Individualized Career Plan

• Focus on your academics
  • Go to classes, participate in class discussions, complete all your assignments, and study for tests and exams.
  • Review your oral and written communication skills with a faculty member and practice conversational English and writing skills (Writing Center).
  • Tutoring (On-Campus Tutoring Schedule, Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, Humanities and Social Sciences)
• Meet with your Academic Advisor
  • Meet with an adviser about your major and course selection.
  • After your appointment, visit us at the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) to follow up on your recommended career activities.
  • Attend the CAAS “Meet your Major”
    • Consider taking “What can I do with a Major”.
• Take career surveys to help with your major or career path and skills
  • O*NET
  • 16 Personalities
  • Are you career ready quiz
  • Reflect on the survey results by discussing them with faculty, career specialists, or a mentor.
• Create or revise your resume and draft a cover letter
  • In developing your resume, make sure to highlight both academic and leadership activities, especially volunteer and community engagement roles. Employers love that!
• Begin to learn about creating your image as a professional (self-branding)
  • Developing Your Brand for Career Success
  • Cover Letter Branding
  • Personal Branding: Online Courses, Training and Tutorials | LinkedIn Learning
• Begin to network on-campus and in the community
  • Joining campus clubs and activities (Visit Student Life)
  • Register for CSIConnect
  • Volunteer for community based charitable events
  • Networking: Online Courses, Training and Tutorials | LinkedIn Learning
  • Create a LinkedIn Profile
    • How to Make a LinkedIn Profile
• Log into your Handshake account using your CSI email address and have jobs and internships hand-picked for you at your fingertips

• Visit the Career Center to start your internship search, preparation, and application process
  • Review this resource on how to apply for a job or internship.
  • Visit Indeed and LinkedIn learning websites.
• Make sure your resume, cover letter, and professional image are “internship ready”. Work on it!
  • Review some examples of resumes and cover letters.
  • Update your resume and cover letter with any new skills and career experiences and opportunities
  • Clean up your social media and digital presence.
• Build your skills and experience
  • Identify skills and experiences that you need to build outside the classroom
    • Contact faculty about discipline specific year-round research opportunities on campus, leadership activities, including conferences and events (Office of Student Life, CSICONNECT).
    • Complete virtual work experiences (Forage, Skillful.ly).
    • Conduct informational interviews and job shadowing.
    • Continue to build leadership skills by volunteering for community and charitable events.
    • Begin to learn about behavioral interviewing.
    • Explore micro-credentialing in your field
      • Google Career Certificates
      • Coursera
• Continue to network with employers and industry specialists
  • Build a network of contacts through LinkedIn
  • Find a mentor in your field of interest.
    • CSI Pathfinder Alumni Mentorship Program
    • City Tutors
• Search for internships and begin to apply using
  • Handshake
  • LinkedIn- Internship Search
  • WayUp
  • Attend Career Events and Internship Fairs
  • The City Tutors
  • Glassdoor
  • RIpplematch
• Consider Study Abroad
  • A study abroad experience can help build cross-cultural skills that align with your career interests.

• Internships are career builders! Work closely with the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) and continue applying for internships
  • Boost your hiring power by applying for and completing internships
  • Complete more virtual work experience programs to build a more marketable resume (Forage and Skillful.ly)
  • Make sure you continue with leadership activities. Employers love that!
  • Handshake
  • LinkedIn
  • Glassdoor
  • RIpplematch
  • Campus Recruiting Events and Fairs

• Develop interviewing skills
  • Learn about interviewing, especially the Behavioral Interviewing process
  • Discuss interview preparation and process with an industry professional, faculty member, or career specialist
  • Make sure your resume is up to date and reviewed by faculty or career specialist before interviewing
  • Practice Behavioral Interviewing with faculty, career specialist or mentor
• Network!
  • Attend all alumni networking events on campus
  • Cultivate deeper relationships with mentors who can be powerful advocates and provide relevant career guidance
  • Reach out to faculty members who can help you make connections to employers in your field
  • Don’t forget family and friends - they are among the most powerful resources in making contacts within companies
  • Hold office in professional, community based, or campus-wide clubs and organization (CSICONNECT)
  • Continue building leadership skills through volunteering on-campus or in your community
  • Attend career events, employer presentations, and fairs
• Consider conducting faculty supported research and present at the undergraduate research conference
• Research graduate school or other post-graduate opportunities if applicable
  • Attend graduate school open houses at CSI and other schools you are considering
  • Graduate School Information
  • Fellowship, Scholarships, and Awards
  • Completing an Application for Graduate School, Fellowships, and Scholarships
  • Becoming a Stronger Candidate
• Apply for Study Abroad if interested

• Check in with the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) to launch your job search
  • Meet with a career Specialist to finalize your resume and cover letter
    • Use Handshake, LinkedIn, Ripplematch, and other Job Search platforms
    • Rely heavily on your updated LinkedIn Profile as your “Go To” recruitment tool
• Job search musts
  • Update your resume, cover letter, and professional profiles, including LinkedIn and Handshake
  • Be sure to document all leadership experience, including club participation, volunteer work, and civic engagement activities
  • Understand more about interviewing and visit the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) to prepare for each interview
  • Apply, apply, apply for jobs and keep track of job applications and responses from employers
• Attend all in person and virtual job fairs, alumni meet ups and other networking events and activities
  • Prioritize high-quality networking with recruiters in target roles of companies that interest you.
• Apply to Graduate School or other post-graduate opportunities if applicable
  • Visit the Office of Institutional Advancement and External Affairs
    • Graduate School Information
    • Fellowship, Scholarships and Awards
    • More information about the CSI Scholarship Program or other external scholarship or fellowship opportunities.
    • Becoming a stronger candidate for fellowships, scholarships, and graduate school
    • Graduate school advisement
    • Completing applications for fellowships, scholarships, and graduate school

1st Year

First Semester

• Research Baccalaureate Programs and Complete a Transfer Plan: If your career goal requires a BA/BS, begin researching colleges, transfer requirements and due dates. Share your career and academic goals as they relate to transferring to a senior college. (current AA/AS students only).

Second Year

First Semester

• Research and Apply to Baccalaureate Programs: Apply to colleges that offer a baccalaureate degree in your field (current AA/AS students only).
• Actively Apply for Jobs: Apply for jobs that interest you and keep track of your applications and responses (current AAS students only).

Second Semester

• Accept Your Offer to Enroll in the Baccalaureate Program that You Choose: Accept your offer in CUNYfirst and check to see if your new college requires any supplemental materials, like transcripts (current AA/AS students only).
• Attend Networking Events and Career Fairs: Maximize opportunities to meet potential employers and make valuable connections (current AAS students only).
• Continue to Apply for Jobs: Continue the job search and keep track of your applications and responses (current AAS students only).