Developing a Career Path
Freshman Year
Prepare
- Take courses that will help you decide if your major is a good fit for you.
- Take career assessments online to understand your values, beliefs and abilities when it comes to a career.
- Check out the NC State majors website: http://www.ncsu.edu/majors-careers for information on choosing a major or learning what to do with your selected major.
Practice
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Talk with a career counselor about possible interest areas and career direction.
- Talk with professors, mentors, family and friends about occupations.
- Create a resume and profile in ePACK to explore opportunities.
Participate
- Develop job skills by joining social, athletic or academic organizations.
- Attend career workshops to learn more about resume writing, interviewing skills and career choices.
Sophomore Year
Prepare
- Update and fine-tune your resume.
- Learn to write a cover letter.
- Join a professional society or organization that is related to your career field of interest.
Practice
- Attend career fairs and events, which provide internship and full-time opportunities and information on careers.
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Become familiar with ePACK and how to use it to its fullest extent.
Participate
- Gain career related experience through an internship, volunteer, or co-op opportunity.
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Shadow a professional who works in a career field of interest.
Junior Year
Prepare
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Meet with your career counselor to discuss your career path and possible next steps.
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Thinking about grad school? Research application deadlines and standardized test information.
Practice
- Conduct informational interviews with professionals in your career field of interest.
- Attend employer information sessions to learn about various opportunities within an organization.
- Strengthen your interviewing skills by doing a mock interview with a career counselor.
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Attend a career fair to learn more about companies of interest and to secure an internship.
Participate
- Gain career related experience through an internship, volunteer, or co-op opportunity.
- Update your resume and your profile in ePACK.
- Develop relationships with faculty and employers to use as references.
- Build your leadership skills by getting involved in a campus or community organization.
Senior Year
Prepare
- Start your job search two semesters prior to graduation.
- Meet with a career counselor to review job search techniques.
- Use ePACK and other UCC resources to engage in a targeted search.
Practice
- Know which strengths and accomplishments you want to share with an employer.
- Focus on these strengths in order to communicate them clearly to hiring managers.
Participate
- Apply for jobs and participate in on-campus interviews- sign up in ePACK.
- Attend campus career fairs, information sessions, and other events.
- Network! Share your job search with everyone you know.
- Follow up with employers who you meet through career fairs and interviews.