Four Year Plan Fall 2020

Center for Career Excellence

St. Lawrence University
Student Center, 202
careers@stlawu.edu
(315) 229-5906
Monday-Friday, 8:30-5:00

 

 

Year by Year Plan: A Four Year Roadmap

 

FIRST YEAR

Resource Orientation & Self-Assessment

GOALS: 

  • Become aware of your interests, abilities, goals, and values
  • Become involved in your community
  • Learn about interesting careers
  • Take a variety of courses
  • Become familiar with networking, and develop an Elevator Pitch

 

WHAT TO DO:

  • Complete your Handshake profile and explore the resources section at https://stlawu.joinhandshake.com
  • Meet with a staff member to work through FOCUS2 and learn more about your skills, interests and personality; explore career paths and talk about major selection
  • Fill out a Resume Worksheet and make an appointment with a Career Services Intern to create a professional resume
  • Attend your First Year Meeting in the spring, where upperclassmen will indicate which experiences at SLU have been the most helpful
  • Apply for the Laurentians Investing in Networking and Careers (LINC) mentoring program during the spring semester
  • Meet with your academic advisor and other professors to explore options for course selection
  • Join campus clubs and organizations that interest you

 

SOPHOMORE

Self-Assessment, Career Exploration & Leadership Development

GOALS:

  • Increase knowledge of your interests, skills, abilities and values
  • Learn about career options through exploration
  • Build  your credentials through campus activities, employment, and learning experiences
  • Declare a major
  • Learn about and develop your own networking skills
  • Explore the internship process and engage in a summer experience tied to your interests

 

WHAT TO DO:

  • Use Handshake resources, like Vault, to explore and educate yourself on career options
  • Take on leadership positions in the student groups that matter most to you
  • Attend Laurentians-in-Residence and sign up for an informational interview with a panelist
  • Create an account in Laurentian Connection (connect.stlawu.edu) and reach out to alumni for informational interviews
  • Update your resume and get a resume critique from professional staff in Career Services
  • Apply to internships that interest you, especially those that are SLU-Connected, and apply for an Internship Fellowship if you need to support an unpaid or underpaid experience
  • Apply for a SLU-Connect program to continue networking with alumni who represent a variety of industries

 

JUNIOR

Goal Setting, Gaining Experience & Grad School Planning

GOALS:

  • Gain practical experience in your field of choice
  • Begin researching graduate school possibilities
  • Develop job search skills
  • Explore selected career options in depth

 

WHAT TO DO:

  • Make an in-office appointment to strengthen skills in searching for and applying to internships
  • Search for SLU-connected internships using Handshake, and find other opportunities in Career Shift
  • Attend Graduate and Professional School programs and visit appropriate web sites to determine testing dates and locations for graduate admission tests
  • Update your resume and draft a cover letter for a critique from a professional staff member
  • Apply for an Internship Fellowship to support an unpaid or underpaid summer experience
  • Continue attending alumni networking events both on- and off-campus, in particular those where Alumni Council will be present

 

 

SENIOR

Implementation & Transition

GOALS:

  • Learn and implement a variety of networking and job search strategies
  • Develop a concrete job search plan using on- and off-campus resources
  • Explore graduate school options including entrance exams
  • Continue to explore your chosen career field in depth
  • Prepare for your transition from St. Lawrence

 

WHAT TO DO:

  • Go to your Senior Meeting when you return to campus in the Fall
  • Use Handshake and Career Shift to identify job opportunities
  • Engage in the SLU LinkedIn Group and Laurentian Connection to identify alumni who may be able to assist you as you navigate your next step
  • Check out the graduate and professional school resources in Handshake, and ensure your personal statement is on point
  • Attend Alumni Networking Events, which are listed on stlawu.edu/alumni
  • Apply for a SLU-Connect program to continue networking with alumni who represent a variety of industries
  • Prepare for interviews with Interview Stream and Vault. Schedule a review of a Mock Interview with a professional staff member, and apply for the interview travel fund through Career Services