Career Development Timeline |
| As you pursue your career at Buffalo State College, this timeline can be a useful guide to establish goals, make effective decisions, and gain employment and/or
admission to graduate school. These are suggested activities to engage in your
career development; the order in which you follow the guidelines below is not
sequential or absolute. For additional career advice and support, please contact the Career Development Center (CDC). |
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Freshman Year |
- Develop effective career decision-making skills by learning more about yourself and researching majors and careers.
- Use DISCOVER, an online career inventory, to learn about your interests, abilities, and values.
- Register for UNC 111: Career Planning in Theory and Practice, a course designed to help you choose a major/career.
- Learn more about what you can do with your major by visiting the CDC Career Resource Library and using the CDC website resources.
- Take classes that seem interesting to you, since interests can be a good indicator of career satisfaction.
- Write your first resume by attending a CDC resume writing workshop or using CDC website resources.
- Search for part-time and summer opportunities through ORCA, the Online Resource for Career Advancement; located on the CDC website. Part-time and summer employment is a great way to explore your interests, develop skills, and make money.
- Explore volunteer opportunities and register for service-learning courses which help you get experience and get involved, while giving back to the community.
- Participate in academic clubs, student organizations, or other campus activities to gain skills, meet people, and become more connected with BSC.
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Sophomore Year |
- Research majors of interest using the CDC Career Resource Library or web resources.
- Investigate careers related to the majors you are considering.
- Meet with faculty members to learn more about your major of interest.
- Talk to professionals to learn more about careers that interest you.
- Gain work-related skills through part-time and summer employment.
- Volunteer in the community and become involved in student organizations to develop leadership skills and get experience related to your career/major.
- Begin researching departmental requirements for internships.
- Update your resume highlighting your new experiences and skills.
- Evaluate and confirm your tentative major/career decision.
- Meet with a career counselor to help you clarify your major/career decision.
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Junior Year
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- Determine the skills employers are seeking and identify experiences outside of the classroom to develop those relevant skills. The CDC can help with this.
- Diversify your experiences through part-time and summer jobs, internships, volunteering and student organizations to help further develop professional skills.
- Secure an internship to gain relevant work experience or apply for a summer research fellowship, if you are planning to attend graduate/professional school.
- Explore the requirements and qualifications for jobs in your desired field.
- Investigate graduate or professional degree requirements in your field.
- Research potential graduate school and professional programs of interest, including admissions requirements such as entrance exams (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT).
- Update your resume to reflect new experiences and skills.
- Attend cover letter writing workshops and use CDC website resources to write an effective cover letter.
- Professionalize your image. Make sure you have a professional e-mail address, voicemail and Facebook page.
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Senior Year |
- Gain and expand work-related skills by seeking additional experiences and employment opportunities outside of the classroom.
- Understand and connect your experiences and knowledge to the requirements and qualifications for the jobs in your desired field.
- Utilize the CDC’s job posting site, ORCA, to find a professional position.
- Attend the CDC’s Job Search workshop and review our web resources to learn more about job searching techniques; particularly how to find advertised and unadvertised openings.
- Update your resume and cover letter with related experiences.
- Learn interviewing strategies by attending the interviewing workshop, scheduling a mock interview and/or using CDC website resources.
- Meet with a career counselor to have your resume and cover letter critiqued.
- Attend job fairs and check out the CDC’s website to learn more about employers coming to campus.
- Attend Graduate School and Law School Fairs to meet with local, national, and international graduate and professional school recruiters.
- Review admissions requirements and deadlines for desired graduate school programs.
- Meet with a career counselor to review your personal statement, letter of intent, or resume for graduate school.
- Join professional networking sites such as LinkedIn or the Buffalo State Alumni Association Community to increase your chances of finding a job and to learn more about your career field.
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