Orientation 2015

1. Planning Your Career
Presented By: Career and Professional Development
Moody Hall 134; Ph. (512)448-8530
http://think.stedwards.edu/career

2. Start planning early…
Your career starts today

3. Purpose of This Presentation
• Introduce you to Career & Professional Development (CAPD) at St.
Edward’s University
• Encourage freshmen to: 1. Connect with CAPD in freshman year, 2. Start
planning their careers early, and 3. Set goals to graduate with internships
& career experience
• Encourage transfer students to visit CAPD their 1st
semester
• Educate parents so they will encourage sons & daughters to take
advantage of CAPD services
• Explain the basics of the career development and planning process

4. Introducing Career and
Professional Development

5. Meet Our Staff
Ray Rogers, Director
Adrian Ramirez, Associate Director
Laurie Doran, Career Counselor
Emily Salazar, Career Counselor
Andrew Harper, Manager of
Employer Relations; Sally Perez-
Ramos, Manager of Communications
& Online Programs
Liz Narduzzo,
Administrative Secretary

6. Take Advantage of Our Services
• Individual career counseling by appointment and daily walk-in hours,
plus a resume e-mail service
• Advice on: majors, careers, internships, and job search
• Graduate/professional school guidance & annual fair
• A Map Your Future 4-year career action plan
• A Part-time Jobs to Internships online class/CPAM 1110
• Career workshops and annual job & internship fairs
• Employer engagement events

7. Connect With Us Online
• CAPD website: http://think.stedwards.edu/career
• Job & internship postings on our database
• Career event listings on
• Hilltop Scoop blog
• The Career Insider weekly newsletter
• Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest
postings and announcements: Career events, jobs &
internships, and career tips
• For direct links to the above resources go to:
http://think.stedwards.edu/career/allstudentsgettingstarted

8. Career Development
and Career Planning

9. It Doesn’t Happen Overnight
It’s A Process

10. It’s Not Always a Clear Path
• National Statistics
(From: Dr. William Perry/Harvard; Dr. Fritz Grupe/Townsend Comm; and The College Board)
o Some students enter college knowing exactly what they want to do,
but most don’t
o 80% of freshmen, even those who declared a major say they are
uncertain about their major. And, half will change their minds, often
more than once; on the average 3 times
o College graduates change careers 3-4 times after graduation
• If you don’t know what you want to study…
o St. Edward’s has an Academic Exploration Program (AEP)
o Freshmen can get help from Academic Advisors and the Career
and Professional Development staff

11. Understand Major vs. Career
• College students will make 2 decisions about their future:
o They will choose one (sometimes two) of St. Edward’s majors
o And, they will decide on a career to pursue after graduation
o A Major is what you study in college; your degree track
o A Career essentially is your job title on a business card
o It usually takes longer to decide on a career; but, experience in
internships, volunteer service, study abroad, and extracurricular
activities can help a student choose a career
• Major does not equal career necessarily:
o An art major could become a physician
o A psychology major could become an entrepreneur
o A business administration major could become a teacher

12. Myths About Majors & Careers
• Students who major in the arts, won’t find a job
o Not true. If you have experience related to your future career and another
area of expertise for a back-up plan, you will do fine.
• If you want to go to law school, you have to major in political
science or criminal justice
o Not true. Major doesn’t matter for acceptance into law school. More
important is your GPA and LSAT score
• If you want to go to medical school, you have to major in science
o Not true. Like law school, you can major in anything, but GPA and your
MCAT score are most important. And, you will need to take the science
and math prerequisites regardless of major
• Your salary will be higher if you major in Business Administration
o Not necessarily true. Business Administration, without internships and
specialized skills, does not guarantee a high paying job

13. Internships Are Important!
• Just as a future teacher is not prepared without student teaching, no
student, regardless of major, should graduate from college without doing
at least one internship
• To be competitive in the job market, two to three internships are
recommended
• Internships provide students with “real-life” experience
• Internships help students decide if they like their chosen field
• Internships can often lead to job offers

14. Your Digital Profile
Employers do use social media and they do look up job
applicants
on social media
•Students should carefully monitor their online image
•Every student should have a LinkedIn.com profile
•LinkedIn will walk you through the process of completing your profile
(fill-in-the-blank questions)
•Use a professional looking photo on your LI page
•Twitter is also important. A new user should at least follow companies and
organizations of interest

15. Networking and Job Search
• Throughout your college years, you should be building your
professional network: online and in person
o Develop your 30 second “elevator pitch” and practice your handshake
o Attend as many job fairs and employer events as possible
o Join professional associations and attend meetings and conferences
o Conduct Information Interviews where you interview a business
professional about his or her career and career path
o Write “thank you’s” to every new contact you make
• Create a professional resume and update it regularly
• Don’t wait until the day before an interview to practice your
interviewing skills
• Become familiar with Hilltop Careers, St. Edward’s job and
internship database
• Meet with a Career Counselor for help developing job search skills

16. Graduate/Professional School
• It’s never too early to start thinking about graduate or professional school
(Medical, Law, Dentistry, etc.)
• Career and Professional Development can help you research graduate and
professional schools and academic programs
• By junior year, you should be familiar with admission test requirements and the
graduate/professional school application process
• Plan on attending the annual Graduate and Professional School Fair and meet
representatives from schools in person
• Research faculty and their bio’s at each school and initiate a correspondence
with them
• Maintain a high GPA, because getting into graduate and professional school is
very competitive
• Meet with a Career Counselor for guidance on any aspect of the application
process and help reviewing your personal statement essay

17. Parents Have a Role Too

18. Tips for Parents
• Try not to pressure students into choosing a particular major based solely
on anticipated income
• Focus attention on pursuing fields of interest
• Encourage internships and experience through extracurricular activities
• Help them understand that a major is not a career. There are multiple
paths to most careers, just as there are multiple careers via a single major
• Encourage them to visit Career and Professional Development in their
freshman year, stay informed via CAPD social media, and take advantage
of career workshops, events, and resources
• A gift tip: Buy them one professional ensemble for their interviews

19. And When You Graduate

20. This is YOU, Upon Graduation
Heidi Hilltopper
3001 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78704 (512)448-8530 smartgrad@stedwards.edu
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, May 2019
Summa Cum Laude, 4.0GPA; St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX
What else will be on the page???

21. Graduation is Sooner
Than You Think
• You will become a one page resume or two-three page Curriculum
Vitae to employers and graduate and professional schools
• The job market has improved, but it’s still competitive
• Career and Professional Development (CAPD) helps you with
long-term planning and helps you build a strong profile (resume/CV)
• Don’t procrastinate; start planning early!

22. Early Planning
Results in a Successful Career