Four Year College Plan

Career Services Four-Year College Plan for Student Success

Freshman Year

Self Assessment and Career Planning

• Visit the Career Services webpage and ensure that you are able to log into your Handshake account and update your profile. Learn about all the resources Career Services offers.
• Conduct a Focus 2 self-assessment to find the career path that best fits your strengths, values, and interests.
• Get involved on campus by volunteering, joining a student club, or attending on-campus events.
• Apply to leadership programs open to freshmen such as America Needs You (ANY), Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Gumbo Coalition University.

Sophomore Year

Career Assessment, Develop Skills

• Explore your career aspirations with a Career Advisor. Be prepared to develop a parallel plan.
• Continue attending career services workshops, focusing on resume and cover letter writing.
• Explore internship opportunities and update your resume accordingly by attending an internship workshop.
• Attend job and internship fairs to network with employers.
• Utilize the Majors with Career Opportunities and ONETon the Career Services webpage to learn about the skills and knowledge you need to attain in your field of study along with the career options.
• Formulate a plan to achieve these skills throughout your academic years in order to become a strong candidate when entering the job market.
• Apply for summer internships or research opportunities.
• Create or update your LinkedIn profile.
• Begin practicing interview skills and techniques.
• Seek out informational interviews with professionals in your field of interest.

Junior Year

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

• Meet with a Career Services staff to further narrow down your job and/or graduate school plan
• If you are planning to attend graduate school, research graduate school timelines, applications and tests needed to be taken, E.g.: LSAT, GRE, GMAT
• Attend Career Fairs and begin to network with potential employers
• Join professional associations related to your major
• Apply for more internships, experiential learning opportunities in your area of study, and take more leadership roles on and/or off campus
• Set up a mock-interview with career services staff to prepare for upcoming interviews
• Attend career development workshops on topics like job searching and interview strategies.
• Seek out professional organizations related to your major or career goals.
• Research potential employers and industries.
• Build a portfolio of your work and accomplishments.
• Begin drafting a personalized job search plan for post-graduation.

Senior Year

Implement and Transition

• Develop a job search strategy or finalize graduate schools plans
• Obtain references from employers and faculty
• Refine your resume and cover letter to prepare for interviews
• Stay in communication with Career Services and continue to build your network
• Create a parallel plan if career path needs adjustment
• Finish your internship or research project on a high note.
• Attend job fairs and networking events.
• Start applying for entry-level positions or graduate programs. 
• Attend Career Services Graduate Fair and complete job or graduate school applications.
• Finalize your job search, including tailoring your resume and cover letters.
• Attend job interviews and follow-up with thank-you notes.
• Seek guidance from Career Advisors on job offer negotiations.
• Prepare for graduation and the transition to your new career.