Summer!

School’s OUT…for SUMMER!

Freshman Checklist

Even though it may seem early – you can still work on your career success after your freshman year.  Take the summer to define your values and goals for the next three years. Explore who you are and where you have come from to help you map where you are going!

¨  Find a summer position that will help you improve your transferable skills! For example, work at a local company as a desk receptionist to improve your interpersonal communication and organizational skills.

¨  Did you want to be firewomen, a pilot or a farmer growing up? Take a day out of the summer to job shadow someone in that industry.

¨  Take a day to be a tourist in your hometown. Visit the local historical sites, hotspots and talk to people you do not know. Discover the culture of where you have come from!

¨  Take Vacation! Visit cities that you would potentially like to live during one of the upcoming summers or after graduation. Discover what industries are prominent in that city.

¨  Network, Network, Network! Start networking professionally online. Spend a rainy or humid day inside developing your LinkedIn Profile.

¨  Talk to a perfect stranger! Ok, ok… We know your mom always advised you not to, but we promise you’ll thank us! Take a moment to compliment someone in an elevator or while traveling on an airplane. No need to give them your life story, but improving your confidence in speaking with people will be helpful no matter what industry you are pursuing.

¨  Don’t forget about us! Even though you are out traveling the world, we will be open at Marquette all summer long! Feel free to email us at career.services@marquette.edu or call 414-288-7423 to schedule an appointment for when you are on-campus!

 

Sophomore Checklist

You have made it through two years as an underclassman and have developed your values and started creating your professional goals. Now it is time to build off of the base you have created and start building your dream!

¨  Give Back! Volunteer at a local non-profit organization. The summer between your Sophomore and Junior year is your half way mark. Why not take the time to take a little break from the for-profit world to understand how things function in the non-profit environment?

¨  Visit your roommates! Take a couple of days or a week to travel to visit your roommate. Discover the culture of their hometown so you can not only better understand why they call a vacuum the “sweeper” or why they wake up at 5:27am every morning, but also so you can gain a better understanding of diversity around you. (Ok.. maybe your roommate isn’t that different, but we guarantee you will learn something on your trip!)

¨  I have a dream! Take the summer to dream about studying abroad! Research each country and discover what will be a good fit for you. Speak with Office of International Education and come up with a plan to present to your parents!

¨  Network, Network, Network! Start networking professionally online. Spend a rainy or humid day inside developing your LinkedIn Profile.

¨  Don’t forget about us! Even though you are out traveling the world, we will be open at Marquette all summer long! Feel free to email us at career.services@marquette.edu or call 414-288-7423 to schedule an appointment for when you are on-campus!

Junior Checklist

Do you have to start applying for full time jobs this summer?  No. 

Do you need to be prepared to start the job search/graduate school application process when you return in Fall?  Yes!

¨  Celebrate good times! Come on! (Ok. Maybe you don’t know this oldie, but if you do, it’s now stuck in your head and you’re ready to party!) Celebrate the fact that you will be a senior! Seriously. Forget the fact that you still have one year ahead of you, sit back and relax for a day!

¨  Let us help you through the job search process and get 1 class credit for it! Enroll in Job Search Strategies course (ARSC 1050). This course will cover everything you will need to complete for your job search from understanding how to write a resume to discussing financial planning.

¨  Utilize your LinkedIn Profile! You’ve been working on it for the last two years. Now is the time for your hard work to pay off. Utilize the recommendation feature to improve your profile. Speaking of recommendations, have you started asking your professors and professional connections to be references of your work for potential employers or graduate school?

¨  Meet the top of the town face-to-face! Chamber of Commerce meetings are a great way to meet some of the most influential leaders of a community. Check out your local Chamber of Commerce website to find the monthly meeting dates.

¨  Dress the part! Do a little shopping for professional clothing – maybe even a suit? If you have questions about what kind of clothing fits your industry, we would be happy to help!

¨  Test the water. Slowly begin your job search. If you haven’t already…join MU Career Manager

o    Set up a job agent if you are job/internship searching! (The job agent searches for you, even when you’re watching Lost or The Office or scanning Facebook.)

o    Upload a resume to be critiqued by one of our career professionals

¨  Get the Basics Down. Make sure you have an awesome resume, cover letter, and start a reference list

o    Need help?  Either make an appointment or email it to career.services@marquette.edu

o    Check out our online handouts! 

¨  Don’t forget about us! We want to join in the celebration of the start of your senior year! Feel free to email us at career.services@marquette.edu or call 414-288-7423 to schedule an appointment for when you are on-campus!

Senior Checklist

Reflecting back now, the years have passed quickly with your time at Marquette. Moving on from your undergraduate experience, you will have excited twists and turns in your paths that are unexpected, but rewarding. Don’t forget to keep in touch with us about your achievements and allow us to help us with your future decisions.

¨  Stop. Breathe. Repeat. You’ve made it through your last undergraduate finals week! Relax!

¨  Prep for the Real World! Trust us; college is not the real world! If you don’t feel like you know enough about the real world – do some research!

o    Figure out your budget expenses – use our handout

o    Make sure you have health insurance!

o    Do you know where you are living?

¨  Have a Job? Congratulations!!

o    Make sure you have enough business attire – and if you aren’t sure what the typical dress is for the company…just ask!

o    Report your hire on MU Career Manager

¨  Still looking? If you do not have a job finalized at this point…

o    Stop. Breathe. You are not alone in this economy!

o    If you haven’t visited our office yet, we want to see you!

o    Continue to push through senior week and graduation. Set up a schedule of time when you will work on your job search. It is much easier to commit to working on the job search when you have a consistent schedule.

¨  Give Thanks! You didn’t get this far on your own. Yes, you’ve worked hard and you deserve a lot of credit, but also don’t forget to give credit where it is deserved. Remember that time your roommate stayed up until 5am to help you with your final poster board project? Or when you called your mom at work to ask her what to do when your white laundry comes out red? Send them a quick note to say thanks for everything they have done in the past few years!

¨  Don’t forget about us! Even though you are moving on to new and exciting steps, you are welcome as alumni to utilize our services. Feel free to email us at career.services@marquette.edu or call 414-288-7423 to schedule an appointment for when you are on-campus!