Your 4-Year Career Development Plan

FRESHMAN

DEVELOP A PLAN

Acclimate and Explore
Goal: Acclimate to college life and begin preliminary career exploration.

Career Development

• Begin with self-assessment by identifying your interests, abilities and values.
• Visit the Center for Calling & Career. Learn how more about careers, make decisions, and set goals, and use the Career Resource Library to learn.
• Meet with Strengths Vocational Advisor to discuss your Strengths Finder results.
• Browse Lee Career Central the e-Recruiting online system.
• Be intentional about your college years. Write down short-term/and long-range career goals.
• Attend Center for Calling & Career workshops and events: Majors Fairs, Resumes and Cover Letter Writing Workshops.
• Create a preliminary resume and cover letter.
• Join a mentoring program with the Center for Calling & Career through LeeCareerCentral or through Lee University Alumni Association.
• Build employment skills through a wide variety of experiences on and off campus.

Academic Development

• Get to know faculty, staff and counselors.
• Practice speaking up in class, become a leader in discussions.
• Try out classes that you like and find interesting.
• Maintain a personal academic file with grades, reports, projects, honors and activities.
• Establish a strong GPA.
• Meet with your academic advisor to plan your curriculum.
• Meet with a Strengths Vocational Advisor to connect your Strengths Finder results with your choice of majors.

Personal/Social Development

• Join a campus club or organization to acquire skills.
• Assess your changing relationship with your parents and family.
• Allow time for friends and leisure activities.
• Attend the Activities Fair to learn about organizations & clubs on campus.
• Participate fully in the First Year Seminar GNST101 *Gateway to University Success*.
• Get to know Resident Assistant in your residence hall.
• Involve yourself in team-related activities.
   

SOPHOMORE

BUILD A FOUNDATION

Assess & Explore
Goal: Assess your skills, interests and values

Career Development

• Take on leadership roles in clubs, activities.
• Participate in an informational interview with someone in your field of study.
• Decide on a major, if you have not already done so.
• Draft a resume.
• Visit the Center for Calling & Career and your major department to gather information on internships, volunteer experiences and/or independent research related to your area of interest or chosen career field.
• Contact professional associations in your career field or area of interest that may allow student membership.
• Begin networking for references and letters of recommendation.
• Attend Career Fairs, Employer Information Sessions, workshops, and other career events.
• Evaluate your career goals & objectives in connection with your strengths, knowledge, skills, and values.

Academic Development

• Meet with academic advisor to review core and major requirements.
• Continue involvement in campus and community by partnerships with the Leonard Center for Service Learning.
• Target course electives that will enhance your marketability to employers.
• Consider a Global Perspectives experience that will enhance your career development with a semester abroad.
• Meet with a Strengths Vocational Advisor about declaring a major (if you haven’t done so already).
• Make a special effort to get to know some professors.
• Work towards a good GPA; seek assistance from the Academic Support Center, if needed.
• Increase your computer literacy and language skills – theses are good skills for all majors.

Personal/Social Development

• Participate in a field experience, or practicum.
• Join student organizations to develop leadership skills and networking experience.
• Work on a team project in your residence hall or sorority/fraternity.
• Join an intramural sports team.
• Volunteer through the Leonard Center for Service Learning.
• Make an effort to meet students from other countries.
   

JUNIOR

EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS

Experience and Reflect
Goal: Reflect on collegiate experiences in relation to occupational choices

Career Development

• Attend job fairs-both on campus and in the community to search for internship sources.
• Attend college career fair to search for internship sources.
• 1st semester - Apply for internships
• 2nd semester – Complete an internship. Connect your StrengthsFinder themes to the internship experience.
• Focus on specific career possibilities.
• Update your resume by translating your strengths themes into marketable skills.
• Identify at least five position titles in career fields that interest you.
• Research 7-10 employers that offer identified positions.
• Participate in a mock interview at the CC&C.
• Actively develop career goals and plan next steps towards achieving your goals.
• Finalize your resume and have it critiqued by CC&C staff.
• E-Mentor through Lee Career Central.

