Four Year Planning Guide

Discover What Makes You Unique
Begin identifying your strengths, values, abilities, interests, and skills—these are the building blocks of your future career.

Get Involved and Explore
Engage in campus activities, connect with others, and explore opportunities that help you learn more about yourself and your options.

Take full advantage of:

• Advising and Registration Experience. Connect with resources needed to be successful in your first semester.
• Advisors. Register for classes.
• Career Counselors. Clarify your academic and career interests and options.
• The Career Center to explore majors.
• Events and Job Fairs. Take the opportunity to get familiar with how they work.
• FOCUS and Husky Interest Assessment. Take these assessments to identify careers that match your interests, skills, values and personality.
• Handshake. Find a part-time or summer job to start gaining work experience and important skills.
• Huskies Advance Track to start early on connecting your academic major with your passion.
• Huskies First Four Days. Meet other students, learn more about St. Cloud State University and find ways to connect with the Husky community.
• Mainstreet & Sidestreet. Get involved! Identify at least two student organizations or residence hall activities that will help you explore and define your career goals while building communication, teamwork and critical-thinking skills.
• Volunteer opportunities. Gain experiences that expand your skill set.
• Write a résumé. Develop a résumé for part-time jobs, internships or service-learning projects. Update it regularly.
• Other tips:
  • Start your college journey on the right foot by staying focused in your classes and developing effective study habits. Building these skills early will set you up for long-term success in the classroom and beyond.
  • Think about what you value in a career. Is it flexibility, a high salary, prestige, or meaningful work? Knowing what matters to you can help guide your choices.
  • Identify your main areas of interest (hobbies, school subjects, extracurricular activities, etc.) and which majors or careers they might relate to.
  • Make a tentative list of 5-10 majors or careers you want to explore further.
  • Take a variety of classes to complete your liberal education requirements. Explore new topics.
  • Get to know your instructors. Begin building relationships and seek out an academic mentor.

Focus Your Academic Path
Begin narrowing down your choices for a major (and minor) and take the next step by applying for admission to your chosen program.

Connect Your Major to Career Possibilities
Explore career paths that align with your academic interests. Research how your major can lead to meaningful opportunities in the workforce.

Kick off your career exploration with:

• Advisors. Ask for help with your class selection.
• Career Counselors. Get help choosing a major and exploring careers.
• COLL 111, Career Planning. Get started on your career journey by learning how to explore and research different career paths.
• Education Abroad. Check out programs for a chance to study in a foreign country and gain valuable experience living in another culture.
• Handshake. Find an internship, part-time or summer job to start gaining work experience and important skills.
• Huskies Advance Track to start connecting your academic major with your passion.
• Informational Interviews or Job Shadow. Meet with professionals who are working in fields that interest you to learn about the career and the world of work.
• Internship exploration.  Start gaining experience related to your major.
• Networking Events and Job and Internship Fairs. Start networking with employers and identify internship possibilities.
• Volunteer opportunities. Find an organization that will give you experience related to your major or career field.
• Other tips:
  • Enroll in introductory courses in majors you may be considering to see if it is a good fit.
  • Talk to faculty and current students in the major(s) you are interested in to learn more about the field and academic requirements.
  • Choose your major and meet with your new major faculty advisor to set up an academic plan and discuss your goals. Meet with a career counselor to clarify your decision. Get to know faculty in your major.
  • Establish short-term and long-term goals related to your career.
  • Find out what types of careers you can pursue with your major.

Connect Who You Are to What You Do
Explore how your interests, abilities, and values align with potential career paths. Gaining hands-on experience will help you clarify your direction and build confidence in your choices.

Think Creatively About Skill-Building
Look for opportunities—both in and out of the classroom—where you can develop transferable skills like communication, leadership, and problem-solving. These experiences will serve you well in any career.

Employer your path with:

• Career Center Resources. Research employers, salary information, employment outlook, etc.
• Career Counselors, faculty members and professionals. Make a tentative career goal and a list of alternative career options to discuss.
• Choose your courses carefully. Stay on track for graduation. Consider a minor or enroll in classes that will complement your major or career goals.
• Events and Job Fairs. Connect with potential employers for jobs or internships.
• Get advice directly from employers. Attend a Walk In Wednesday to get direct help from employers on your resume, job search, interviewing skills or LinkedIn profile.
• Graduate and Professional Programs. If you are considering graduate or professional school, start to evaluate this now. Register and plan on taking any admission exams (GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT) during the summer before your senior year.
• Huskies Advance Track to connect your academic major with your passion.
• Informational interviews or Job Shadowing. Focuses your career goals, obtain real world information and network.
• Internships. Secure a career-related internship during the year or the summer before your senior year. Connect with your major advisor or internship coordinator to discuss how to incorporate internships into your academic plan.
• Leadership Skills. Developed through part-time work and student or professional organizations such as Student Government, Residential Life, Volunteering/Service Learning, or Department of Campus Involvement.
• Resume and Cover Letters. Continue to update and polish these; have them reviewed by Career Center staff.
• Update your profile in Handshake. Search and apply for jobs and internships, post your updated resume, and sign up for on-campus interviews.
• Other tips:
  • Relate course projects and papers to your career field.
  • Research. Learn as much as you can to prepare for your desired career field.

Start Early and Stay Engaged
Begin your job search process as early as possible. Being proactive and involved will help you uncover opportunities and build momentum toward your goals.

Take the Next Step
Identify and apply for jobs that align with your interests and skills—or prepare for graduate school if that’s part of your plan. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Start building your future with:

• The Career Center. Visit us for interviewing, resume writing and job searching tips, and more!
• Career Events and Job and Internship Fairs. A great opportunity to network with employers.
• Complete your Huskies Advance Track to connect your academic major with your passion.
• Get advice directly from employers. Attend a Walk In Wednesday to get direct help from employers on your resume, job search, interviewing skills or LinkedIn profile.
• Graduate school. Narrow your choices and submit applications. Pay attention to deadlines – many applications are due as early as January.
• Handshake. Search and apply for jobs, post your resume, get employer contact information, find upcoming dates for employer presentations and more.
• Internship. Strongly consider doing an internship. If you have already done one, consider doing a second internship to gain more experience and transition to your career.
• Interview. A great opportunity to network with employers on-campus.
• LinkedIn. Create an account to connect with potential employer contacts.
• Make an appointment to brainstorm job search strategies for your field and create an individualized job search plan.
• Reference Letters. Request them from individuals (professors, current or previous employers, mentors) and give them a copy of your resume.
• Resume and Cover Letter. Take them to the Career Center to have them reviewed.
• Review Our Husky Compact to help articulate your experiences on campus to future employers.
• Other tips:
  • Don’t wait until after you graduate to start your job search.
  • Many fields start hiring new graduates six months in advance.
  • Serve in leadership roles on campus and in the community.
  • Identify interesting job opportunities and submit applications. Stay organized by keeping a log of all employer contacts, interview offers and follow-up activities.
  • Research potential employers who you might want to work for.
  • Research topics such as salary negotiation and relocation, etc.