Initial Publication Date: June 1, 2015
Stages of Involvement in Preparing Students for Careers
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This page is based on discussions at the 2013 Geoscience in the 21st Century Workforce workshop and stems from work by Heather Macdonald (College of William and Mary), Sen Chiao (San Jose State University), Chris Sinton (Ithaca College), Rick Ford (Weber State University)
We want to give students the motivation to take charge of their own career path early, and the tools to explore different careers. There are four stages to accomplishing this that can be incorporated into two- or four-year programs:
1. Information
This stage should begin in the first year of a student's program.
- Guide students to information about what professionals in your discipline do.
- Alumni networks are an easily accessible resource
2. Exploration
This stage should begin in the first or second year of a student's program.
- Introduce students to working professionals, in person and via resources like online career profile collections.
3. Experience
This stage should begin in the second or third year of a student's program.
- Encourage students to apply for internships and research opportunities.
- Host a lunch seminar on the availability of programs in your discipline and how to apply.
4. Job Search
This stage should begin in the second or fourth year of a student's program.
- Encourage students to begin their search for a job before they graduate
- The department should actively engage with Career Services to:
- help students with application materials
- coordinate campus visits from employers
- build strong connections between the department and potential employers