Academic Development

• Talk to professors about graduate school options and requirements.
• Contact alumni in your field of interest.
• Begin to develop a list of professional & academic references.
• Select 3 - 5 work or academic references that can highlight your accomplishments.
• Consider a double major, minor or concentration in another field to expand your career options.

Personal/Social Development

• Pursue Leadership positions in Clubs/organizations.
• Consider applying for a Resident Advisor position.
• Explore community service activities from the Leonard Center for Service Learning that may compliment your field of study.
   

SENIOR

DECIDE AND COMMIT

Enhance and Implement
Goal: Search for your dream job.

Career Development

• Plan your job search campaign.
• Participate in On-Campus Interviews! Sign up, show up!
• Write to professional associations to continue network experiences.
• Sharpen interview skills through practice and mock interviews.
• Continue career research by using library and online resources.
• Continue to revise your resume and cover letter on a regular basis.
• Attend college career fair to search for job.
• Participate in On Campus Recruiting prior to graduation.
• Send out resumes and cover letters.
• Confirm 3-5 individuals who will serve as references and write letters of recommendation.
• Examine your career-related values.
• Apply to employers that you have carefully researched.
• Review job offers. Create matrix of total “bennies”, understand all company benefits.
• Sign up with the E-Mentor Program on Lee Career Central.
• Accept job that offers “best fit”.
• Translate strengths results into marketable skills.

Academic Development

• Identify top strengths, skills and interests from past academic and work experiences
• Enroll in electives that will further your career and personal goals
• Set up a placement file if needed (teachers).
• Complete an internship (if you haven’t already done so).
• Finalize course selections and be sure you meet graduation requirements.

Personal/Social Development

• Network with friends, family, alumni, faculty and acquaintances.
• Evaluate your lifestyle interests and values to determine your post-graduation plans.
• Be aware of changing relationships with parents, siblings, friends, and significant others.
• Develop a budget and evaluate financial responsibilities.

GRADUATE SCHOOL ACTION PLAN

Fall or Spring: Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months Prior to Beginning a Graduate Program

• Research areas of interest, institutions, and programs.
• Talk to advisors about application requirements.
• On-Campus attend Grad School Fair.
• Investigate national scholarships.
• Begin identifying your references.

Summer: Fifteen Months Prior to Beginning a Graduate Program

• Determine if you will be required to take a graduate school admission test.
• Common Exams: GRE (general test), LSAT (for law school). MCAT (for medical school), GMAT (for business school).
• Take required graduate admissions tests. If done early, there will be time to retake.
• Write to the colleges/universities of interest asking for information about the program and application materials.
• If possible, visit schools of interest.
• Write your application essay.
• Adhere to all application deadlines.
• Note that you may need to register with the national application or data assembly service. For medical, dental, osteopathy, podiatry, or law school.

Fall: Twelve Months Prior to Beginning a Graduate Program

• Obtain 3-5 letters of recommendation. Ask primary faculty members and/or other appropriate people if they would be willing to write you a letter of reference for graduate school admission. Please remember to give each recommender a copy of your current resume to use as a guide when writing your letter of recommendation.
• Take graduate tests if you have not done so.
• Send in completed applications. Complete the applications, and be certain to follow the instructions exactly.
• Register for financial aid.
• Make a list of all the graduate schools in the country that offer your program.
• Attend the on-campus Graduate School Fair in October.
• Narrow your choices down to three or four. Keep in mind that the average graduate school application fee is $50, usually non-refundable.
• Some graduate schools require applicants to write a personal statement as part of the application process, start preparing one now.

Spring: Six to Nine Months Prior to Beginning a Graduate Program

• Check with all institutions before the deadline to make sure that your file is complete.
• Visit institutions that accept you.
• Send a deposit to your school of choice.
• Notify other institutions that accepted you of your decision as soon as possible to allow for others to be offered admission.
• Send thank-you notes to all references and others that may have assisted in your process.
• It is always a good idea to have “Plan B”, so also begin exploring the world or work.