CAREER
AND ACADEMIC 4-YEAR PLANNING GUIDE
Career Services recommends that all students at UTSA have the following
upon graduation:
·A professionally developed, current resume
that can grow and adapt throughout their lifetime.
·At least one professional-level experience,
most likely through internship, cooperative education or research,
but also through volunteerism.
·A basic understanding of professional etiquette
including networking, job searching, interview preparation, interviewing
skills, interviewing follow-up, and professional correspondence
·At least two opportunities to hear directly
from professionals working in the students' field of choice through
either informational interviews, career mentor program, presentations
and seminars, career fairs and/or job shadowing opportunities.
Ways to Prepare for a Career While in College
| College
Level |
Career
Services |
Academic
& Extracurricular |
| Freshmen |
Register
with Career Services for internship and job listings, on-campus
interviews, and weekly e-mail updates.
Take assessments such as Discover, Do What You Are or the Strong
Interest Inventory.
Read about majors in which you are interested.
Conduct informational interviews with professionals. |
Meet
with your academic advisor.
Attend study skills workshops.
Study and adjust to college.
Learn requirements for your major, since many require an early
decision.
Make friends who share your interests. |
| Sophomores |
Draft
your resume and get it critiqued by a career counselor, who can
also help you decide on
a major and develop job search skills.
(Call 210.458.4589 to make an appt.)
Update your student profile and upload your resume with the Jobbank.
Do regular searches of internship listings on the Jobbank.
Use the internet and career assessments to learn about different
occupational fields.
Attend career/internship fairs and follow up with employers. |
Meet
with your academic advisor.
Take a variety of courses, especially ones that could improve
your skills in writing, communication, speaking, business and
computer usage.
Participate in extracurricular activities.
Do community service or volunteer work.
Find opportunities through VOICES. |
| Juniors |
Update
your student profile and resume on the Jobbank.
Work with a career counselor to refine your resume and develop
job search and interviewing skills.
Use the Jobbank, WetFeet and Vault to continue your research on
possible internships, employers and careers.
Attend career/internship fairs. Follow up with contacts.
Attend employer presentations and follow up with contacts.
Set up a job search agent on the Jobbank so that internship listings
are automatically sent to you after posting.
Apply for all that interest you. Get an internship. |
Become
active in student organizations.
Choose elective courses that complement your major and will help
improve your communication and writing skills.
Pursue academic assignments that stimulate professional interaction
(i.e., interviews and surveys).
Explore the Undergraduate Research Opportunities..
Join professional/trade associations. |
| Seniors
& Graduates |
Fall
Semester
If you don’t have a resume, attend one of our professional
development workshops or check out the links we’ve compiled
to create a dynamic resume.
Attend
other professional development workshops to learn more about interviewing,
your professional image and many more topics OR check out the
tutorials and links we’ve provided.
Practice your interviewing skills via our online
interview program.
Attend the Fall Career Fair to talk to employers
and find out what their hiring needs are. Find out how to work
a Career Fair by attending one of our workshops or viewing the
resources we’ve put together.
Interview on-campus. Click here to find out
which employers will be interviewing during the semester.
Let people in your network know that you will
be graduating soon and ask them to let you know if they hear
of any openings.
Keep a written log or spreadsheet of all of
your employer contacts including items such as employer name,
address, telephone number and contact person/job title as well
as the date of each contact by letter, telephone call or interview.
Spring Semester
Your last semester on campus will be a busy one with senior
projects/courses, graduation and your job search but this is
the time to shine when meeting with employers.
Setup a Job Search Agent on your Jobbank account so that job listings
are automatically sent to you when they are posted.
Make sure your resume is updated to reflect
your current contact information and GPA.
Continue to Interview on-campus.
Attend
the Spring Career Fair. Follow up with contacts.
MARCH: Begin applying for positions that you
hear about or see posted. The hiring process can take 3-6 weeks
so you don’t want to wait until the week before graduation.
Do thorough research on potential employers, especially those
with whom you plan to interview. |
Assist
or do research with professors.
Pursue an independent study that will allow you to explore your
career interests.
Assume active leadership role in a campus chapter of a professional
organization.
Become active in community functions.
Attend meetings of professional/trade associations and pursue
additional networking opportunities.
Apply to graduate/professional school. |
|
