Take Note!
ROAD TRIPS TO THE REAL WORLD
Jan 3-13
BOOK BAG TO BRIEFCASE
Jan 12-14
Click HERE for details
and more events!
Intern
of the Week
Mark P.,
Spring '11,
Waldorf Real Estate
Waldorf, MD
“From my internship I feel that I have gained, and will continue to gain, a better feel of the current real estate market in the Southern Maryland region and how the economy is playing a role in that market.”
Career Planning Timeline
Though every career path is unique, the timeline below will help you to chart your course and develop a satisfying and effective plan for your future.
First Year
- Visit the CDC to learn about tools and resources available.
- Assess and reflect on your work-related interests, abilities, and values by taking the inventories offered through DISCOVER®, our online career guidance program (unique user ID and interpretation available from CDC staff).
- Use your new self-knowledge to explore college majors and potential career paths that may be a good fit.
- Review the college catalog for course descriptions and requirements of possible majors.
- Talk with professors, students, and professionals in each major that interests you.
- Meet with your academic adviser to learn about courses that might help determine areas of interest.
- Dedicate yourself to doing well academically—go to class and participate, develop good study skills, and take advantage of campus resources.
- Begin developing a resume to update each year.
- Get involved in campus organizations to develop interests and “transferable” skills.
- Obtain a professional summer job or volunteer position that will allow you to learn about fields of interest.
Sophomore Year
- Use DISCOVER® and other online and print resources to continue exploration of self, majors, and careers.
- Choose and declare your college major. Study what you love! And keep your grades up!
- Expand your knowledge of specific occupations through online and print resources, volunteering or part-time work, job shadowing, informational interviews, and preliminary discussions with on-campus recruiters.
- Talk with your academic advisor and a career advisor about the career goals you are considering, and work to develop a specific academic/career plan that includes time for study abroad and/or internship opportunities.
- Start early (November!) to work on identifying and applying for professional summer opportunities. Begin your search in January for possible Fall semester credit internships.
- Use online and print resources and feedback from others to update and refine your resume for internship and job applications.
- Begin building your professional network (professors, advisers, supervisors, mentors).
- Take on leadership roles in on/off campus activities. Continue to develop transferable skills.
Junior Year
- Continue in-depth exploration of occupations and career paths. Narrow career choices and make tentative career decisions. Review and adjust academic plan.
- Research potential employers and positions and avenues for learning about job openings.
- Become familiar with job descriptions in your intended field. Identify desired qualifications and assess your ability to meet them. Work to fill in gaps as necessary.
- Attend relevant employer recruiting events on campus (information tables and sessions).
- Have an updated and polished resume for internships or temporary employment opportunities, and to prepare for job search after graduation.
- Review professional cover letter resources and samples online and in the CDC Resource Library. Begin drafting and refining a personal cover letter template that can be tailored for each position.
- Identify and apply for internships or other professional opportunities for credit or pay during the academic year and/or Summer.
- Consider studying abroad to broaden your cultural perspective and build your resume and network.
- Attend programs, talk with your academic advisor, and review online and print resources to learn about graduate/professional school and the application process.
- Begin researching graduate programs using various online resources and develop a preliminary list by the end of Spring semester. Note deadlines for applications.
- Find out which standardized tests are required for admission to intended graduate programs; Learn about testing procedures, locations, registration deadlines.
- In deciding when to take an admission exam, consider when you will have time to prepare (summer test dates can be good), whether you want to leave time for a possible re-take, and the score release deadline in relation to application deadlines. It is good to have a preliminary list of schools in mind when you register for the exam so that you can elect to send your scores to those schools without incurring additional fees.
- Create a specific action plan for the year to come.
Senior Year
- Do anything you have missed on this checklist thus far.
- Continue to network!
- Attend programming related to your graduate/professional school or professional employment goals, such as the Fall programs on graduate school and the January “Bookbag to Briefcase” senior transition conference.
- Develop multiple avenues for job searching and make a plan.
- Finalize your resume and work on cover letters. Get feedback from the CDC, the Writing Center, parents, friends, mentors, everyone!
- Speak with potential academic and professional references and compile a reference page that matches the format of your resume.
- Consider developing an online career portfolio to supplement your resume
- Schedule a mock interview and hone your interviewing skills.
- Attend employer info sessions and interviews (do your research, dress professionally, bring a resume!).
- Attend employer site visits and job fairs listed on the CDC events page.
- Complete graduate school application materials and any necessary entrance exams.
