Get on track for a satisfying career

Choosing your unique place in the working world is a personal, interactive and lifelong process. The sooner you begin to seriously evaluate your skills, values, interests and work options, the more informed your career choices will be.

Freshman year
Most critical	Explore your interests and abilities through academic courses. Consider volunteer positions to help build your resume. Collect information on internships, co-ops and summer jobs through your university or college's career service. Join campus organizations that will offer you leadership roles in the future. Attend on-campus career and job fairs to gather information on potential careers and employers.
Optional	Talk to faculty, alumni, advisers, upperclassmen and career counselors about possible majors and careers. Familiarize yourself with the services and resources available at your school's career-services office. Leaf through the many career-related books in the career library. Identify at least four skills employers want and plan how you will acquire these skills before graduation.
Sophomore year
Most critical	Choose a major you will enjoy studying for the next two years. Use your career-services office to find information about internships. Take on more responsibilities in worthwhile extracurricular activities. Explore at least three career options available to you through your major. Attend campus alumni programs to build your network. Review your progress in learning at least four skills employers look for in new hires. Attend on-campus career and job fairs and employer-information sessions relating to your interests.
Optional	Get to know several professors on a personal basis. Obtain a summer, and/or school-break job that relates to your interests. Identify organizations and associations in your areas of interest for shadowing opportunities and informational interviews. Join as least one professional organization related to your major and network with people in the professional world. Begin to collect recommendations from previous and current employers. Update your resume and have it critiqued in your college or university's career-services office. Put together an interview outfit.
Junior year
Most critical	Complete at least five information interviews in careers you want to explore. Shadow several professionals in your field. Find out more about career opportunities related to your major. Attend more on-campus career and job fairs and employer-information sessions relating to your interest. Narrow your career-interest areas. Ask former employers and professors to serve as references or to write letters of recommendation.
Optional	Begin assessing what is really important to you - your values, educational goals, geographic preferences, etc. Think about your future plans. Add a double major, minor or concentration in another field to strengthen your career preparation. Review your progress in learning at least four skills employers look for in new hires. Research organizations and talk to recent graduates in your major about the job market and potential employers. Talk with employed professionals to find out what their jobs are like and what they look for when hiring someone. Get an internship or other practical career experience. Continue leadership activities in student organizations. Schedule an appointment with a career counselor to have your updated resume critiqued. Practice your interviewing skills during a mock interview with friends or through your career-services office.
Senior year
Critical	Finalize your course selection and make sure you meet graduation requirements. Summarize and analyze your experiences in the past four years. Participate in on-campus recruiting activities, such as interviewing and resume referral. Attend career fairs to learn about hiring organizations and to network with professionals. Develop an employer prospect list with contact names and addresses from organizations you are interested in pursuing. Determine your career-related strengths and skills and what you can offer an employer. Visit the career-services office to have your updated resume critiqued before you have it professionally duplicated. Draft a cover letter that can be adapted for a variety of employers. Attend local association meetings to meet potential employers. Read two or more professional or trade publications from your major and career field on a regular basis. Gather information on realistic salary expectations (link to our salary calcualtor). Go on second interviews. Evaluate job offers and accept one.

Source: Oswego State University.