Career Development
As you embark upon the challenging journey of exploring academic and career opportunities, use this guide to select activities that focus your career goals. Career Linkages provides a variety of resources to assist you in selecting a career; obtaining experiential learning opportunities and employment; or selecting and entering graduate or professional school.
How do I use Career Linkages?
Call our office at (573) 651-2583 to make an appointment with a staff member or to take a computerized career assessment. Stop by to visit us in the University Center, rooms 206 to use the career resource library, ask for career assistance, or to learn about upcoming career events and interviews.
When should I use Career Linkages?
Register with Career Linkages as early as your freshmen year to define your career goals and begin developing your career skills.
Begin your job search for a professional position at least 6-9 months prior to graduation.
Jump to: Freshmen | Sophomores | Juniors | Seniors
Make the Most of College
- Register with Career Linkages - it's free and takes only a few minutes!
- Use FOCUS to explore career options related to majors
- Ask a Career Linkages' staff member about the variety of career assessment inventories (FOCUS, Campbell Interest and Skills Survey, etc.)
- Attend career programs and events
- Meet and get to know faculty, alumni, administrators, and career advisors who can serve as resources during your college years
- Talk to employers at career events
- Become involved with campus and community organizations to develop confidence, leadership, social, communication, and diversity skills
- Consider a summer job, internship or other experiential opportunity
- Ask about the JLD program to find part-time employment during college
- Participate in volunteer community service
Broaden Your Options
- Update your registration with Career Linkages
- Use career assessment instruments to explore career fields and increase your self-awareness
- Explore the academic and experiential requirements for entering a career, profession, or graduate school
- Conduct informational interviews to learn more about your fields of interest
- Obtain a summer job, internship, or other experiential opportunity related to your potential field of interest
- Attend Career Fairs to consider summer jobs and internships
- Attend Career Linkages programs and events
- Develop mentoring associations with faculty, administrators, career advisors, alumni and community, business, or professional leaders
- Continue involvement with campus and community organizations to improve leadership, social, communication, and interpersonal skills
Do Your Research
- Update your registration with Career Linkages
- Attend Career Fairs and programs
- Research specialized areas of possible employment or graduate school study in your chosen field
- Research key corporations, businesses and organizations using informational interviews and career resource library
- Visit Career Linkages for assistance in building a resume or having one reviewed
- Participate in a videotaped practice interview
- Obtain an additional career-related internship or experiential education opportunity and test your aptitudes, skills, interests, and goals
- Explore graduate and professional schools and attend Graduate School Fairs
- Register for graduate school admission tests--GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, etc.
- Research schools that offer the programs you desire
- Ask about the graduate faculty at your desired schools; discover their research interests and publications
Graduate School Admissions
- Register for (or re-take) graduate school admission tests
- Obtain application materials from all desired schools
- Prepare answers to essay questions for applications
- Discover how to apply for graduate assistantships, loans, grants, fellowships
- Plan your strategic job search campaign
- Choose and contact faculty, administrators and former employers you want to use as references
- Conduct in-depth research of target companies and organizations using the Internet, Kent Library and Career Linkages
- Interview with prospective employers on campus and with those identified through networking, professional journals and job listings
- Follow up interviews with "thank you" letters
- Evaluate job offers relative to your most valued interests, skills, strengths, and life goals
- Register with Career Linkages (if you have not already done so)
- Enroll for vacancy notices to notify you of current openings matching with your career specifications
- Attend Career Job Fairs or Education Job Fair
- Establish a credentials file in the Career Linkages office if your major is education
- Participate in a videotaped practice interview to prepare for employment interviews
- Participate in on-campus interviews with employers
- Utilize online job search systems through the Internet
- Obtain review of resume and cover letters
- Notify the Career Linkages office of your employment or graduate school acceptance
 Career Linkages 206 University Center 573-651-2583 |
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Career Linkages is part of the Transitions Program.
Maintained by Career Linkages, Revised: September 21, 2005, Disclaimer © 2008 Southeast Missouri State University |
