Career Services :: Home

Career Planning Guide

Freshman Year - Self Awareness
·	Identify skills, interests, and values-consider taking interest/career assessment tests
·	Participate in Career Development/Freshman seminar
·	Go to www.kean.edu/~career and learn to navigate the website
·	Research majors/careers that match your skills, interests, and values
·	Develop/update resume
·	Look for part-time or summer work to gain knowledge and experience about career fields
·	Take courses with the service learning component
·	Consider volunteering as a way to gain experience
·	Become active in campus activities - join a club or organization

Sophomore Year - Career Awareness
·	Continue research and narrow career choices
·	Determine academic requirements for career interests
·	Conduct at least two informational interviews or job shadowing
·	Determine skills needed for your career choice(s) and create a plan to develop or improve them
·	Develop short term and long term goals
·	Update resume and have it critiqued
·	Take resume to Cooperative Education office and complete application for a co-op or internship
·	Join a student chapter of a professional association related to your major
·	Stay active in campus activities and organizations
·	Meet with academic advisor for assistance with course decisions and choice of majors
·	Officially declare your major with the Registrar's Office

Junior Year - Academic Awareness
·	Meet with your academic advisor to ensure you are on the track for graduation
·	Make decisions on specific career areas and begin research on the business or industry
·	Participate in co-op/internship program to ensure you have practical experience to add to your resume
·	View interview video and begin to practice
·	Attend Teacher Job Fairs or Career Days/ Dialogues with Employers/table recruitment sessions/workshops
·	Take leadership role in clubs or student organizations
·	Consider graduate school and obtain information on schools and requirements
·	Continue with information interviewing/job shadowing
·	Begin to gather recommendations and provide each person with a copy of your resume (and do so each time you update it)
·	Start to look for and build a professional wardrobe

Senior Year - Professional Awareness
·	Have your resume and cover letter critiqued
·	Consider your values as you select the companies where you apply for employment
·	Coordinate your personal calendar with scheduled on campus career activities (see www.kean.edu/~career)
·	Gather industry standard salary information
·	Attend local professional association meetings and remain active in student associations
·	Review interview video and schedule mock interview
·	Develop a list of prospective employers
·	Research any employer you plan to interview with and develop a list of questions for them
·	Take graduate school exams and complete applications
·	Keep notes and records on all job search activities
·	Be sure to follow-up each interview with a thank you note

Comments, Suggestions, or Problems? Send E-mail to:
career@kean.edu