Navigating Your Career Journey: Essential G.O.A.L.S. for UC Davis Students
For many people growing up, the goal is to attend college. It is a major milestone and a goal that can take up a lot of focus. For some, this big goal can make it hard to see past college and look ahead to the many years that will make up a career. Long and potentially varied, some might view ‘career’ as a vast unknown to be dealt with later. However, college goes by quickly, so the start of a career comes up faster than some might expect. If your students find themselves at UC Davis feeling unsure of how to work towards their career goals, here are a few ways to make their G.O.A.L.S. work for them:
Get out there: Get involved in one new thing
Experiential education is a key piece of career development that will help your student gain experience, make connections, and explore different careers. This could mean pursuing an internship, applying for an on-campus job, participating in research, or joining a club, among other things.
Open mind: Take one career assessment and review the results
If your student feels unsure of what career they want to pursue, it could be helpful to think about how potential career paths fit with their interests and values by taking an assessment. Some to consider are the O*Net Interest Profiler or the California Career Zone Quick Assessment.
Ask questions & Listen: Conduct three informational interviews with professionals
There are professionals all around us with a wealth of knowledge about their jobs and industries, but we have to take initiative to learn from them. Informational interviews are an opportunity for your student to ask questions and learn about different jobs, companies, graduate degrees, and more. They might interview professionals who are also on campus, such as UC Davis faculty or staff, or make new connections at campus employer events or on LinkedIn.
Stand Out: Engage with Internship and Career Center (ICC) services once per quarter
The ICC has many services to support students and recent alumni through the entire process of career exploration, networking, job searching, interviewing, and salary negotiation. Encourage your student to stop by our office for drop-in advising with a peer advisor, schedule a career advising appointment with a career advisor, utilize Resume Review+ for written feedback on their resume or cover letter, attend a workshop or career fair, and much more!
The ICC is here to support your student on their career journey whether they are feeling completely unsure of their goals or certain about what their next step will be.