Mapping Your Path from College to Career
Invest in yourself by taking small steps toward becoming career-ready throughout your college journey. Each phase below is loosely associated with your year in school, but where you are right now is a great place to start. The Career Management Center is here to support you along the way!
1. Set the foundation
- Clarify your interests, skills, values, and strengths to make an informed decision on your business concentration(s).
- Create a college resume and complete your CSU Handshake profile to prepare for future opportunities.
- Visit the Career Management Center for a drop-in meeting and attend one career-readiness event to get familiar with the career support available.
- Get engaged on campus. Attend CSU and College of Business events, explore student organizations, and seek on-campus student employment.
2. Learn about career paths
- Get curious about career possibilities. Explore the resource What Can I Do with This Major? to discover different paths connected to your concentration and interests.
- Create or update your LinkedIn Profile and visit the Career Management Center for a drop-in review.
- Connect with professionals to learn. Use Rams Connect to have a conversation with an alum or industry expert to ask questions about their career path.
- Attend the Career Fair Preview at the College of Business Career Fair to get comfortable talking to recruiters and learn about internships—some might be open to sophomores or recruit more than a year in advance.
- Stay engaged on campus. Continue participating in a student organization that interests you, seek mentorship from experienced peers, and begin the practice of attending faculty office hours.
3. Gain experience and knowledge
- Seek out internships. Use Handshake, attend the College of Business Career Fairs, stop by Employer of the Day Tables, and register for Virtual Employer Sessions.
- Visit the Career Management Center for a drop-in meeting to discuss internship applications and practice interviews.
- Target your resume for your field(s) of interest and attend Recruiter Resume Revisions for employer feedback.
- Prepare for professional settings. Purchase professional clothing for interviews and career fairs. If cost is a concern, visit the CMC to explore the Professional Clothing Fund for support.
- Take active steps toward your career. Network with alumni and industry professionals on Rams Connect and complete a Virtual Job Simulation on Forage.
- Enhance your qualifications by taking a leadership role in a student organization or participating in a business case competition.
4. Secure and prepare for your career
- Schedule a Career Management Center appointment to discuss post-graduation options, recruiting timelines, and proactive job search strategies.
- Attend multiple career fairs to expand your post-graduation job options.
- Build your network of career boosters. Connect with mentors on Rams Connect, grow your LinkedIn connections, and join a Professional Association as a student member.
- Enhance your qualifications by completing LinkedIn Learning courses and applying to micro-internships.
- Explore graduate school options (if applicable). Start researching schools, application requirements, and timelines early in the fall semester.
- Polish your personal branding and online presence. Review your resume and LinkedIn profile, and add projects, and skills that showcase your expertise in your targeted field.
- Create a list of target companies that match your career interests and preferences.
- Practice advanced interview skills. Use Big Interview to practice virtual interviews and common behavioral questions; schedule a career counseling appointment for added support.
- Plan for offer negotiation. Research salary benchmarks, review First Destination Outcomes data, and explore best practices for negotiating job offers.
