Your Four-Year Career Plan

First year: Adjust

  • Get to know your academic advisor and resident advisor.

  • Visit the Advising & Career Center to address questions about your major or about choosing a major.

  • Experience college by getting involved either on- or off-campus. Explore a variety of classes, student organizations and volunteer opportunities.

  • Think about internship opportunities — how would you like to devote your time?

 

Second year: Explore and experiment

  • Evaluate the experiences you've had so far at JSC and elsewhere. What interests and skills do you enjoy using? Meet with a career counselor to explore further.
  • Explore connections between your interests, skills, majors, courses and career options. Find out what's out there.
  • Experiment by attending informational interviews, arrange job-shadowing experiences, gain experience through career-oriented internships, work-study jobs, part-time and summer jobs. Continue to pursue interest through campus activities.
  • Draft a preliminary resume — this is a living document that you'll update often; it's never too early to start!

 

Third year: Focus

  • Focus on potential areas of career interest. Take advantage of career counseling to help with this process.
  • Assess your perceptions about and qualifications for work in your field(s) of interest by talking to people in those fields.
  • Gain experience: Obtain an internship or career-oriented part-time jobs and develop your skills and further your exploration.
  • Continue developing your relationships with faculty and administrators; you'll want their advice and recommendations.

 

Fourth year: Seek your path

  • Prepare your resume and have it reviewed by Career Services.
  • Search for jobs and upload your resume.
  • Meet with a career counselor to develop your job search or graduate school plan.
  • Schedule mock interviews — they're good for practice.
  • Target jobs/organizations of interest or graduate schools. Investigate job-search strategies for your area of interest.
  • Search online job postings and submit your resume — if you find something that interests you, apply all of your job search skills and go for it!
  • Secure or request interviews for jobs of interest.
  • Network – develop connections with people who are involved in your area of interest.
  • Evaluate and (eventually) accept the right position or graduate school