First Year: Foundation
- Take an assessment
- Explore vocation
- Identify a part-time job, internship, or volunteer opportunity in a career field
- Identify skills, interests, and values from work/volunteer history
- Begin creating a Web portfolio on Optimal Resume
Second Year: Involvement
- Explore and research career fields
- Conduct informational interviews
- Explore internship/externship possibilities for your career field
- Pursue part-time or volunteer work in your field of interest
- Create a resume
- Identify skills, interests, and values (compare skills needed in careers with current skills)
Third Year: Preparation
- Attend job fairs near your hometown
- Research graduate school programs
- Complete an internship in your career field and/or pursue a summer job in your field
- Update resume
- Develop a mentor relationship with professionals in your chosen field
- Identify skills, interests, and values developed through internships, summer jobs, and other employment opportunities.
Fourth Year: Implementation
- Prepare applications for graduate school
- Practice interviewing on Optimal Resume
- Visit graduate schools
- Finalize credentials (e.g., resume, cover letter, essay, recommendations, goal statement)
- Develop a list of contacts/potential employers