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Year-By-Year Checklist
First Year: Self-Assessment and Career Exploration
- Meet new people!
- Get to know the staff at Career Services
- Take FOCUS and make a follow-up appointment in Career Services
- Make sure you register your E-portfolio and keep it up to date
- Meet with your academic advisor to make sure you are on the right track
- Join student clubs and organizations - get involved!
- Get to know faculty and staff
- Explore the core curriculum
- Declare your major
- Attend Career Development Programs
- Conduct informational interviews
- Test your interests and abilities
- Consider college your first job and as a preparation for life
- Learn about the value of internships
- Explore your opportunities
- Develop a “growing” résumé
- Check out the Career Services website
- Look at the “What can I do with my major” pages on the Career Services site
- Start a portfolio of your best work
- Begin to develop/improve your leadership and organizational skills through campus and off campus involvement
- Begin a Student Life Transcript and Career File
- Consider looking for a summer job that will help you begin to identify your career interests and gain relevant experience
Sophomore Year: Career Exploration and Internship
- Do well academically.
- If you have not already done so, choose a major.
- Write a resume and have it reviewed by Career Services staff.
- Explore career options within your major.
- Cultivate key campus career contacts and network among them.
- Participate in sophomore programming!
- Seek a summer position that will give you direct experience in a field you wish to pursue after graduation.
- Plan to get relevant work experience through a summer job, job shadowing, or volunteer work.
- Attend career services workshops, alumni panel discussions, and programs and lectures in your area of interest.
Junior Year: Career Experimentation and Preparation
- Relate your values, interests and abilities to possible career choices.
- Develop your career goals.
- Research thoroughly the occupations you are considering.
- Interview people about the nature of their jobs in areas that interest you. Career Services can help you find alumni that can serve as information resources.
- Continue to increase your abilities through meaningful extracurricular activities and work.
- Begin to research programs and entrance requirements if graduate school is in your future. Meet with appropriate advisor.
- Obtain a quality internship over the summer.
- Develop relationships with faculty and professionals to enable them to assist in your search and to write letters of recommendation on your behalf.
- Visit Career Services often.
- Practice interviewing.
- Refine your leadership and organizational skills in campus activities.
- Refine your resume and portfolio.
- Keep contact with key campus professionals.
- Do community service.
- Attend career fairs.
- Join at least one professional association to make appropriate contacts.
- Narrow your career search.
- Talk to recent graduates about their experiences in areas of interest to you.
Senior Year: Organizing Your Job Search or Graduate School Application
- Make an appointment to talk with Career Services staff about your post graduation plans.
- Have your resume and cover letters critiqued at Career Services.
- Establish a credential file.
- Update your portfolio.
- Perform mock interviews.
- Research prospective employers before the interview. Prepare appropriate questions.
- Attend career fairs and take advantage of all on and off campus recruiting programs.
- Evaluate each interview. What did you learn? What went well? What could you do better next time?
- Talk with professionals in your field about opportunities; network with GMC alumni.
- Write letters of inquiry, visit employers, follow-up!
- Apply to graduate schools and take all required entrance exams.
- Use computer job search resources.
- Read at least two trade publications in your field of study.
