∘Meet with an academic advisor to plan your schedule. Make sure you are set to satisfy your college’s core requirements. Start exploring different major options. Make an appointment each semester with an academic advisor to discuss your progress toward graduation.

∘Research which services your college’s career center offers.

∘Attend two academic or professional seminars hosted by two different departments. You might hear a talk that interests you and persuades you to think more seriously about taking on a particular major.

∘Visit the career center and start looking over job listings. Just get an idea of what they look like and what kinds of jobs are being advertised at your college.

∘Get information from the career center about internships available for second-year students. You’re not applying yet, but you should know what kinds of opportunities are available through your school.

∘Participate in student organizations and clubs to develop your leadership skills.

∘Attend a job fair. Don’t try to talk to the representatives yet; you’re not ready to apply. Just get an understanding of the environment. Notice how other student candidates are dressed, how they are prepared, and how they act. Notice which companies are present (and which are not that you would like to apply to).

∘Make an appointment each semester with an academic advisor to discuss your progress toward graduation.

∘Attend two career seminars (such as resume preparation or interview skills).

∘Register for an internship (if it is important for students in your major).

∘Develop a complete and effective resume and cover letter. Then, make an appointment with your career center to have them reviewed.

∘Try to get a leadership position on campus, either in a student governmental organization or in a social or volunteer club.

∘Make friends with graduating students in your major. Try to keep in touch with them as they search for jobs.

∘Become familiar with at least three career options in your major. You can do this in consultation with your career center or by conducting “informational interviews” with working professionals. Sometimes, your career center or even your professors can help you set up these meetings with these professionals.

∘If you’re considering transferring to a four-year university, begin researching which universities your college has connections with. Some colleges are “feeder schools” for universities, meaning that university accepts many students from that college on a somewhat guaranteed basis as long as students meet certain requirements. However, you don’t have to transfer to one of these local schools. Instead, you should research universities all across the country if you’re interested. Seek out universities that have strong records in your major of interest, are in areas in which you’d like to move, or that provide resources and opportunities that interest you. Many colleges have transfer services offices at which you can receive information, advice, and support.

∘Apply for graduation. You must apply to graduate. Simply completing all of your required classes will not guarantee that you “graduate.” By applying for graduation, you are signaling to the college administration your plan to stop taking classes and to receive your degree. Some students, even after completing the classes for an associate degree, will continue taking classes in pursuit of a second associate degree or a certificate. Therefore, if you don’t apply for graduation, the college will not know your intent. Also, make sure that you apply for graduation by the scheduled application date. For example, if you want to graduate in May, the application deadline might be in April or even March. If you do not apply in time, you will have to wait until the next graduation to receive your degree, which could be in December of that year. This delay might affect your job searching or your plans to transfer to a four-year university.

∘Register with your career center’s job listing service so that you can be informed about currently available positions for students in your major.

∘Check with the career center for information on companies that will be doing interviews on your campus.

∘Attend a job fair. This time, you’re actually trying to get an interview. Come prepared, come professional, and come as yourself. First impressions are very important, so pace yourself and only talk to a representative when you’re calm, confident, and ready.

∘Meet with an academic advisor to plan your schedule. Make sure you are set to satisfy your university’s core requirements. Start exploring different major options.

∘Research which services your university’s career center offers.

∘Attend two academic or professional seminars hosted by two different departments. You might hear a talk that interests you and persuades you to think more seriously about taking on a particular major.

∘Visit the career center and start looking over job listings. Just get an idea of what they look like and what kinds of jobs are being advertised at your university.

∘Start writing a resume. Take note of big projects, activities, and committee work you do, as well as any university honors you receive while you’re a student.

∘Participate in student organizations and clubs to develop your leadership skills.

∘Attend a job fair. Don’t try to talk to the representatives yet; you’re not ready to apply. Just get an understanding of the environment. Notice how other student candidates are dressed, how they are prepared, and how they act. Notice which companies are present (and which are not that you would like to apply to).

∘Visit academic advising to talk about the grades you received in your first year. Get their opinion about what major you seem best fit for.

∘Get information from the career center about internships available for third- and fourth-year students. You’re not applying yet, but you should know what kinds of opportunities are available through your school.

∘Start writing a resume. Take note of big projects, activities, and committee work you do, as well as any university honors you receive while you’re a student.

∘Attend two more academic seminars in fields very different than what you attended in your first year. You might have an idea of what you want to major in, but perhaps you’ve never thought of these other fields. Before you dedicate yourself to a particular major, make sure you’ve thought about every option.

∘Once you have weighed your major options carefully, apply to and get accepted into a department for your major.

∘Attend a job fair. Don’t try to talk to the representatives yet; you’re not ready to apply. Just get an understanding of the environment. Notice how other student candidates are dressed, how they are prepared, and how they act. Notice which companies are present (and which are not that you would like to apply to).

∘Make an appointment each semester with an academic advisor to discuss your progress toward graduation.

∘Attend two career seminars (such as resume preparation or interview skills).

∘Register for an internship (if it is important for students in your major).

∘Develop a complete and effective resume and cover letter. Then, make an appointment with your career center to have them reviewed.

∘Try to get a leadership position on campus, either in a student governmental organization or in a social or volunteer club.

∘Make friends with graduating students in your major. Try to keep in touch with them as they search for jobs.

∘Become familiar with at least three career options in your major. You can do this in consultation with your career center or by conducting “informational interviews” with working professionals. Sometimes, your career center or even your professors can help you set up these meetings with these professionals.

∘Attend a job fair. Don’t try to talk to the representatives yet; you’re not ready to apply. Just get an understanding of the environment. Notice how other student candidates are dressed, how they are prepared, and how they act. Notice which companies are present (and which are not that you would like to apply to).

∘Apply for graduation. You must apply to graduate. Simply completing all of your required classes will not guarantee that you “graduate.” By applying for graduation, you are signaling to the university administration your plan to stop taking classes and to receive your degree. Some students, even after completing the classes for a bachelor’s degree, will continue taking classes in pursuit of a second major. Therefore, if you don’t apply for graduation, the university will not know your intent. Also, make sure that you apply for graduation by the scheduled application date. For example, if you want to graduate in May, the application deadline might be in April or even March. If you do not apply in time, you will have to wait until the next graduation to receive your degree, which could be in December of that year. This delay might affect your job searching or your plans to apply to graduate school.

∘Register with your career center’s job listing service so that you can be informed about currently available positions for students in your major.

∘Check with the career center for information on companies that will be doing interviews on your campus.

∘Reach out to those friends you made last year in your major. Did they get jobs? If so, where? How hard was it to find that job? Are they satisfied with the job?

∘Attend a job fair. This time, you’re actually trying to get an interview. Come prepared, come professional, and come as yourself. First impressions are very important, so pace yourself and only talk to a representative when you’re calm, confident, and ready.