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How Your Support Changes from Freshman to Senior Year
kspencer
Career preparation may seem like a senior-year task, but starting early creates opportunities for internships, leadership, professional connections and future employment. The campus career center is a valuable place to begin.
Career centers are not reserved for graduating seniors. They can help students explore careers, improve résumés, practice interviewing, and find internships or part-time work. Many also connect students with alumni and employers through workshops, networking events, and career fairs. Attending a career fair as a first year or sophomore student offers a low-pressure opportunity to meet employers and learn what different industries expect. Even students who are not ready to apply can gain confidence speaking with recruiters.
Employers look for more than a degree. Internships are valuable, but campus leadership, research, volunteer service, part-time jobs, student organizations, and academic projects also build transferable skills. Students should learn to describe what those experiences taught them. Organizing an event may demonstrate project management; a campus job may show reliability and communication; a team project may illustrate collaboration and problem-solving. Reflecting on these lessons makes them easier to discuss in interviews.
A résumé should develop throughout college, not be assembled from memory during senior year. Each semester, add new roles, activities, skills, certifications, and relevant projects. Brief notes about responsibilities and accomplishments will simplify future updates. Students should also maintain LinkedIn and Handshake profiles and connect with professors, supervisors, alumni, and mentors. A network built gradually is more authentic—and useful—than one created only when a job is needed. Career preparation develops through experiences, relationships, and decisions over time. Starting early gives students room to explore and approach the future confidently
Career Readiness Checklist
→ Visit your Career Center this semester.
→ Attend at least one career fair or employer event.
→ Update your résumé with recent experiences.
→ Create or refresh your LinkedIn and Handshake profiles.
→ Apply for internships, research opportunities, or leadership roles.
→ Build one new professional connection each semester.
Remember:
Career preparation isn’t something you do after college—it’s something you build throughout college. The small steps you take today can lead to the internship, mentor, or opportunity that shapes your future.
