Office of Career Services

What You Can Be Doing to Get Ready for Your Career

Deciding or confirming your choice of major

• Discuss with your academic advisor
• Look at career options associated with your major and other majors
• Make appointment with a Career Services counselor to talk about your interests, questions, ideas about the future and how to get there
• Take a career interest inventory and review it with a Career Services counselor

Developing abilities valued by employers

• Join a student organization and/or intramural/athletic team and take an active role
• Get involved in residence hall life as a floor representative, committee member, etc.
• Take part in community service activities with Campus Ministry (tutoring, food runs, etc.)
• Write an article for a student publication (The Tower, Crux, etc.)

Finding out when, where, and how to start looking into internships

• Learn from your academic department how and when internships for credit are available
• Look at the types of internships students from your major have held
• Register with Cardinal Connection and see the variety of internship opportunities offered
• Attend Fall and Spring Job/Internship Fairs, the AIAS (Architecture) Job Fair, or the Engineering Internship and Job Fair to talk with employers about what their interns do and what qualifications they seek

Creating a resume and cover letter for summer job or sophomore year internship

• Build a first draft of a resume or revise an existing resume.
• Draft basic cover letter
• Meet with Career Services counselor for a critique of resume and/or cover letter
• Attend Fall and Spring Job/Internship Fairs, AIAS (Architecture) Job Fair, or Engineering Internship and Job Fair to talk with employers about what their interns do and what qualifications they seek 

Confirming your choice of major and looking into possible minors

• Review department policies and requirements for academic minors
• Look at career options associated with your major and other majors
• Make an appointment with Career Services counselor to talk about your progress to date, and how you can use the coming years to hone in on specific career possibilities

Looking into study abroad options

• Discuss study abroad with your academic advisor
• Talk with students who have done study abroad to learn about their experiences

Knowing when, where and how to start looking into internships

• Learn from your academic department how and when internships for credit are available, and how to register
• Look at the types of internships students from your and other CUA majors have held
• Register with Cardinal Connection and see the variety of internship opportunities are offered
• Attend Fall and Spring Job/Internship Fairs, AIAS (Architecture) Job Fair or Engineering Internship and Job Fair to apply for positions (Spring fair includes Fall internships)

Creating or updating resume and cover letter

• Build a first draft or revise an existing resume
• Draft a basic cover letter or update an existing version
• Meet with Career Services counselor for a critique of resume and/or cover letter

Expanding your campus involvement/ developing abilities valued by employers

• Join a student organization and/or intramural/athletic team and take an active role; if already involved, seek out greater responsibility; branch out with new activities
• Take part in community service activities with Campus Ministry
• If working on campus, talk with your supervisor about how you can get the most valuable experience out of your position
• Attend employer networking events to mix with alumni in fields of interest

Building your global skills (intercultural and international awareness)

• Discuss electives with your academic advisor that will enhance your future ability to work internationally or with an organization with overseas activity
• Attend campus events that expose you to speakers and students with international and multicultural backgrounds

Exploring your career options including graduate school

• Look at career options associated with your major and other majors
• Make appointment with a Career Services counselor to talk about careers you are considering and what you can do to make yourself the best possible candidate possible
• Register to use Alumni Career Network to talk with CUA grads about their work

Considering graduate or law school

• Discuss graduate or professional school requirements with your academic or pre-law/pre-med advisor
• Read about possible academic programs
• Decide if/when you will take a grad exam prep course

Looking into study abroad options

• Discuss study abroad with your academic advisor
• Talk with students who have done study abroad to learn about their experiences

Get an internship

• Learn from your academic department how to register for credit for an internship
• Meet with a Career Services counselor to discuss what types of positions you are looking for; then register with Cardinal Connection and apply.
• Look at the types of internships students with your major have held
• Attend Fall and Spring Job/Internship Fairs, the AIAS (Architecture) Job Fair, or the Engineering Internship and Job Fair to apply for positions (Spring fair includes Fall internships)

Developing or revising your resume and cover letter for summer job or senior internship

• Build a first draft of a resume or revise an existing resume.
• Draft basic cover letter
• Meet with a Career Services counselor for a critique of your resume and/or cover letter

Continuing developing abilities valued by employers

• Join a student organization and take an active role; if already involved, seek out greater responsibility
• Take part in community service activities with Campus Ministry
• If working on campus, talk with your supervisor about how you can get the most valuable experience out of your position
• Attend employer networking events to mix with alumni in fields of interest

Preparing for the job search (Fall - September through December)

• Meet with a Career Services counselor (Fall semester) to discuss your ideas about jobs, and to map out a strategy
• Look at current job openings in your fields of interest to get an idea of what employers are offering and looking for
• Polish up your resume and prepare a cover letter
• Identify people who can serve as references during your job search
• Attend employer networking events to mix with alumni in fields of interest
• Register to use Alumni Career Network to talk with CUA grads about their work and how to break into their fields

Applying to graduate/ law school

• Take required admissions exam (GRE, GMAT, LSAT) (Sept.-Oct.)
• Complete applications, including personal statements (Nov.-Dec.)

Continuing to develop abilities valued by employers

• Join a student organization and take an active role; if already involved, seek out greater responsibility
• Take part in community service activities with Campus Ministry
• If working on campus, talk with your supervisor about how you can get the most valuable experience out of your position
• Attend employer networking events to mix with alumni in fields of interest

Apply for jobs (January through April)

• Identify job openings through your network, Cardinal Connection and other sources
• Do a mock job interview with a Career Services Counselor to prepare for the real thing
• Attend Spring Job/Internship Fairs, the AIAS (Architecture) Job Fair, or the Engineering Internship and Job Fair to apply for positions