Freshman Year - Self Awareness
- Identify skills, interests, and values-consider taking interest/career assessment tests
- Participate in Career Development/Freshman seminar
- Go to www.kean.edu/offices/cas/career-development/ and learn to navigate the website
- Research majors/careers that match your skills, interests, and values
- Develop/update résumés
- Look for part-time or summer work to gain knowledge and experience about career fields
- Take courses with the service learning component
- Consider volunteering as a way to gain experience
- Become active in campus activities - join a club or organization
Sophomore Year - Career Awareness
- Continue research and narrow career choices
- Determine academic requirements for career interests
- Conduct at least two informational interviews or job shadowing
- Determine skills needed for your career choice(s) and create a plan to develop or improve them
- Develop short term and long term goals
- Update résumés and have it critiqued
- Join a student chapter of a professional association related to your major
- Stay active in campus activities and organizations
- Meet with academic advisor for assistance with course decisions and choice of majors
- Officially declare your major with the Registrar's Office
Junior Year - Academic Awareness
- Meet with your academic advisor to ensure you are on the track for graduation
- Make decisions on specific career areas and begin research on the business or industry
- Participate in co-op/internship program to ensure you have practical experience to add to your résumé
- View interview video and begin to practice
- Attend Teacher Job Fairs or Career Days/ Dialogues with Employers/table recruitment sessions/workshops
- Take leadership role in clubs or student organizations
- Consider graduate school and obtain information on schools and requirements
- Continue with information interviewing/job shadowing
- Begin to gather Recommendations Letters and provide each person with a copy of your résumé
- Start to look for and build a professional wardrobe
Senior Year - Professional Awareness
- Have your résumé and cover letter critiqued
- Consider your values as you select the companies where you apply for employment
- Coordinate your personal calendar with scheduled on campus career activities
- Gather industry standard salary information
- Attend local professional association meetings and remain active in student associations
- Review interview video and schedule mock interview
- Develop a list of prospective employers
- Research any employer you plan to interview with and develop a list of questions for them
- Take graduate school exams and complete applications
- Keep notes and records on all job search activities
- Be sure to follow-up each interview with a thank you note
