Members of the Career Services Network have agreed that the following model represents the way students should approach their career development while at Syracuse. Naturally, students enter at different stages in this model, progress at different paces, engage in some stages simultaneously, and frequently revisit earlier stages as they revise their ideas for their career futures.  Although not every member office in the Network addresses all these facets of career development, this model guides the way they integrate their services, resources, and career advising with the rest of the Network for the overall benefit of SU students.

The Six Stages:

Settling In
Exploring Academic/Career Options
Choosing Major Area(s) of Study
Testing Decisions: Coursework and Experiential Learning
Acquiring Job Search and Transitioning Skills
Creating and Executing a Strategic Transitional Plan
 
 

AT THIS STAGE	STUDENTS SHOULD:	FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE:
Settling In	Explore academic, social, and co-curricular activities Explore interests by choosing a variety of academic courses Participate in Freshman Forum Establish and strengthen study and time management skills Identify the career services office in your home college Get to know academic advisors	Visit the Center for Career Services in the Schine Center  Connect with other campus offices dealing with extra-curricular activities and special populations. Many are part of the Division of Student Affairs. Participate in programs offered through the Office of Residence Life Become familiar with OrangeLink which provides online access to internships and much more.
Exploring Academic  and Career Options	Begin clarifying career and academic goals through discussions with academic and career advisors, upperclass students, alumni/ae, and career professionals Use career guidance tools to assess skills, abilities, interests, temperament, and career-related values and to learn how they might suggest certain career options Become more involved in one or more co-curricular activities Develop or revise your personal resume to capture new experiences and details of co-curricular involvements	Visit the Center for Career Services to see how guidance tools can help with exploration and decision-making, and how print and online resources can illuminate fields and options Draw on faculty for information and referrals relative to your career interests Use family, friends, co-workers and former employers to gain input on your talents, temperament and other gifts Register with OrangeLink through the Center for Career Services to monitor career events that bring employers and alumni to campus
Choosing Major  Area of Study	Discuss career ideas with advisors in academic advising sessions  Attend events that provide information about majors and careers Explore job market and employment trends in fields of interest to learn employer/industry academic preferences Conduct informational interviews with personal, alumni, and other contacts Join a professional and/or a volunteer organization or interest group Focus on planning for career-related activity during academic breaks	Check with career services office in your home college and  the Center for Career Services to 1) identify alumni networking possibilities; 2) access information on careers, markets, and trends in your interest fields that may help solidify academic choices, i.e. majors, minors, etc.; and 3) begin to gain resume writing and other job seeking skills.
Testing Decisions: Coursework and Experiential Learning	Participate in internships or co-op experiences Engage in volunteer and/or community service Study abroad and consider an international internship Take advantage of research, work/study employment, field work built into your curriculum, or other skill-building activities on campus Focus on summer opportunities to build new skills and to experience professional environments Capitalize on on- and off-campus interviewing opportunities and related career fairs and events Continue networking and market research Discuss evolving career interests with advisors including the role further education might play and its timing Update your resume	Connect with theCenter for Career Services to explore internships. Visit the Center for Public and Community Service to explore volunteer opportunities Use the Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA) to explore international study and internships Consider the options offered through the i-Learn program and student organizations to gain marketable skills Stay abreast of resources in your home college career office and in the Center for Career Services that address internships, seasonal jobs, and other experiential learning possibilities
Acquiring Job Search and Transitional Skills	Develop and/or update resume through reflection on academic and work experiences Refine job search and interviewing skills Participate in mock interviewing opportunities Reassess and refine abilities to write and speak about skills  Research graduate, professional, and post-graduate training opportunities as they relate to career interests to-date Take graduate admissions examinations, gather references, and apply to schools if immediate further study is warranted Continue contact building, market and employer research	Have resumes and cover letter critiqued in your home college career office and at the Center for Career Services Schedule a mock interview at the Center for Career Services to strengthen your self-presentation Utilize the University Pre-Law Advisor, the Health Professions Advisory Program, the Center for Career Services, faculty and other resources to evaluate the advisability, focus and timing of more education Use the print and online resources as well as the advisors in your home college and the Center for Career Services to continue your research and evaluation of options
Creating and Executing a  Strategic  Plan for  Transition	Prioritize choices for post-graduate activities, i.e. employment, study, service, travel, etc. Develop a field-specific search plan reflecting if and how campus services and opportunities will likely play a role Participate in workshops and seek feedback on decision-making, job search strategies, interviewing skills, salary research and negotiation, and succeeding in a first job Capitalize on on- and off-campus interviewing opportunities and related career fairs and events Continue networking and researching specific opportunities Share your experiences and perspectives with students in other stages of this process Celebrate your acceptance of a new position or your admission to a program of further study, then  join an alumni network and help current students!	Use OrangeLink to particpate in on- and off-campus recruiting activities, and to learn of career fairs and other related events Practice, practice, practice your interviewing skills at the Center for Career Services and with your home college career services office Connect with offices like the SU Alumni Relations Office and the Program Development Office to maximize alumni networking Attend sessions focused on the transition from student to professional life to learn about managing your work and private life Continue to discuss your personal strategy with advisors, family, employers, and others (you've come a long way from settling in!)