Career Preparation
Once you have decided on a particular career path or perhaps a couple of career paths you are interested in pursuing, you should take the time to prepare before you start applying for positions. We suggest beginning to prepare at least one year before your estimated graduation date. So, how should you start preparing?
General Career Preparation Tips
- Start by building your Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume and update these documents at least once per semester. See below for examples and templates.
- Identify any skills gaps you might have and work on gaining additional experience and skill development through volunteering, internships, coursework, and other opportunities.
- Work on developing your own templates for additional job application materials such as a basic cover letter that you can adapt for each application, writing samples, teaching or research statements, and sample syllabi.
- Take advantage of opportunities to present your work or speak to different audiences, do a mock interview at the career center, or see if you can set up a teaching demo in your department.
- Audit your online presence - what do people see if they search for you on Google? Is your LinkedIn profile up to date and error free? How are your privacy settings set up on your Facebook account?
Explore the resources below for additional information and tips on cv/resume development, building your online presence, and prepping for interviews
Career Prep Resources
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Resources
Loosely translated from Latin as "courses of my life" a CV encompasses the entirety of one's academic, research, and professional work and accomplishments. CVs are generally used in academic or research career settings to apply for jobs, tenure, and grant
Learn more about crafting your CV.
Resumes and CV/Resume Hybrid Resources
Most positions will required a resume and in some cases a CV/resume hybrid.
Learn more about building effective resumes.
Online Presence
It's important that your online presence showcases your skills, experiences, research or creative works.
Learn more about curating your online presence and creating effective LinkedIn profiles.
Swipe to see more