Many students don’t start planning or thinking about a job search until their Senior year of College. And many more don’t start thinking about a true career until 3-5 years after they’ve graduated. They just find “a job” with no thought for the future beyond it.
But you can do better – here’s how: follow along with the below guide for each year of your college experience and you’ll be miles ahead of your competition.
Freshman Year
- Create a resume.
- Create a LinkedIn profile.
- Develop your elevator pitch.
- Visit the Career Development Advisor.
- Schedule a Mock Interview.
- Look at internships and co-ops for sophomore year (start your search in September).
- Join some on campus Engineering Student Organizations.
- Get tutoring for any subjects you’re not proficient in. You want to stay above 3.0 GPA.
- Research the chosen jobs and career paths for your major. Start identifying industries you’d be interested in working in. Our General Career Resources page can help.
Sophomore Year
- Continue to update your Resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Add to and practice your elevator pitch.
- Search for an internship or co-op.
- Attend some networking events.
- Schedule at least one Mock Interview. More practice is always better.
- Join other on campus Student Organizations that can help develop your soft skills.
- Tutoring for any subjects that weigh down your GPA. Try to maintain 3.0 or higher.
- Visit your Career Development Advisor for a yearly Career Check-Up.
- Schedule some job shadowing opportunities for industries/jobs you have interest in. It’s both good experience and a networking opportunity.
Junior Year
- Continue to update your Resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Add to and practice your elevator pitch.
- Search for another internship or co-op (having more than one is very helpful).
- Attend more networking events.
- Stay engaged with your chosen Student Organizations by volunteering or working in a leadership role.
- Tutoring for any subjects that weigh down your GPA. Try to maintain 3.0 or higher.
- Schedule some informational interviews. This is a great way to learn more about a company, job, industry, etc. and to network with people in your area of interest.
- Schedule at least one Mock Interview. More practice is always better.
- Visit your Career Development Advisor for a yearly Career Check-Up.
- Start thinking about if you plan to go to Graduate School or seek full time employment post-graduation. If Graduate School is your choice, start identifying programs and find out more about their application processes. Then talk to Academic Advising to find out more about how to get into a Graduate program.
Senior Year
- Continue to update your Resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Add to and practice your elevator pitch.
- Search for full time employment. This will take more time than your internship searches. Start applying in the Fall.
- Create business cards.
- Attend as many networking events as you can. This is crucial to your job search.
- Schedule at least 2 Mock Interviews. This is a phase where you cannot practice too much.
- Continue to develop your leadership, soft skills, and/or engagement within Student Organizations.
- Tutoring for any subjects that weigh down your GPA. Try to end with a 3.0 or higher.
- Visit your Career Development Advisor to ensure you’re on track to have a full time job prior to graduation.
Advice For All Years
Even if your college experience lasts longer than 4 years, the below are still important for any year you’re in college.
- Update your resume and LinkedIn.
- Search for internships, co-ops, or full time jobs.
- Engage with at least one Student Organization.
- Develop some leadership skills through volunteer work or Student Organizations.
- Keep your GPA above 3.0. The Tutoring Center can help. Many companies require a 3.0.
- Visit your Career Development Advisor.
- Conduct Mock Interviews. At least one per year. More is always better.
- Practice your elevator pitch.
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