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| Timeline for success: |
| Freshman year:
QUESTION |
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Explore your
interests and abilities through academic courses. |
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Utilize career assessment
tools through Career Services (see explore
careers and majors). |
| • |
Consider volunteer positions
to help build your resume and broaden your experiences. |
| • |
Collect information on internships,
cooperative
education, and other ways
to get career-related experience during college. |
| • |
In early fall, look into
the January
Externship Program that enables you use semester break time to
shadow someone working in a career field of interest to you. |
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Join university organizations
that will offer you leadership roles in the future. |
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Attend on-campus career
and job fairs to gather information on potential careers and employers. |
| • |
Familiarize yourself with
the services and resources available at Career Services, both those
described on this web site (like advising),
and those offered directly on this web site (like reading
how
to prepare your resume). |
| • |
Attend a resume seminar
(see events)
or read about how
to prepare your resume, and create a first draft of your resume. |
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| Sophomore year:
RESEARCH |
| • |
Choose a major that you
will enjoy studying and that relates to career goals you are developing. |
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If you are uncertain about
your career direction, enroll in the 3-credit class UNIV
2004, Exploring Careers: Making Decisions & Plans. |
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Know what kinds of career-related
experience are expected for students in your major. See the Post-Graduation
Report and look at "types of career-related experience"
for graduates of your major. Many graduates get multiple types of
experience before graduation. |
| • |
Get experience through internships,
cooperative
education, or other ways
to get career-related experience during college. |
| • |
Take on more responsibilities
in extra-curricular activities. |
| • |
Explore at least three career
options available to you through your major. |
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Attend career
and job fairs and employer information sessions that relate to
your interests. |
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In early fall, look into
the January
Externship Program that enables you to shadow someone working
in a career field of interest to you. You can also identify organizations
in your interest areas and ask for shadowing opportunities. |
| • |
Update your resume and have
it reviewed at Career Services through walk-in
advising. Avoid doing this last-minute before a deadline and avoid
busy times just before career
fairs. |
| • |
Make sure you know the Career
Advisor for your major. |
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| Junior year: MAKING
DECISIONS |
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Complete at least five information interviews
with people working in careers you want to explore. |
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Shadow professionals through the January
Externship Program. Apply in fall semester. |
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Do research — online and in books
and by talking to people — to learn more about career opportunities
related to your major. |
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Use
industry and career research sites so you'll
be better informed for your job search and to make decisions about
where to start your career. |
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If another degree is needed
to achieve your career goals, see plan
for grad or professional school. |
| • |
If you are considering professional school,
know the appropriate pre-professional
school advisors. |
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Look into undergraduate research opportunities
with your faculty, especially if you see graduate school in your future. |
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Attend career
and job fairs and employer information sessions that relate to
your interests. |
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Based on your research and the experience
you have acquired, narrow your career interest areas. |
| • |
Use the VT
CareerLink Alumni Networking Service to find and interview alumni
who can advise you about their work and career fields. |
| • |
Get MORE experience through internships,
cooperative
education, or other ways
to get career-related experience during college |
| • |
Look at the Post-Graduation
Report to see employers, jobs, locations of graduates of your
major, or the graduate and professional school programs they have
pursued. |
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Attend Career Services seminars
to learn about important job search strategies such as networking
and interviewing skills. |
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Update your resume and have it reviewed
at Career Services through walk-in
advising. Avoid doing this as a last-minute effort and avoid busy
times just before career
fairs. |
| • |
Have, or prepare to take
on, a leadership or organizational role in extra-curricular activities. |
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| Senior year: JOB
SEARCH or GRADUATE SCHOOL PREP |
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If another degree is needed to achieve
your career goals, see plan
for grad or professional school. Do research to find grad programs
to which you want to apply. Prepare to take entrance exams. Note application
deadlines. |
| • |
Determine your career-related strengths
and skills; determine what you have to offer to an employer so you
can describe this to employers at career fairs, in interviews and
in cover letters you write. |
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In August, get ready to participate in
the On-Campus
Interviewing Program through Hokies4Hire |
| • |
Update your resume and have it reviewed
at Career Services through walk-in
advising. Avoid doing this last-minute before deadlines and avoid
busy times just before career
fairs. |
| • |
Publish your resume in Hokies4Hire
so it can be seen by employers who want to view Virginia Tech resumes. |
| • |
Apply for jobs posted in Hokies4Hire
so you can be considered for interviews through the On-Campus
Interviewing Program. Starting early September, view jobs weekly. |
| • |
Read up on interviewing
skills. Participate in interviewing skills seminars (see events
calendar). If you need practice, use the Mock
Interview Program. |
| • |
In September check the career
fairs list; prepare to attend career fairs that relate to your
career interests and discuss potential employment. |
| • |
Be aware of seminars and recruiting activities
that are offered through your academic department. They require work
to organize and are designed to help you. Take advantage. |
| • |
Develop a list of prospective employing
organizations you are interested in pursuing. For each, keep track
of contact names and information and keep notes on your contacts so
you can recall details and follow up as needed. |
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Do your homework on these organizations
by reading their web sites. Organizations often have career information
and even tips for applicants on their web sites. |
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Draft a cover
letter to use when mailing / e-mailing your resume to employers.
Be prepared to customize it for each employer (so it doesn't look
like junk mail!). Have it reviewed at Career Services through walk-in
advising. Avoid doing this as a last-minute effort and avoid busy
times just before career
fairs. |
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On a regular basis, read two or more professional
or trade publications related to your career field. |
| • |
Don't limit yourself to considering only
those employers who recruit on campus. Many industries and career
fields and employer locations are not represented by the employers
who have funding and personnel to travel to campus. See pros
and cons of the ways to look for jobs. |
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Use web
sites with job listings. There are many, some general, some career-field-specific,
some location focused. Find about five or six that you like and that
match your career interests and visit them regularly. |
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If you know the type of organization in
which you want to work, and you have a specific location in mind,
use the CareerSearch
database to find organizations. |
| • |
Network. It's the number-one way people
find jobs. Use the VT
CareerLink Alumni Networking Service to find alumni who have volunteered
to help you. |
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Research salary
information through reputable sources before you attend an interview.
Be prepared if an employer asks your salary expectations. |
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Learn about issues related to deciding
on a job offer. Be prepared to respond to
offers, deal with multiple offers and deadlines, and decline Understand
that ethically, when you accept an offer, you must stick to your word. |
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| Senior year: As
GRADUATION APPROACHES |
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Respond to the Post-Graduation
Survey.
Thanks to past graduates who responded, we can tell you what graduates
of your major did after completing degrees — whether they attended
graduate or professional school, or became employed; their employers
and job titles; the grad and prof schools they attended and more;
all of which is in the Post-Graduation
Report. You should respond to the survey even if your plans are
still taking shape. |
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