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Year by Year Plan: A Four Year Roadmap
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FIRST YEAR
Resource Orientation & Self-Assessment
GOALS:
- Become aware of your interests, abilities, goals, and values
- Become involved in your community
- Learn about interesting careers
- Take a variety of courses
- Become familiar with networking, and develop an Elevator Pitch
WHAT TO DO:
- Complete your Handshake profile and explore the resources section at https://stlawu.joinhandshake.com
- Meet with a staff member to work through FOCUS2 and learn more about your skills, interests and personality; explore career paths and talk about major selection
- Fill out a Resume Worksheet and make an appointment with a Career Services Intern to create a professional resume
- Attend your First Year Meeting in the spring, where upperclassmen will indicate which experiences at SLU have been the most helpful
- Apply for the Laurentians Investing in Networking and Careers (LINC) mentoring program during the spring semester
- Meet with your academic advisor and other professors to explore options for course selection
- Join campus clubs and organizations that interest you
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SOPHOMORE
Self-Assessment, Career Exploration & Leadership Development
GOALS:
- Increase knowledge of your interests, skills, abilities and values
- Learn about career options through exploration
- Build your credentials through campus activities, employment, and learning experiences
- Declare a major
- Learn about and develop your own networking skills
- Explore the internship process and engage in a summer experience tied to your interests
WHAT TO DO:
- Use Handshake resources, like Vault, to explore and educate yourself on career options
- Take on leadership positions in the student groups that matter most to you
- Attend Laurentians-in-Residence and sign up for an informational interview with a panelist
- Create an account in Laurentian Connection (connect.stlawu.edu) and reach out to alumni for informational interviews
- Update your resume and get a resume critique from professional staff in Career Services
- Apply to internships that interest you, especially those that are SLU-Connected, and apply for an Internship Fellowship if you need to support an unpaid or underpaid experience
- Apply for a SLU-Connect program to continue networking with alumni who represent a variety of industries
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JUNIOR
Goal Setting, Gaining Experience & Grad School Planning
GOALS:
- Gain practical experience in your field of choice
- Begin researching graduate school possibilities
- Develop job search skills
- Explore selected career options in depth
WHAT TO DO:
- Make an in-office appointment to strengthen skills in searching for and applying to internships
- Search for SLU-connected internships using Handshake, and find other opportunities in Career Shift
- Attend Graduate and Professional School programs and visit appropriate web sites to determine testing dates and locations for graduate admission tests
- Update your resume and draft a cover letter for a critique from a professional staff member
- Apply for an Internship Fellowship to support an unpaid or underpaid summer experience
- Continue attending alumni networking events both on- and off-campus, in particular those where Alumni Council will be present
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SENIOR
Implementation & Transition
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
- Continue to explore your chosen career field in depth
- Prepare for your transition from St. Lawrence
WHAT TO DO:
- Go to your Senior Meeting when you return to campus in the Fall
- Use Handshake and Career Shift to identify job opportunities
- Engage in the SLU LinkedIn Group and Laurentian Connection to identify alumni who may be able to assist you as you navigate your next step
- Check out the graduate and professional school resources in Handshake, and ensure your personal statement is on point
- Attend Alumni Networking Events, which are listed on stlawu.edu/alumni
- Apply for a SLU-Connect program to continue networking with alumni who represent a variety of industries
- Prepare for interviews with Interview Stream and Vault. Schedule a review of a Mock Interview with a professional staff member, and apply for the interview travel fund through Career Services
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