F.A.S.T Four-Year College Action Plan
First Year: Awareness, Self-Exploration and Assessment
Second Year: Career Exploration
- Update your academic and personal information on NACElink
- Fine tune your resume
- Meet with career advisor to discuss career options
- Learn what careers meet your needs: values, activities, present skills, future skills
- Explore career options that match your interests. Career Services's website is a good place to start: http://www.career.mtu.edu/students/guidance.php
- Revisit MyPlan assessments found on the Career Services website
- Research career options: collect information, learn about job market outlook, talk to faculty and people in the field, read about occupations and necessary training
- Read about Michigan Tech alumni to see what careers they pursued with their majors
- Attend workshops and practice interviewing
- Volunteer, participate in related activities or organizations, do an independent study, develop and work on a project in area of interest
- Go to company informational meetings to learn more about companies who may be interesting to you
- Join organizations to participate in various activities and develop leadership and teamwork skills
- Go to the job fairs to hone your interviewing skills and seek out a co-op or internship!
Third Year: Preparation and Decision Making
- Repeat Sophomore action plan
- Check out Career Services's webpage for great information!
- Fine tune your resume, references and cover letters
- Monitor NACElink for updated job postings
- Practice interviewing (Participate in the Mock Interview Program)
- Attend career prep seminars
- Attend the job fairs
- Co-op or intern now if you haven't already! Approximately 85% of students that co-op receive offers from company.
- Participate in student activities or volunteer work to gain leadership skills and develop communication skills
- Work on interpersonal, computer, and other soft skills
- Narrow your career options based on your experiences and reality
- Understand long and short-range outcomes of possible choices
- Decide on career to pursue
- Develop alternative goals
Fourth+ Year: Implementation and Job Search Campaign
- Repeat Junior action plan
- Go to the Senior Meeting in early fall
- Attend career prep seminars offered by Career Services
- Sign up for resume review and mock interviews
- Update resume and information on NACElink
- Constantly monitor NACElink for updated job postings
- Target and research employers and organizations
- Go to the job fairs
- Develop network and contacts
- Understand salary ranges and cost of living comparisons
- Follow up with potential employers
- Meet with Career Services personnel for advice.
- Prepare your finances. Learn more at www.cashcourse.org/michigantech
