The 4 Year Plan – Part 1
Career development is multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary, and a lifelong process. Sound overwhelming? If so, understand that although you will be participating in the career development process throughout your college career and beyond, there are ways to approach it that are very manageable. At the Career Development Center, we are happy to help you with any of your career concerns along the way.
If you’re early on in your college career, you may not think you need to worry about your post-graduation plans quite yet. While you might not be looking for full-time work right now, there are definitely some things you can do to move toward a satisfying career. If you are a Junior or Senior, it’s not too late to heed to following advice. Stay tuned for part two of this article for tips geared more toward Juniors and Seniors.
Freshman Year
Get your footing. Starting college requires many adjustments. Even in the best of circumstances, adjusting to new living arrangements, roommates, or a new culture takes time. Once you start to settle into your weekly routine, allow yourself to explore the many opportunities to create your home away from home through student organizations, community service, and on-campus activities. Find out what services are available to you as a new student. Some offices include the Wellness Center, Career Development Center, and Student Life. Take advantage of the resources these offices have to offer. Although you may not need them now, it is better to know of them sooner rather than later so you know where to go when you do need help. Most importantly, even though it’s awkward and sometimes scary, do your best to enjoy this year and remember you have plenty of time to work toward your career goals. Your priority should be establishing your new environment so that you can best succeed in the years ahead. Loyola strives to help you make this first year (and the following years) a success.
Maintain contact with family and friends. Don’t go it alone. Stay in touch with friends and family who may be back home or in new pursuits of their own. While you develop new relationships at Loyola, don’t neglect where you came from to maintain your sense of connection.
Take advantage of Core and Electives. Whether you’ve been sure of your career path since you were in diapers, or you are coming to college undeclared, it’s always beneficial to use your core and electives to explore new and interesting subjects. You will likely discover new fascinations, and develop new skills by taking courses not directly related to your intended major.
See what’s out there. It never hurts to start exploring what types of opportunities are out there. Browse through eRecruiting and read job descriptions to see what types of internships are available. Even if you don’t apply, knowing what will be expected of you will put you a step ahead when it is time to apply. You should also start working on a resume. You do not want to write your very first resume in junior or senior year. You will be writing resumes for the rest of your life – so it’s not too early to start learning how. The Career Development Center has resume writing guides and other helpful guides available online and in our office at Sullivan Center, Room 295.
Sophomore Year
Refine your focus. Are you still unsure of what it is that you want to focus on? Choosing a major can be a source of anxiety for many students. Maybe you were able to develop two or three good possibilities through your classes last year. Or are you less sure than ever? If you’re still far from sure, don’t fret! This is the perfect opportunity to start to participate in some real self-assessment. Often we have many interests, or those close to us have ideas of what we ought to do. This all adds to the confusion many students experience around the choice of major. Taking stock of your interests, skills, values and unique personality characteristics is a helpful way to focus your choices or validate a leaning toward one particular subject. Of course, the Career Development Center has different ways to help you through this process. Attend a Career Self-Assessment Workshop or consider enrolling in CPSY 224: Career & Life Planning.
Start thinking about internships. Even if you are still considering different majors and don’t have a career in mind for after graduation, it is a good time to seriously consider gaining work experience. This could be through volunteering, part-time work, or an internship. Although you will learn a great deal in traditional classroom settings, getting real world experience will teach you an incredible amount about yourself, your values and interests, and what you do and do not want to do for a career. If you’re considering graduate school, look into getting experience as a research assistant. Talk to professors for ideas about how to get involved.
Get involved on campus. Now that you’re feeling more at home in your new surroundings, it might be a good idea to get involved beyond the classroom. Student organizations offer great opportunities to network with fellow students, explore different industries in a supportive environment, develop specialized knowledge, and gain leadership experience.