Embedded Files
Planning Your Future
Planning Your Future
Deciding on a major or a career direction can feel overwhelming. However, you are not alone! Brenau University Career Services is committed to helping you build a lifetime of meaningful career success. We encourage you to move though the four-step Career Development Plan and to take advantage of the various ways Career Services can help guide you though each stage of the process.
Assessment
Exploration
Decision-Making
Pursue
Assessment
Assessment
Assessment means discovering who you are and this begins by understanding four main elements: Your personality, interests, skills, and values.
Personality: Who am I?
Interests: What do I like (and dislike)?
Skills: What am I good at?
Values: What's important to me?
The goal is to help you identify a good career "fit" by communicating and understanding how these four elements interrelate and connect to careers.
How can Career Services assist you?
How can Career Services assist you?
Make an appointment to meet individually with a career counselor for help with assessments and early planning
Begin to identify career fields and/or academic programs that fit your interests and abilities
Create a draft resume and have a career counselor review it
Complete your Handshake profile
Start your LinkedIn profile
Get Involved
Exploration
Exploration
Once you've gained insight into your personality, interests, skills, and values though self-assessment, explore career options for which you may be best suited.
How can Career Services assist you?
How can Career Services assist you?
Explore your career matches
Learn more about different careers
Decide on a major and learn what career paths a major can offer
Conduct informational interviews
Explore opportunities to gain relevant work experience, such as summer jobs, job shadowing, volunteer work, or internships
Update your Resume
Update your LinkedIn profile
Decision-Making
Decision-Making
You've done a lot of assessment and exploration. Now its time to work on understanding how your preferences and skills relate to certain career paths, work environments, etc., and begin making realistic decision on next potential steps in your career journeys. It is time to start gaining experience, pursing opportunities, developing your searching skills, and building connects to help make those realistic decisions on your next steps.
How can Career Services assist you?
How can Career Services assist you?
Get an Internship
Research and decide on Grad School
Take time to research industries, fields, and organizations that match your interests and your geographic preference to understand traditional career paths and discover new ones. Use PathwayU and the many resources available in Handshake and on the Career Services Home Page.
Sharpen your skills: Resume and cover letter writing, networking, and interviewing
Attend networking events, join professional organization, and connect with people at organizations and in fields of interest to you.
Keep your online profiles (LinkedIn and Handshake) up to date
Assume leadership roles/officer positions in your organizations and continue to participate in extracurricular activities
Participate in mock interviews
Pursue
Pursue
You have reached the final step and now it is time for you to take action! You're ready to apply for graduate school or full-time jobs. In order to take action to reach your career goals you need to identify the short-term and long-term steps that you need to take, create deadlines for the completion of each step, identify ways to stay motived, and then take the steps you've identified.
How can Career Services assist you?
How can Career Services assist you?
Meet with a Career Counselor
Refer back to your career goals, interests, strengths, and values for guidance
Network: Over 70% of jobs are never posted but found though networking.
Join the Brenau University Alumni Network
Keep researching employers and industries that match your career interests and geographic preferences
Accept an offer: Work with career staff to evaluate and negotiate job offers. Take time to research salary information in your field and geographic location, utilizing the helpful resources in Handshake
Page updated
Report abuse