The “Plan for Success” provides students with a step-by-step guide for each year. This action plan enables students to stay on track to reach their career development goals.

 Print a copy of our 4 year Plan for Success here!

Pre-Health Majors! Check out your Plan here: Pre-Health Timeline

4 Year Plan for Success

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1st Year

Self Evaluation and Career Planning

What To Do:

Learn

  • Drop by the Career Cafe in Room 218 in the Thompson Student Center and learn how Peer Career Mentors can assist.
  • Undecided about your major? Take advantage of Career Counseling, MYPlan (Focus2Career will be replacing MyPlan as our career assessment tool in Fall 2021), and other career assessments.
  • If a major is declared, learn about your major’s requirement and prerequisites to achieve your career goal.

Explore 

  • Check out part-time jobs and internships on Handshake to see what is available to you to begin gaining experience for your resume.
  • Check out the Career Services website and our helpful resources
  • Attend job fairs to explore career opportunities.
  • Ask individuals Informational Interviewing questions to help you learn more about your career interests.
  • Explore Disney or other internship opportunities.
  • Join one of the professional organizations on campus in the career field that interests you. 
  • Seek resume assistance, its never too early to begin building your resume! See our Workshop page!

Summer Vacation:

  • Get a summer job or internship in the field you are considering to help give you insight into if you will truly like working in that field.
  • Seek scholarships to help pay for your education
  • Develop a strong work ethic.
  • Gain maturity and an understanding of how to work with other people.
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2nd Year

Career Exploration Investigation

What To Do:

Narrow

  • Narrow down your career options to find what matches your interests and values.
  • Check out O*Net or Texas Reality Check to determine pay scales and set realistic life goals!
  • Undecided about your major? Take advantage of Career Counseling, MYPlan (Focus2Career will be replacing MyPlan as our career assessment tool in Fall 2021), and other career assessments.
  • Meet with your advisor and finalize your major selection based on your interests and values.

Build

  • Begin to build or continue building your resume.
  • Consider career-related activities (i.e. summer jobs, part-time jobs, job fairs, volunteer work, internships and student organizations- some of these options can be found on Handshake).
  • Consider adding a minor to your degree or participating in study abroad to gain more experience and become well-rounded to employers.
  • Build your career development skills by attending workshops, career job search, and talking to a Career Coach at Career Services.

Connect

  • Don’t wait until your last semester to begin job searching, attend job fairs.
  • Ask individuals Informational Interviewing questions to help you learn more about your career interests.
  • Clean up your social media profiles to leave potential employers with a good impression of you.
  • Consider creating a LinkedIn account to expand your networking opportunities. 

Summer Vacation:

  • Get a summer job or internship related to the major choice you are pursuing.
  • Establish professional references.
  • Develop computer and job-related skills.
  • Gain knowledge of the workplace.
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3rd Year

Gaining Career Experiences

What To Do:

Plan 

  • Undecided about your career path? Take advantage of MYPlan (Focus2Career will be replacing MyPlan as our career assessment tool in Fall 2021) and the Peer Career Mentors!
  • Inventory your skills and abilities, drop into the Career Cafe to help with this.
  • Plan your job-search campaign, Career Cafe can help.
  • Set realistic job expectations, including pay!
  • Put your resume online on Handshake.
  • Begin evaluating your postgraduate choices (graduate school or employment).
  • Attend job fairs and network with employers.
  • Attend FREE Workshops and Dining Etiquette Dinners ($25 fee).
  • Consider conducting research with faculty within your desired field to gain even more valuable hands on experience.
  • Partake in internships or volunteer experiences find some of these on Handshake.

Continue

  • Continue to explore career opportunities related to your major, meet with Peer Career Mentors to help.
  • Continue updating your resume with your skills and experiences.
  • Continue to stay involved on campus as well as in your area of interest.

Summer Vacation

  • Continue to develop computer and job-related skills, and knowledge of the workplace.
  • Conduct informational interviews (talk to people who are working in fields you think you would like).
  • Compile reference letters, awards, commendations, etc.
Business Professional Meeting 1

4th Year

Job Search and Transition Into Workplace

What To Do:

Prepare

  • Drop into the Career Cafe to ensure your job search skills are polished.
  • If you have decided to pursue graduate school, schedule entrance exams and begin the application process with a couple of different institutions.
  • Assume responsibility for finding employment.
  • Create a backup plan in case your original plan does not work out at first.
  • Update resume on Handshake.
  • Make a list of potential employers, research companies, network and interview Career Cafe can help!

Search

  • Execute job-search campaign.
  • Begin searching for a full-time job 3-6 months prior to graduation!
  • Attend job fairs and schedule interviews with employers, send thank you notes after each interview in order to make a lasting impression on the potential employer.
  • Ensure you have professional attire for those interviews- Career Clothing Fund.
  • Consider and review various job offers.
  • Graduate! Congratulations!