Career Exploration

Year by Year Plan: A Four Year Roadmap
This guide provides you with suggestions about how to make the most of your four years here at St. Lawrence. Use this timetable as a set of recommended guidelines for making informed career decisions for your future.

Review this timetable at least once a semester to make sure your career puzzle is not missing any pieces. Also, realize that there are no magic answers for making the pieces of that career puzzle fit together - when you have questions, ask! Let Career Services partner with you to find the resources you need to meet your goals. Make an individual appointment with a professional staff member to discuss your career related questions. Career Services believes each student has a unique set of career goals and considerations.

1. First Year
Goals

  • Become aware of your interests, abilities, goals and values
  • Become involved in your community
  • Learn about interesting careers
  • Take a variety of courses
Action Steps
  • Locate Career Services (Main floor of Student Center) and have an orientation to our services.
  • Explore your interests with a computer assisted career guidance program or an interest inventory.
  • Attend workshops and events that interest you.
  • Consider pursuing an internship or participating in the Shadow A Saint program to explore options and begin building your credentials.
  • If you need help choosing a major, speak with a counselor or your academic advisor.
  • Complete your profile on Career SLUth and familiarize yourself with all the other benefits of this great online tool!
  • Consider becoming involved with the Career Services office as a Peer Advisor.
2. Sophomore
Goals
  • Learn about career options through exploration
  • Build your credentials through campus activities, employment, and learning experiences
  • Increase knowledge of your interests, skills, abilities and values
  • Declare a major
Action Steps
  • Consider pursuing an internship. Leave yourself plenty of time for the research and application processes - October is not too early to start looking for summer internships!
  • If you need help choosing a major, speak with a counselor or your academic advisor for suggestions.
  • If you haven't already done so, explore your interests with a computer assisted career guidance program. Also consider taking an interest inventory, or the SkillScan assessment.
  • Create your resume. It's never too early to start, and everyone has something to offer.
  • Talk with at least 2 professors about your career plan (networking!)
  • Attend the Graduate and Professional School Day Fair (offered every other year) and collect initial information.
  • Update your Career SLUth profile and keep using it to search for internships, find out what's going on in the Career Services office, and more.
  • Use the Alumni Career Advisor Network or participate in the Shadow A Saint program. This is a great way to talk with other Larries who had your major, or work in a field that interests you.
  • Consider becoming involved with the Career Services office as a Peer Advisor.
3. Junior
Goals
  • Gain practical experience in your field of choice
  • Begin researching graduate school possibilities
  • Develop basic job search skills
  • Explore selected career options in depth
  • Complete a professional resume
Action Steps
  • Hold at least 4 informational interviews with anyone employed in careers you are interested in (expand your network!)
  • Consider pursuing an internship. Leave yourself plenty of time for the research and application processes - September is not too early to start looking for January internships!
  • If you are considering graduate school, visit the Career Library in the Career Services office for information on programs, financial aid, and entrance exams.
  • Attend a Professional Panel to learn from current professionals in your field (more networking!)
  • Update your resume and have it critiqued by a staff membe.r.
  • Consult with your advisor and the Registrar's office to make sure you're on track for graduation.
  • Update your Career SLUth profile and keep using it to search for alumni mentors, find internships, and stay informed of what's going on in the Career Services office.
  • Consider using the Alumni Career Advisor Network or participating in the Shadow A Saint program. This is a great way to talk with other Larries who had your major or work in a field you are interested in.
  • Have a mock interview. Practice your technique and enhance your communication skills.
4. Senior
Goals
  • Learn and implement a variety of networking and job search strategies
  • Develop a concrete job search plan using on- and off-campus resources
  • Explore graduate school options including entrance exams and financial aid resources
  • Continue to explore your chosen career field in depth
  • Prepare for your transition from St. Lawrence
Action Steps
  • Have your Senior Appointment in September.
  • Schedule a mock interview to fine-tune your interview skills and develop solid answers.
  • If you're considering graduate school, be sure to gather the necessary application materials to register for (and then take) the required entrance exams.
  • Use the Alumni Career Advisor Network to help you learn more about your chosen industry or career path - keep that network alive and well!
  • Update your Career SLUth profile and keep using it to search for alumni mentors, find internships, and stay informed of what's going on in the Career Services office.
  • Consider pursuing a January internship. Leave yourself plenty of time for the research and application processes - September is not too early to start looking for winter internships!
  • Have your resume(s) and cover letter(s) reviewed by a peer advisor or professional staff member.
  • Take advantage of career workshops, panel discussions, networking events like the Senior Dinner, the Professional Etiquette Dinner, and the programs in the Senior Transitions Series.
  • Actively participate in the Recruiting Program. Don't miss important deadlines for on-campus interviews and off-campus Resume Referrals. Don't miss that dream job!
  • Gather letters of reference from professors and supervisors. Never assume they will be ready when you need them - leave yourself plenty of time before application deadlines arrive and/or before graduation.
  • Apply for the Eastern College Career Day programs in Boston and New York City. This is a great opportunity to potentially interview with many companies in one day.
Understanding Your Interests, Talents and Values
Self assessment is an exploration of your interests, skills, values, experience, and goals. Learning more about yourself is the first step in the career development process. Here are some ways self assessment can be helpful:
  • Knowing the relationships between your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values can help you identify corresponding majors and careers you might enjoy.
  • You will be able to identify areas that need improvement, such as time management or oral communication, and decide how to develop your skills in those areas.
  • If you have already chosen a career direction, self assessment can confirm that you've chosen the right path and build your confidence.

