Career Planning

Career planning is not an activity that should be done all at once and then left behind as we move forward in our jobs and careers. Rather, career planning is an activity that is best done on a regular basis -- especially when research reveals that the average worker will change careers (not jobs) multiple times over his or her lifetime. It is never too soon or too late to start your career planning; however, as you go through your undergraduate years, we suggest that you start now and continue this process as you complete your degree in order to not only get ahead, but to prepare yourself for the realities of your selected profession.

ARC has developed some information listed below that will guide you in key areas of career planning. Career exploration, creating and maintaining a resume, writing the personal statement for graduate school, and attending professional conferences are all great ways to begin your career planning now while you are earning your degree.

In addition, we also recommend that you pursue “valuable” hands-on experience while in college because it will assist you not only in your career planning, but also help you understand how the material you are learning in your major is actually being applied in a real live professional setting. Internships and Service Learning opportunities are proven ways to gain relevant knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in the field. These experiential opportunities are also a way to get your feet wet and find out if a specific field is something you could see yourself doing as a full-time job. Check out the Internships and Service Learning pages of our website for more information.