4-Year Timeline
Career Goals During Your College Career
Here are some suggestions for yearly career goals you can set to prepare for your graduation and post-graduation plans. There is no order to these goals and they can be completed in every year. Remember you can always check-in with a Career Services Professional for support!
First Year
- CLEP testing.
- Research different majors: course catalog, major to career guides, what can I do with this degree, and links to professional associations, government information sites and job boards by major/industry.
- Take an assessment, such as MBTI and SII.
- Meet with your advisor.
- Meet with a Career Counselor.
- Meet with a faculty member in your area of interest.
- Join a UNC club or organization related to your major or area of interest.
- Do an informational interview with a professional who has your dream job/area of interest.
- Job shadow a professional in your area of interest.
- Document your experiences in a resume. Use Optimal Resume. It’s free! Have it critiqued by a Career Counselor.
- Access Bears Career Connection to learn about potential jobs and internships and become aware of career-related events and fairs.
- Attend a job fair or networking night to connect with future employers.
Second Year
- Declare your major.
- Explore occupations related to your major: OOH, ONET, Informational interviews, and Job Shadowing.
- Attend a job fair or networking night to connect with future employers.
- Update your resume and have it critiqued by a career counselor.
- Identify potential internship opportunities.
- Explore study abroad opportunities.
- Have coffee or lunch with an advanced student in your program of study. It’s a nice opportunity to network and find out the best classes to take and what to expect in your third or fourth year.
Third Year
- Join a professional organization related to your major as a student member.
- Gain a leadership position in a student organization.
- Buy interview clothing.
- Practice interviewing skills during a practice interview at Career Services.
- Explore current job and internship openings by industry and major on Bears Career Connection.
- Update your resume and have it critiqued by a Career Counselor.
- Learn how to write a cover letter.
- Meet with a Career Counselor to develop a career plan for your final year(s) to prepare for graduation.
- Explore graduate programs if you’re interested. Review application process deadlines. Think about tests you may need to take to apply to graduate school: GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.
- If you’re thinking about graduate school, see if you can assist a professor with research.
- Network with friends, family, and employers.
Fourth Year Plus
- Update your resume and cover letter and have it critiqued by a Career Counselor.
- Start your job search early. A job search can take weeks to over six months.
- If applying to graduate school, take graduate school admissions tests.
- Attend a job fair or networking night.
- Make business cards and carry them with you for impromptu meetings with professionals.
- Carry copies of your resume. Make sure they are on resume paper. You never know when you might make a connection and need it.
- Utilize professional social networking sites in the job search process (LinkedIn)
- Participate in on-campus interviews.
- Meet with your advisor to ensure you are meeting graduation requirements. Make sure you fill out all graduation paperwork and pay your fee to graduate on time.
- GRADUATE! Remember, you can always utilize Career Services as an alumnus/a!
