Four Year College Plan

Freshman Year

Self Assessment and Career Planning

• Visit Career services website and activate your Cardinal Careers account
• Attend Career Services Orientation, and research different career options
• Meet with a Career counselor and develop a career path
• Conduct a Focus2Careers self-assessment to find your help find your major,  strengths, values, interests
• Get involved on campus by volunteering or joining a student club,
• Volunteer off campus to acquire work experience and/or get a summer job at end of 1st year

Sophomore Year

Career Assessment, Develop Skills

• Meet with a career counselor to evaluate your 4 year career path
• Research companies to learn more about your career choice
• Attend Cardinal Career workshops on how to choose a major, career path & apply to internships
• Conduct informational interviews to learn about a career field
• Develop your resume and have it critiqued by a Career Services counselor  
• Select a major & find a mentor
• During this semester or for the coming summer secure an internship
• During the semester develop your communications, problem-solving, teamwork, by taking an active role in the colleges organizations

Junior Year

Gain Experience, Set Your Career Goal, Job and/or Graduate School

• Meet with CS staff and formulate a job and/or graduate school plan
• Research graduate schools timelines, applications and procedures tests needed to be taken, E.g.: LSAT, GRE, GMAT
• Experience from past semester,  internship and/or on campus experience, should help you set your career goals
• Apply for more internship, experiential learning opportunities, in your area, also take more leadership roles on and/or off campus
• Attend Career Fairs, workshops and begin to network with potential employers. Compare your resume to a job description to assess your marketability

Senior Year

Implement and Transition

• Develop a job search strategy or finalize graduate schools plans, includes mailing application to university
• Attend job fairs and network with professionals, update resumes
• Obtain references from employers and faculty
• Prepare for job interviews and/or graduate school
• Stay in communication with Career Services and continue to build your network
• Refine your resume and cover letter to prepare for interviews
• Create a “Plan B” if career path needs adjustment