Career Exploration
Where Do You Want to Go with Your GCU Degree?
Everybody’s path to their career is different. Georgian Court University offers a framework for students on a four-year plan, which can be adapted based on your personal needs or the duration of your education. Our team is here to assist you in adapting this plan to make it work for you.
Exploration is an essential part of your time in college and your career preparation. This is the time to discover more about yourself, GCU, and the wide range of opportunities available to you.
You can investigate your skills and interests by joining a campus club or organization, volunteering abroad or in the community, or working on campus.
To learn more about your field of study, we advise that you use the What Can I do With This Major? site, meet with your academic advisor, and take the Focus 2 Career assessment (Access code: Lions).
GCU CareerLink allows you to search for jobs, internships, campus employment, and service-learning opportunities. You can also use it to book an appointment with a member of our team. To use it:
- Select the Students icon.
- Sign in using your GCU user ID and the password you created when you activated* the account.
*First-time CareerLink users: Enter only your GCU user ID (no password) and click Activate Account. Complete your profile and create a password for the account.
Your second year is an ideal time to gain some experience in the career world. This enables you to build skills, gain insight on your career aspirations, and expose yourself to new interests.
Again, we advise meeting with your academic advisor and/or a member of the career services team regarding your personal strengths and your field of interest.
It’s a good time to become aware of career options in your field. Gain further insights into your interests through higher level courses. Find out more about experiential learning, as GCU requires student participation in a minimum of two experiential-learning opportunities.
Outside of academics, you may want to look at expanding involvement in clubs and activities. Attend a career workshop to build your career readiness.
This is also a good time to create a LinkedIn profile or draft/update a résumé.
During your third year at Georgian Court, you’ll expand learning about your field of study and get more involved in career planning. Narrowing your career focus helps you deepen and build on the strengths and skills you’ve gained through your experiences.
Students who plan to attend graduate or professional school will begin applications. To do that, you’ll want to pursue admissions testing; create a timeline for application deadlines; and gather letters of reference from faculty, staff, coaches, advisors, or employers.
Meeting with your academic advisor to confirm your degree requirements and discuss your progress is a must to ensure you are on track to graduate on time.
Career planning is vital during the third year. Expand your professional qualifications and meet any remaining experiential learning requirements by completing an internship, service-learning opportunity, global studies program, or faculty-led research. Cultivate your networking and interview skills by participating in campus employer networking events and utilizing the Big Interview to prepare. Be sure to update your online professional profiles, including LinkedIn and CareerLink.
As for campus life, take on a leadership role in a club or activity. These aren’t just résumé-builders—they’re a great way to gain skills you’ll need for the rest of your life.
Senior year: it’s time to finish strong!
Keep up with coursework and leadership positions. They provide a valuable basis to build your network and your résumé.
Expand your network by joining a professional association. As a student, membership fees are less or waived. Conduct informational interviews with people in your field of interest. Consult Designing Your Career: The Informational Interview for tips.
With the skills and knowledge you gained through your internships and other experiences, it is time to secure at least three references. Seek one reference from a faculty member who had you in at least one class; one from a coach/advisor or employer who knows you well; and one from a third person who can speak to your professional qualifications (could be an additional faculty member, coach/advisor, or employer).
Fine-tune your job search skills. Update your résumé and have a career services team member review it. Sharpen your interviewing skills through mock interviews, using Big Interview.
