Career Development

Career Development

Career Development is the process of exploring your career options, learning about yourself, and determining your path toward your future. This life-long process typically involves multiple ways of learning including:

  • Self-exploration (learning about your skills, interests, values, and personality preferences)
  • Selecting a major, minor, graduate program, etc.
  • Choosing a career path
  • Learning about opportunities
  • Hands-on learning (also known as experiential learning)
  • Decision making

The Career & Experiential Education Center team is here to help!

Current Career Development Offerings Available to Students

The Career & Experiential Education Center team offers a unique approach for each student. Schedule an appointment today to work on any of the following:

  • Resume Review and Feedback
  • Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Tips/Tricks
  • Cover Letter Review
  • LinkedIn Profile
  • Skills Assessments
  • How to Build Your Network
  • Graduate School Planning/Advising
  • Practice/Mock Interviews
  • Informational Interviews
  • Job Search Strategies
  • Opportunity to Enroll in Advanced Professional Development Courses: CED 370 "Creating Your Career: How to Map Your Professional Journey" and CED 303 "Charting Your Path to Graduate School"

Preparing for Life after Graduation

On average, it takes at least 6-9 months to get a job in your field, so it's important to start early. It can take even longer if your search is limited by geographic area, transportation challenges, scheduling limitations, etc. In a competitive job search, it's important that you work to differentiate yourself from your peers. If you find yourself with downtime (academic breaks, employment gaps, etc.) you can use the time to update all of your professional materials, learn something new, increase your network, and plan for what’s next. Here are some suggestions for to help increase your marketability:

  • Volunteer 
  • Learn a new language
  • Check with local temp agencies for temporary jobs, which can lead to full time employment
  • Research remote work opportunities
  • Design a website
  • Organize a website or e-portfolio of your accomplishments
  • Research graduate school programs
  • Attend virtual networking events/young professional virtual meet ups/webinars/virtual town halls
  • Find a way to get involved in your community organizations 
  • Take a free online class
  • Obtain a certification pertinent to your field
  • Improve upon weaknesses in your skillset
  • Perfect your professional materials: resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile
  • Keep connections/conversations going with your professional references to keep them abreast of how you are further developing yourself and your skillset
  • Take time to master a variety of programs and/or specific technology utilized in your field/industry

*Please use the Links section of this page for specific websites related to the above content.