The Progression Plan

Preparing for a career you’ll love:

Take a wide variety of classes to explore your interests, identify your strengths, and develop transferable skills
Create a first draft of your resume and review it with a Career Development staff member, Resume Coach, or Career Jack
Log in to Handshake, NAU’s job search engine, or find an on or off campus job
Connect to NAU’s career-related social media sites to keep up-to-date on tips and events
Get involved in campus clubs and organizations to gain experience and build your skills
Start building a positive social media presence

Update your resume and Handshake profile
Conduct at least one informational interview, talking to professionals in fields that interest you
Develop transferable skills by taking on increasingly challenging roles in your work, volunteer, undergraduate research, or extracurricular activities
Create a profile on LinkedIn
Seek out experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, studying abroad, working part-time, or interning
Attend a Career and Graduate School Expo to introduce yourself to recruiters and ask about what they look for in a candidate
Look for an exciting summer job or internship or explore a career interest

Update your resume and Handshake profile
Build your network of strong and weak ties, connecting with your faculty, employers, members of the community, alumni, parents’ friends, and friends’ parents in person and on LinkedIn
Develop and practice your “elevator speech”, a 30-second introduction to recruiters about you, your interests, and what you want to do
Attend a Career and Graduate School Expo to meet recruiters and begin relationships with the organizations that most interest you
Attend an Interview Workshop to develop your poise and confidence for interviewing
Reflect on your strengths and experiences to develop your STAR stories for your interview responses

Update your resume and Handshake profile
Attend a Job Search Strategies Workshop and read the online Job Search Strategies Guide
Ask three of your professional contacts to be references; these may be faculty, supervisors, or others who can speak about your work ethic and character
Attend the Career and Graduate School Expos to talk to recruiters from your preferred organizations or grad schools; collect their business cards and follow up
Connect to your contacts at organizations that interest you to tap into the hidden job market
Apply for multiple jobs and graduate schools that interest you; remember that finding the right fit takes time and requires patience