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In this phase, you will be determining where in the professional world your interests and skills might easily fit. It is probable that no single career will have the potential to utilize all your skills, allow you to develop all your interests, and incorporate a value system completely compatible with yours. Therefore, try to identify career fields that will satisfy some of your high-priority needs. Other needs of less importance can perhaps be satisfied in your leisure time activities.
Doing this research will help you to both expand your awareness of possibilities and ultimately narrow down your choices to those which seem most realistic and attractive. Researching will help you write your resume in a way that clearly shows how your background matches the position for which you are applying, improving your chances of getting an interview and will also help you prepare for the interview itself. Employers will expect you to know what you want to do and what you have to offer. If you are interested in working for certain employers, you must research the organizations before they interview you.
There are many ways to work through this process. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Meet with your academic advisor and other professors for advice regarding classes in your major or electives that might help you decide on a major.
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Visit the University of Virginia's Choosing and Using Your Major site, a great site for all undecided students, especially liberal arts oriented students.
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Read about careers, industries, and employers. Use the Career Services resource library, or any other library or local retail bookstore to conduct your research. Through books, journals and computer programs, investigate the educational requirements, responsibilities, employment outlook and salary for different careers. Review publications that analyze current job market trends. Another useful resource for information is actual position want ads posted in newspapers. While you may not be ready to apply, you may find a position title or company that really interests you, as well as skills sought, and salary information.
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Meet with a Career Services counselor for an individual advising session if you have questions about career / major decisions.
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Use career information networks / Informational interviews. Career Services has listings of alumni and parents who have volunteered to talk with students to share information about their career fields, including how to break into the field, what positions usually entail, what the organizational culture's is really like, etc. . . Informational interviewing may sound like a "stuffy" term, but it is one of the most effective ways of learning about occupational areas. Arranging brief informational meetings with professionals who work in career fields of interest to you can be a fun, very informative and potentially rewarding activity. Contact Career Services to learn more about informational interviews and networking. Also, visit JOBTRAK's site for more information on researching employers and the networking process.
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Attend "Life after Eastern" and other Career Services-sponsored programs that feature alumni and employers.
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Attend career fairs: Attending these fairs is a great way to gather more information about what you should do to prepare and get leads on internships, co-ops and summer jobs.
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Consider participating in a study abroad programs. First semester or sophomore year is the time to get started on the application process. Contact our, Coordinator Of International Programs for more information.
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Pursue an internship, co-op or summer job. Even if it is only a few hours, internships provide great experience and help you determine if a career or graduate school is right for you.
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Identify and contact professional associations in your area of interest. Many of these organizations have printed information about career paths and professions in related disciplines. They may also be able to provide you with information about local professional groups who meet in your area. They can be a good source for contacts for informational interviewing purposes. Check out the student clubs on campus through student activities office.
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