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Four-Year Timeline
Career Planning and Development is here to help you explore, define, and achieve your goals!
We are here to help you at any point in the career planning process, and we encourage all students to meet with us for resume review, career guidance, and assistance with job and internship searches.
Contact us at 618-3290 or careers@caldwell.edu
FIRST YEAR: EXPLORE AND DISCOVER
- Visit the Career Planning and Development Office located in Aquinas 109
- Meet with a career counselor to discuss majors and related careers, identify interests, and learn about FOCUS-2
- Explore new courses and areas of study; get to know the professors
- Focus on good grades from the beginning; talk to your advisor and seek out resources if you need any assistance
- Join student clubs; participate in campus activities and volunteer opportunities
- Visit What Can I Do With This Major? to begin learning about careers and steps you can take now to prepare for the future
- Activate your account on Handshake to learn about workshops, events and part-time jobs
- Follow Career Planning on Instagram to learn about upcoming events, jobs, and internships.
SOPHOMORE YEAR: RESEARCH AND CHOOSE
- Choose and declare your major; if you are undecided, re-visit FOCUS-2 meet with a career counselor and ask us about the Strong Interest Inventory
- Meet with your faculty advisor to learn more about your major, recommended courses and possible careers
- Research career paths related to your major using What Can I Do With This Major
- Create and/or update your college resume
- Learn about the academic internship program, and meet with us in Career Planning to discuss your interests
- Update your Handshake profile and download the mobile app for easy access to internships and events
- Attend Career programs such as the Part-time Job and Internship Fair and the Health Professions Fair
JUNIOR YEAR: FOCUS AND ENGAGE
- Pursue an internship or part-time job related to your career interests
- Seek out leadership roles in student clubs and volunteer organizations
- Join a student chapter of professional associations in your fields of interest, See What Can I Do With This Major for links to professional associations and websites related to your major.
- Update your resume; focus content on your emerging career interests and goals
- Explore graduate school/professional school options and requirements
- Build your professional network: reach out to professors, employers, alumni, friends, and family. Create a profile on LinkedIn and begin building your online network.
- Attend career-related programs and workshops.
- Make sure you are following Career Planning on Instagram for the latest internship, jobs, and posts.
- Update and review your Handshake profile
SENIOR YEAR: APPLY AND ACHIEVE
- Meet with a career counselor to discuss your post-graduation plans and goals
- Finalize your resume; have your cover letters and/or graduate school essays critiqued
- Continue gaining experience in your career field of interest with internships, jobs, and activities
- Collect reference letters from faculty and apply to graduate school
- Attend the Part-time Job and Internship Fair, Health Professions Fair and other fairs open to all college students
- Maintain and cultivate your professional network. Create/update your LinkedIn profile, follow companies and join groups of interest
- Join the Caldwell University Alumni Group on LinkedIn to connect with Caldwell graduates
- Go to career programs throughout the year, including practice interview sessions
- Update and review your Handshake profile
Career Planning is a lifelong process and our office is happy to work with CU graduates. Check out our Alumni Resources page.