Career Services offers several resources that can help guide you through the self assessment process. Call our office any time to make an individual appointment with a professional staff member, who can help you determine what types of self assessment tools will be most helpful for you at that time. Here are the assessments our office uses most often:

Self Directed Search - The SDS is a comprehensive inventory that explores your interests, competencies, and attitudes about occupations. It is easy to use and self-scoring. After completing the SDS, you should speak with a counselor to discuss your summary code and further applications. You can explore college majors and occupations that are related to your summary code.

Campbell Skills and Interest Inventory - This assessment compares your interests to those of people already employed in various fields. It takes about 45-60 minutes to complete. We recommend that you speak with a counselor before and after taking the CSII, to better understand the outcome.

Do What You Are - Do What You Are is a unique and powerful web-based career and college guidance solution. Secure and easy to use, it will provide your students with a wealth of information about themselves and it will provide you with a tool to help you be more effective and more productive.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - The MBTI can reveal your basic preferences in making decisions, learning, and other everyday tasks. Knowing your "type" will help you choose a career and select work environments that enhance your strengths while developing your weaknesses. A follow-up appointment with a counselor is required to understand you're your type and relation to other types.
SkillScan - With SkillScan, you systematically sort a deck of "skill cards" to identify and organize your skills. This will help you distinguish appropriate career options, as well as market your skills to employers. SkillScan must be taken with a counselor, but is easy to use and typically takes less than an hour to complete.

Assessment isn't meant to pigeonhole you; it's just a way to learn more about yourself. It can help give you some direction and reveal some options that you may not have already considered or even known about. And remember that self assessment is not a one-time event; it is a continual process. Your interests and skills will change over time, so check in with yourself periodically!

C. What Can I Do With a Major In...

Are you interested in learning more about the marketable skills and career options that different majors offer? Or do you have a particular career interest, but aren't sure which majors will help you get there? If so, the links below can help you learn more about academic majors and their potential career opportunities:

The Career Profile Search allows you to search by major for a list of potential jobs, OR pick a job and see what majors might fit that career. These lists aren't exhaustive, but can help give you some ideas about what to do with your degree.

The Major To Career Converter will provide a comprehensive list of suggested careers for your major, and allow you to start searching for jobs in those fields with the Monster.com job database.
  1. Industry Exploration
    Once you have some ideas about what careers you might want to pursue, do some more research on those occupations! A lot of your time, energy, and finances will be devoted to your career over the next several years - get lots of good information now to help you better plan and make decisions about the future

Spotlight on Careers links you to sites in several career fields. Each site linked to Spotlight on Careers tells you what it's like to work in that field, and information on how to get there. Information on graduate programs, internships, and job search links are also main features on these sites. If you are off campus please contact Career Services either by e-mail or phone, 315-229-5906, for access information.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the education and training required, earnings, and expected job propects for a wide variety of occupations.

Jobweb.com is a good place to search for employer information and research the job markets for different occupations. There is also a library of articles if you're looking for information on a particular topic.

Wetfeet.com is another great choice for students looking for profiles of careers and industries, plus articles and lots of other helpful resources.

  1. Shadow-A-Saint
    The St. Lawrence University Shadow-A-Saint program was initiated to offer students the chance to spend a day with an alumnus/a in his or her place of employment. Students can apply to be matched with one of over 125 alumni sponsors! This is a great opportunity to get an inside look at a career choice, and make valuable networking contacts.

Shadow programs typically take place over January and/or Spring Break. For deadlines and workshop times, check our calendar. To view the most recent catalog of alumni sponsors and apply online to Shadow-A-Saint, click here. Have questions? Call our office at 315.229.5906.

If you are an alumnus who would like to volunteer as a "Saint", please click here and complete the electronic on-line registration form.

  1. Career Mentor Network
    The Career Mentor Network can be found in Career SLUth. Every St. Lawrence student is given a username and password for Career SLUth, which is also an on-line recruiting system. Career SLUth can be used to find and apply for jobs and internships, sign up for on-campus interviews and events, and access over 3,000 SLU alumni and parents in the SLU Career Mentor Network. It is important to keep an up-to-date profile in the system in order to receive targeted emails based on your interests. The system can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer with internet access.

    Log in now!! Your username is your SLU email before the @ sign, and your password is your 4 digit CMR
  1. Career Library
    Did you know that Career Services has a library of over 1,500 titles on topics ranging from accounting to zoology? These books are accessible to you anytime the office is open. Some of the materials available include:
    Industry information Guidebooks on resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and professional etiquette Internship and summer job directories Graduate school guides, test prep materials, and financial aid information Newsletters and job listings for a variety of special interests Geographic directories International internship and career guides Catalogs and videos for volunteer programs (i.e. Peace Corps)
No materials are to leave the Career Library, with the exception of those already duplicated for students.