Planning a Future that Fits You
Being active in career planning is more than just choosing a major or area of study–it's finding pathways to success that fulfill who you are and what you want to achieve. An effective career plan connects the dots between the experiences you have, the work that interests you, and the goals that drive you.
Start with a Career Assessment
Understanding your interests, values, personality, and skills is key to finding possible career paths, building a community on campus around shared interests, and gaining valuable experiences that set you up for success beyond campus. The Focus2 assessment gets the core of what drives you and provides suggestions of career paths to explore.
Making a Career Plan Starts Early
There are four major components of a career plan. A career plan is always evolving and changing so revisiting each step throughout your professional career is not only normal but encouraged. The earlier you start, the more time you have to better understand yourself and options for professional work.
Get to Know Yourself and What Drives You
Start to think about the connections between your knowledge, your experiences, and your vision for your future. What brings you joy? What do you do well? What is important to you?
Connect with Career Support Early
Determing a career path that sets you up for success, both professionally and personally, takes time and intention. Meet with a career counselor early to have someone in your corner to guide you to resources and help you understand your options.
Explore Career Options
When you have an idea your interests and goals you should start to explore how those relate to various careers. Take the time to research and actively gather information to have a solid idea of what you may want to pursue.
Discover What Can I Do With This Major
Your education at Penn State can open the door to endless opportunities. Use the What Can I Do With This Major online resource to help connect your studies to potential career paths.
Take the Lead and Grow your Skills
Consider ways that you can build your skill set, both in ways that help you grow as a professional and as a person. Importantly, building skills isn't solely related to your area of study. Consider how you can expand your skills in each of NACE's 8 Areas of Career Competency.
Develop Self-Marketing Materials
Your resume, cover letter, and interview skills are some of the first impressions that you give a potential employer. Prepare and present yourself in a way that highlights the skills, experiences, and qualities that the employer or graduate school is seeking.