Class is in session: Career Planning 101

For many of you the first day of classes is fast approaching.  With the start of the new school year comes a new opportunity for self-improvement. Maybe you’ll go to the gym more frequently or make better grades.  Whatever you decide to focus on this semester, make career planning a priority as well. It’s never too early to start.

 Life tends to accelerate by 50+mph during the semester causing many of you to put career planning on the back burner.  Resist the urge to do so.  Allot a block of time in your schedule, approximately one to two hours, each week to focus on career planning.  You may have to increase the time commitments during the weeks you have deadlines, but normally a few hours is enough.  Be aware of your career planning but don’t go crazy by allowing it to consume your life. Follow these tips to prepare for the semester:

1.      Treat career planning like a class. No, you will not get credit on your transcript for doing the work but the more you put into the process the more you will get out of it.  Use a binder to organize your industry research, resumes, etc. or create a digital filing system on your computer. If you choose the digital route, don’t forget to create a backup disc of your files.

2.      Write your curriculum vitae (CV) and resume now. A curriculum vitae provides a summary of your education, skills, and professional experiences. It is longer than a resume and places a greater emphasis on your academic background.  Once you’ve written both documents schedule an appointment at your career center to have them revised.

3.      Recruit your friends.  It’s easier to stay on task if you have someone going through the process with you. Friends can be a source of both professional and personal support as well as a great way to find out about other resources.

4.      Become best friends with your career center. Your school’s career advisors have knowledge of the resources available to you on campus. Plus they are usually the first to know about new internships and job opportunities.

5.      Put your calendar/ planner to use.  Mark the dates of career fairs, company information sessions, special events, etc.  Having all this information in one place allows you to plan in advance which events you want/need to attend.

Good luck this semester with all your academic and career planning endeavors. And remember, action is the vehicle that moves you from clueless to capable.

If you have any tips from your career planning experiences please share them via the comments section at the end of this article.