Career Planning and Exploration
Welcome to the Career Resource Guide, a document designed to help you navigate the exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) journey of college and career. This guide acts as a supplement to the other career resources at The Ohio State University, including Buckeye Careers and your college’s career services office.
College is a fantastic time to explore your passions and consider different career paths, and this guide is here to support you every step of the way. Whether you are just beginning to think about your career or are ready to start your job search, we’ve got you covered. You’ll find practical advice on exploring potential career paths, developing essential transferable skills, networking effectively, and crafting resumes and cover letters.
As you embark on this journey, remember that your career is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be challenges and setbacks along the way, but each
experience will contribute to your growth and resilience. Embrace the learning process, seek out opportunities for continuous development and stay open to new possibilities.
Career Planning
Career planning refers to the process of setting both short-term and long-term professional goals by assessing one’s skills, interests, values, and personality traits to align them with suitable career paths.
Career planning is important as you explore your potential career paths. Keep in mind that this process will likely grow and change alongside your career. The way you engage in career planning as an undergraduate student may look very different from how you might engage in career planning 5-10 years from now, and that is perfectly normal.
Career planning typically includes the following:
- Self-assessment: Evaluate your strengths, weaknesses, interests, values, and preferences. It helps in understanding your skills and determining the types of careers that are a good fit for you.
- Exploring career options: Research various industries, job roles, and career paths that align with your interests and skills. Consider factors such as job growth, salary potential, work environment, and required qualifications.
- Setting goals: Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) career goals based on your self-assessment and exploration. These goals should be aligned with your long-term aspirations and help guide your career decisions.
- Developing skills: Identify the skills and knowledge required for your desired career path. Take proactive steps to develop these skills through education, internships, on-campus employment, and student organizations involvement, volunteer experience, etc.
- Networking: Build professional relationships and networks within your industry or field of interest.
Networking can provide valuable insights, opportunities for mentorship, and access to job openings. You can start this process in person during your classes and extracurricular activities or virtually via Handshake and LinkedIn. Attending career fairs and other career-related events is also a great way to expand your professional network. - Creating a plan: Develop a detailed career plan that outlines the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. This plan may include short-term objectives, timelines, milestones, and strategies for overcoming obstacles.
- Taking action: Execute your career plan by actively pursuing opportunities, applying for jobs, and attending interviews, seeking feedback, and continuously updating your skills and knowledge.
- Evaluating and adjusting: Assess your progress towards your career goals and adjust your plan as needed. Stay flexible and open to new opportunities that may arise along the way.