Checklist for Success
Below is a list of what career steps you should take throughout college. For help on how you accomplish these steps, make an appointment with your career counselor.
Freshman Year
Inquiry and Awareness
- Consider college as preparation for your life.
- Enroll in core courses with assistance from your advisors.
- Make a tentative selection of a major.
- Learn about resources available on campus.
- Participate in campus activities.
- Begin to consider possible career choices.
- Get to know faculty, counselors, and administrators.
Summer vacation: Get work experience to develop interpersonal skills, help finance your education, and build responsible work habits. Volunteer if you are unable to work.
Sophomore Year
Assessment and Exploration
- Complete intro courses in your prospective major.
- Begin self-assessment by identifying your interests, strengths, skills, abilities, and values.
- Learn about the world of work and explore occupations.
- Research occupations: training and skills needed, demand for jobs, alternatives.
- Conduct informational interviews with people in your field of interest.
- Choose an appropriate major.
Summer vacation: Gain exposure to the world of work through employment or volunteer experience. Utilize these experiences to further develop your work-related skills and improve your self-confidence.
Junior Year
Testing Career Decisions
- Check your attitude toward your major/career - see you career counselor.
- Study your major in-depth with courses in your field.
- Join student clubs and student chapters of professional organizations in your chosen field.
- Gain relevant experience through an internship or co-operative educational experience.
- Continue to get to know faculty, counselors, and administrators - they make serve as references later on.
- Take electives in other areas to enhance your qualifications.
- Begin to investigate the role of graduate and professional school in your chosen career field, and plan your application timeline.
Summer vacation: Secure employment or an internship related to your career goals. Use this experience to evaluate your career decision.
Senior Year
Job Search/Graduate School Applications
- Complete the course requirements in your major.
- Plan your job search.
- Attend Career Services Life & Learning Workshops to brush up on job search skills, including resumes, cover letters, interviews, and job search strategies.
- Conduct a thorough job search campaign.
- Take advantage of On-Campus Interviewing and attend Employer Information Sessions on campus.
- Discuss opportunities with faculty and counselors.
- Choose the faculty, administrators, and/or employers you want to act as references.
- Develop a timetable for your career development after graduation.
Remember that Career Services provides lifetime career assistance to UB alumni.