Throughout college, you’ll develop skills and relationships that can influence your career-planning. In this section, you’ll learn how to appropriately maximize these assets as well as develop job-search tools, strategies, and professional etiquette.

We recommend that you go through each step, focusing especially on areas you have not yet developed, and encourage you to contact the Career Center to follow up with our career consulting team.

Career-Readiness Competencies

Though valued by employers, a college degree in and of itself does not automatically lead to a good job. Employers want to know you’ve demonstrated competencies considered essential in the workplace; learn more about those competencies here.

Your Career Action Plan

Whether you like making to-do lists and charting your actions or you prefer taking experiences as they come, having some degree of structure in a career action plan is valuable as a career planning tool.

Job-Search Strategies

Studies have shown that the most effective job search strategy for any field is networking. To network effectively, or use any job search strategy successfully, you must first be able to define what you want.

Resume Development

Your resume may be the most important tool in your job search. When creating one, remember that the goal is to produce a document that will convince each targeted employer to invite you to an interview. Develop and master your resume or CV here.

Cover Letters, Thank-You Letters, et al

A cover letter introduces you and your qualifications to the employer and, if effective, generates employer interest to invite you for an interview. Learn about this and other documents such as thank-you letters and those for networking/prospecting.

Your Online Portfolio

A portfolio is a showcase of your work and accomplishments for others to view. In today’s competitive market, a creative and informative portfolio could be the key to setting you apart from other candidates.

Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are among the skills you’ve been developing for years through a variety of experiences. Be able to identify skills you possess and how to convey their importance to potential employers.

Professional Etiquette/Attire

Professional etiquette provides a basic set of guidelines to make business life progress smoothly. This section will provide you with skills and knowledge needed to have meaningful and professional interactions with employers, clients, and colleagues.

Interview Skills

For most career fields, you will not get the position without interviewing, so effective interviewing skills and knowledge of the interview process are a must. Learn about the different types of interviews and how you can be prepared to ace each one.