Academic and Career Development offers you an array of resources. If you need a little nudge to get going, consider enrolling in a career exploration class. You can begin with occupational information to learn more about careers you might enjoy, attend events that let you connect with professionals to talk about your options, shadow people in careers of interest, and confirm your career plans by gaining experience.
Confirm your career plans
Career development opportunities
A job on or off campus allows you to research possible careers, grow skills and experience, build networking connections, and even earn a paycheck. The Office of Student Employment provides a variety of resources to help you locate the right position, including individual appointments and resume checks. You can also visit Jobs for Jags by Handshake to start your part-time job search.
Outside a typical work setting, career exposure can come in many forms. One way to gain experience is through community service or a volunteer position. Visit the Center for Service Learning to find out what opportunities are available to you.
Working on a faculty-led research project will allow you to confirm your career plans and to grow your resume. For more information, connect with the Institute for Engaged Learning and the Center for Research and Learning (CRL).
Take an internship for college credit or consider applying to some of the opportunities on campus. The Life–Health Sciences Internship Program is one option that connects IU Indianapolis undergraduates with research and professional experience internships on and near campus.
Did you know there are literally hundreds of student organizations on campus? Getting involved on campus is an excellent way to learn more about yourself, grow your skills, and build your resume. Visit the Spot to view all of IU Indianapolis’s student groups.
An informational interview is a brief, business-like conversation with people willing to give you insights about their professional life. When you hear from people who work in the field you are considering, you will get a clearer view of the work you would be doing every day. It might be a great fit. If so, you have made a future professional connection! Check out our informational interview tip sheet to guide you through the process.
As you speak with professionals and grow your network, try to get an insider's view by job shadowing. See the environment and work culture for yourself, and determine the skills and abilities you'll need to be successful in a particular industry. Contact area employers to request a shadowing experience. Contact your school for additional resources for shadowing specific to your field.
The IU Indianapolis campus hosts a wide array of career development events throughout the year, including Fall Career Week, Pedersen Major Career Information Day, career fairs, internship fairs, Field Trip Fridays, employer visits, and many more! Attending and connecting with professionals is a great career development opportunity.
As you enter your degree-granting school, continue to pursue relevant work and internship opportunities to solidify your career plans and to gain marketable skills for future employment!
Career exploration resources
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) can provide career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations. The OOH can be searched using key words, occupational areas, and many other criteria. This is essential knowledge as you consider and compare careers.
O*NET offers in-depth information on occupations with a focus on the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for various positions. O*NET lets you search careers by a variety of criteria, including preferred interests. Learn about required skills, educational preparation, and other relevant information for many occupations. Organize your research with the O*NET resource guide.
Use these two resources and click on your major to discover applicable job titles, job and internship links, and industry information links. Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire people with each major, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate.
The IU career guides and major guides lay out the A–Zs of each industry and major so you can thoroughly research and find the best fit. Then you can actively explore with activities like informational interviewing and job shadowing to test and to solidify your choice.
Many students struggle with major and career decisions. Some students benefit from a structured class setting to figure it out. UCOL-U 210 Career Connections is a 1 credit hour course designed to assist you in the major and career exploration process.