations. Take on a leadership role in clubs and organizations.
• Attend your college’s career fair. Employers in the area visit your campus to hire students. Get to know more about the employers who hire graduates in your major. Some career fairs may be specific to disciplines such as health care, information technology, or business.
• Build on your strengths and develop your weaker skills. Whether in or out of class, find ways to practice what you are good at and get help with what you need to improve.
• Network. Connect with instructors, family members, and friends to find contacts in your fields of interest so that you can learn more about those areas. Participate, if possible, in mentoring programs hosted by alumni (past graduates of your college). Spend the summer completing internship, service-learning, and co-op experiences.
• Volunteer. Whether you give of your time to a nonprofit organization, a school, or a business, volunteering can help you explore careers and get some experience in an area that interests you.
• Do occupational and industry research for your field or for geographic areas that interest you. Look for all the career options within and beyond your field.
• Visit work environments in person. Explore career options through informational interviews (interviewing to find out about a career) and job shadowing (observing someone at work with their permission).
• Get a job. Many students already have jobs when they enter college. Holding a job, especially one related to your major, can add to your classroom learning. Even a part-time job will develop your skills and might help you to make decisions about what you like and don’t like in a work environment. In any job, you learn essential skills such as teamwork, communication, and time management which are important to employers!
• Conduct a social media audit of your own online presence. Make sure nothing inappropriate in posted about you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media.