Professional Development and Engagement - Steps to Career Success
Freshman
- Adjust to campus life
- Explore majors
- Build rapport with faculty
- Establish a solid GPA
- Join a student organization
- Attend professional development events
- Consider study abroad programs
- Practice professional behavior
- Create a resume/make an appointment with a career advisor to review
- Ask your network about part time/summer job leads
- Shadow professionals in a field of interest to you
- Polish your online presence
Sophomore
- Participate in the CoB Career KickStart
- Identify skills and interests
- Continue to work on your resume and build a reference list
- Activate your Handshake account
- Create a LinkedIn profile
- Attend JMU Career and Internship Fairs
- Attend career related events
- Research employers
- Apply for externship/internship
- Join a CoB student organization
- Apply for a CoB Career Trek
- Apply for a study abroad program
Junior
- Apply for internships
- Practice with mock interviews and InterviewStream
- Attend JMU Career and Internship Fairs
- Seek leadership roles on campus (e.g., student organizations)
- Join a professional organization related to your interests
- Consider graduate school
- Develop a job search strategy
- Network and conduct informational interviews with business professionals and JMU alumni
- Participate in case competitions
Senior
- Update your resume
- Practice with mock interviews and InterviewStream
- Apply for full-time positions
- Follow up on job leads
- Network with business professionals and JMU alumni
- Use the on-campus recruiting program (OCR)
- Connect with the JMU Alumni Relations office
- Apply to graduate school
- Negotiate salary
- Choosing/Changing Majors
- Resource Center
- Job Search/Graduate School
- Career Counseling
- On-Campus Interviewing
- Handshake Questions
- Employer Relations
Student Success Center
Room 3210
(540) 568-6555
cap@jmu.edu
https://www.jmu.edu/cap