Counseling and Career Center
Checklists for Students
| Freshman | Sophomores | Juniors | Seniors |
A “to do” list for first year students interested in increasing future job opportunities
Meet regularly with your advisor to discuss your academic needs. Set aside time early each semester to visit your advisor… don’t wait until the day before you register! Make an appointment and bring a list of questions and courses you are interested in. You are responsible for your academic progress- be prepared each time you meet!
Start your college career off with a good GPA! It is easier to obtain a 3.0 in your first year than to try to “dig your way out of a hole” in years after. Start early with a strong GPA so you can brag about it later during your job search!
Learn good time management skills. Be on time! Meet deadlines! Don’t procrastinate!
Participate in class! Sit in the front where your professor can learn your name and get to know you. If you sit up front you’ll be more likely to come to class prepared!
Improve your interpersonal skills by meeting new people. Get involved in something different. Reach out to new people. Check out a few of the campus organizations.
Sharpen your communication skills (oral and written) by taking communication and English courses or classes that require you to give presentations. Employers tell us that communication skills are of vital importance when seeking a job.
Join campus clubs and organizations for personal and professional development. Employers like well-rounded students who demonstrate leadership and involvement in campus.
Get to know your professors. Your instructors are your academic lifeline…make sure they know you by name and use them as resource persons. Don’t be shy. Use the established office hours to visit with faculty and discuss problems and questions.
Learn to manage your finances. Is it better to buy pizza tonight or a notebook for your class? Decisions are tough… but you need to think about your long-term goal… Graduation! Plan wisely and use your finances to your advantage.
Check out opportunities for relevant experience. Many times, internships can be arranged through your academic department. If not, seek out opportunities to gain experience by interning on your own, volunteering with the University Volunteer Corp, or working part time for off-campus employers through the Counseling and Career Center JLD program. Gain experience in your related field in any way you can!
Visit the Counseling and Career Center! Discuss career opportunities and review majors. Learn more about your skills, interests, and values. Call and make an appointment to see a counselor at 665-6262.
Check out our Counseling and Career Center webpage and its “What Can I Do With This Major/Degree” links.
CHECKLIST FOR SOPHOMORES Back to Top
A “to do” list for second year students interested in increasing future job opportunities
Meet regularly with your advisor to discuss your academic needs. Set aside time early each semester to visit your advisor… don’t wait until the day before you register! Make an appointment and bring a list of questions and courses you are interested in. You are responsible for your academic progress- be prepared each time you meet!
Keep up a good GPA! It is easier to obtain a 3.0 in your first two years than to try to “dig your way out of a hole” in years after. Start early with a strong GPA so you can brag about it later during your job search!
Check out opportunities for relevant experience like internships, volunteer positions, and part-time positions.
Conduct a job shadowing experience and informational interviews. Speak with a professional in an area of interest to ask such questions as “what do you do on a daily basis?” or “what do you like/dislike about your job?” Observe that person in a professional setting a learn first hand what that job entails.
Visit the Counseling and Career Center! Find out what you value. Start thinking about your skills and interests. Discuss career opportunities and investigate related majors in the Career Resource Library.
Sharpen your communication skills (oral and written) by taking communication and English courses or classes that require you to give presentations. Employers tell us that communication skills are of vital importance when seeking a job.
Join campus clubs and organizations for personal and professional development. Employers like well-rounded students who demonstrate leadership and involvement in campus.
Get to know your professors. Your instructors are your academic lifeline…make sure they know you by name and use them as resource persons. Don’t be shy. Use the established office hours to visit with faculty and discuss problems and questions.
Broaden your perspective by attending cultural events, debates, diverse classes, art exhibits, theatrical performances, and campus organization meetings
Attend career events and workshops sponsored by the Counseling and Career Center
Be a Leader! Take on leadership positions in campus activities, committee work, and group projects.
CHECKLIST FOR JUNIORS Back to Top
A “to do” list for third year students interested in increasing future job opportunities
Review your academic plan, as early as possible, with your academic advisor. Make sure you are on the right track!
Take class electives to enhance your qualifications- computers, public speaking, writing, foreign language, or other areas of weakness that you may need to improve.
Explore careers related to your skills, interests, goals, and values in the Counseling and Career Center Resource Library.
Join professional and/or school organizations that relate to your career interests.
Conduct a job shadowing experience by observing a professional within your field of interest to learn first hand what the position entails.
Conduct informational interviews with professionals in your field of interest to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the expectations and skills necessary to enter that profession.
Develop a resume and have it critiqued by the Counseling and Career Center staff.
Cultivate potential references from faculty, staff, and supervisors.
Attend Counseling and Career Center Workshops and Seminars on topics such as resume preparation, interviewing skills, and job search strategies.
Attend career events and begin to develop leads and contacts for your upcoming job search.
Check out opportunities for relevant experience like internships, volunteer positions, and part-time positions.
Interact with professors. Instructors are your academic lifeline…make sure they know you by name and use them as resource persons. Don’t be shy. Use the established office hours to visit with faculty and discuss problems and questions.
CHECKLIST FOR SENIORS Back to Top
A “to do” list for final year students interested in increasing future job opportunities
Meet with your academic advisor as soon as possible to make sure that you will complete all requirements for graduation. Map out your year carefully so that there will be no surprises!
Re-evaluate your skills, interests, goals, and values and compare them to those required within your chosen field.
Develop and complete your targeted resume and have it critiqued by a Counseling and Career Center staff member.
Participate in on-campus recruiting activities. Check with the Counseling and Career Center to find out about businesses that will be interviewing students on campus.
Practice your interviewing skills with a mock interview at the Counseling and Career Center
Use the Resource Library and the Counseling and Career Center website to find out more about the careers that relate to your major/degree.
Keep in contact with faculty, staff, and supervisors for references
Develop job search letters. Complete a personalized cover letter, follow up letter and thank you letter and have them critiqued by a Counseling and Career Center staff member.
Schedule a mock interview at the Counseling and Career Center.
Identify your job search market two terms before graduation (where you want to live)
Identify your job search industry two terms before graduation (where you want to work)
Identify job search companies two terms before graduation (who you want to work for)
Develop a qualified prospecting list of twenty potential employers two terms before graduation.
Network! Network! Network!
Send in graduate school applications by December of your senior year.