Beginning to plan your career? AWESOME!
Use these tips as launching points for your journey...
- Try the "What Can I Do With This Major?" Assessment
- Build your account with Focus2; A Career, Major and Education Planning System
- Try some self-assessments
- Talk about your ideas with friends, family, faculty and advisors
- Make an appointment with a Career Advisor to talk about your possible futures
- See our other many, many, many Career Exploration Resources
- Check-in with the Milestones Checklist (below)
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OUR MILESTONES CHECKLIST: Are you on track?
First Year
Explore your skills, interests, personality, and strengths and identify/confirm your major
Begin to build your network: research career paths, job titles and industries in which you'll flourish
✓ Familiarize yourself with your college's Career Center resources and READ YOUR EMAIL so you have timely information about career fairs, recruiting and networking events, and workshops
✓ Join Handshake or IsenbergWorks (ISOM only) to gain access to internship postings
✓ Attend employer information sessions to learn about various careers and begin to build relationships with recruiters
✓ Develop good study habits and seek out support to succeed academically
✓ Begin building a network of support through friends, mentors, upperclassmen, staff, and faculty
✓ Begin your resume—attend a resume workshop
✓ Begin building your skills in critical thinking, problem- solving, communication, and teamwork through academic projects
✓ Volunteer and get involved with on-campus student organizations
Sophomore Year
Revise your resume and seek out hands-on learning opportunities
✓ Update your resume—add technical and soft skills that you gained over the previous semester or summer
✓ Schedule an online meeting with your Career Advisor to talk about your career goals
✓ Build your professional skills by attending virtual career workshops, employer events and career fairs
✓ Use Handshake or IsenbergWorks to identify relevant internships
✓ Use the Connect UMass Network to engage with UMass alumni and learn about career fields of interest
✓ Participate in student organizations or community service
✓ Consider researching internship opportunities through UMass faculty, or national programs such as the NSF REU (research experience for undergraduates) program, NEH or NEA internship programs
Junior Year
Hone your job searching and interview skills so that you can secure an internship
Continue to build your technical, professional and soft skills while staying open to opportunities
✓ Consider a broad range of field experience opportunities such as co-op, internship, research, civic engagement, micro-internships or career communities in order to gain hands-on experience (read more in detail here)
✓ Use multiple resources: Your School/ College Career Center, online job boards, Connect UMass, and professional societies to gain access to workshops, fairs, networking and employer recruitment events
✓ Expand your professional network by creating a LinkedIn Profile
✓ Explore the UMass Career Tool Kit
✓ Continue to participate in student organizations- consider taking on a leadership role
✓ If you're considering Graduate or Professional School, meet with an Academic Advisor in your program to discuss. Set up a timeline for taking the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, and for meeting all graduate school deadlines
Senior Year
Meet employers who are seeking to hire and/or complete graduate school applications
✓ Polish your resume. Let a Career Advisor look it over and give you feedback
✓ Attend various workshops to fill any gaps in interviewing, job-searching, cover letter writing or networking skills
✓ Prepare for employer information/networking events as well as career fairs by researching employers in advance and coming prepared to talk about how your background, experience, and interests match those of the employer
✓ Practice interviewing: schedule a mock interview with a Career Advisor or use "Big Interview"
✓ Follow up with companies you meet at information sessions, career fairs, or interviews. Make sure you present yourself in a professional manner—through phone conversations, email, thank-you notes, or in person.
✓ Update your LinkedIn Profile--consider adding a portfolio of your academic projects
✓ Apply for full-time positions using Handshake, IsenbergWorks and other databases and leads
✓ Share your after-graduation good news by filling out UMass Amherst surveys!
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Advising Resources
Find your School/ College Career Advising Center
Academic and Additional Pre-Professional Advising
