Your Year-by-Year Checklist

Staff member talking with students outdoors while handing them a flyer

Year 1

  1. Take self-assessments to help you gain an understanding of your strengths, skills, and interests.
  2. Learn about careers related to your major as well as strategies to make you more marketable.
  3. Meet your Career Advisor--your partner in the career journey.
  4. Attend a workshop to begin your resume. Add skills learned through academic and group projects.
  5. Join student organizations to build your peer, faculty, and staff network.
  6. Complete your Handshake profile to learn about career events, internships, and jobs.
Two students reviewing materials at a career fair

Year 2

  1. Learn more about careers related to your major by attending employer information sessions and career fairs.
  2. Join ConnectUMass to begin building alumni connections.
  3. Begin exploring internship and research opportunities.
  4. Ask your advisor about opportunities at the Mount Ida campus, through Study Abroad, Global Tech, and Civic Engagement.
  5. Update your resume with relevant courses and projects.
Two students talking to a recruiter at a career fair

Year 3

  1. Expand your network--join a Career Community and meet alumni in your field of interest!
  2. Fill technical, creative, and professional skills gaps with LinkedIn Learning.
  3. Take on a leadership role in your student organization.
  4. Considering graduate school? Meet with your academic advisor to discuss the application process and timetables.
  5. Attend an interview workshop and practice your skills with Big Interview.
Graduate student receiving stole from a professor

Year 4

  1. Polish your resume: add internship or research experiences.
  2. Take advantage of workshops hosted by your career center.
  3. Prepare for recruitment events by researching employers.
  4. Keep your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles up-to-date, and consider adding a portfolio of your academic work.
  5. Follow-up with employers through a professional email or note.
  6. If applying to graduate school, give faculty plenty of time to write letters of recommendation.
  7. Share your after-graduation good news by filling out the UMass FDS survey.
  8. Join student organizations to build your peer, faculty, and staff network.
  9. Complete your Handshake profile to learn about career events, internships, and jobs.