This is the roadmap for success I developed after having gone through the rigor and the system. Hopefully it helps someone else too.

1. Roadmap to Success
Enabling you to leverage reliable experiences
and get ahead of the curve to be successful
August 2011

2. Contents
• Understanding the Academic Path
• Key Considerations
2

3. Understanding the Academic Plan
Understanding the academic path will help you circumvent the
routine process, make you better informed and help identify
opportunities way ahead of others
High Level Timeline & Key Milestones
Start of School Year
1 – Your Academic Fall Career Fair
Journey Begins
Winter Break Year 1 Summer Break
Sep’ 11 Oct’11 Nov’11 Dec’11 Jan’12 Feb’11 Mar’12 Jun’12 Jul’11 Aug’12
Settling In: On-
Spring Career Fair
Campus Jobs
Start of School Year
Fall Career Fair -
2– Your
Best Possible
Professional
Opportunity
Journey Begins
Winter Break Year 2 Graduation
Sep’ 12 Oct’12 Nov’12 Dec’12 Jan’13 Feb’13 Mar’13 Jun’13 Jul’13 Aug’13
Full Time Job Opps Spring Career Fair -
Appear Saving Grace

4. Understanding the Academic Plan
Year 1 – The Academic Year
High Level Timeline Checklist
Apply relentlessly for on-campus jobs
Expertise in basic skills (Web Development, Excel, Word, PPT, GIMP)
Start @ home base, begin with applying to your own school first.
Preferable to “show interest” by researching on faculties field and
being specific about what you want to work on
Start the drop-by’s to say a hi’s with the faculty. More face time helps
• Focus on understanding the system, campus and people get noticed and helps them put a name to the face
• Settle in with a steady on-campus job Signup for listserv’s and forums on campus that send you job alerts
both for on-campus, internships and fulltime
• Begin to develop relationships with faculty, friends
Keep the job hunt on. This should be the constant in your life. Keep
• Look for fee reduction opportunities (eg. looking out for better on-campus jobs
Graduate/teaching/research assistantships) Attend the fall career fair to get an idea of the kind of companies, jobs
• Be sensitive to current and fluctuating economic times and attend as many networking sessions
Start to align your coursework, on-campus jobs, networking etc to
Key Objectives fields you like and start to gain more content (knowledge)
• Acclimatize yourself to the new culture, people, place Maintain a follow-up plan to remind non-responsive faculty of your
• Culture yourself - Walk the walk :: Talk the Talk interest even if its pro-bono
• Look for on-campus jobs Setup your social networking profiles in a way that appeals in a
professional setup as well and connect with people (eg: don’t post or
• Explore university campus, departments, research on faculty don’t let your friends tag you in wild party pics on FaceBook)
• Gather info on available opportunities Begin to scope out internship opportunities or converting RA/TA
• Begin to develop relationships opportunities to GA or tuition aid
Use your location (N.E) advantage to look for internships (small/big)
• Attend the Fall career fair to experience and network
and start to shoot applications to show you have a reasonable amount
• Get involved, Stay involved of US work experience (~ 2 mos)
• Chunk out time to apply for jobs By Nov/Dec – Begin to apply for internships and local companies. Go
fully prepared for the spring career fair with an objective to land a job.
• Oxfordian to American: Be less desi
Plan your days to chalk out 2 hours a day sending customized resumes
• Start small – Develop websites, blog, write and “technologize”

5. Understanding the Academic Plan
Year 2 – The Professional Year
High Level Timeline Checklist
 By now, you are more cultured than before, use it to network
If you have found an internship, manage up by delicately
propositioning your interest in a full time or extension opp.
Move the pursuit for a GA/RA/TA down a notch and focus solely
on getting the real world experience
Always keep your resume updated and keep multiple copies
• Shift all gears to initiate professional journey Always apply specific to a job profile. NEVER EVER generalize
• Plan coursework to allow flexibility towards internship/co-op Start following an industry (Finance, Healthcare), read up the
• Networking is the key to success – Realize it! most prominent news headline. Sometimes, knowing a little is
enough than not knowing at all
• Balance the generalist and specialist within you
While at the internship keep your ears open for extension
• Don’t just be the smartest one in the room – Believe It !! opportunities on your projects and announce your interest in
pursuing it
Key Objectives
Small things matter: Attention to detail and Attitude (Big One).
• The real hunt begins – Double your allocated time for job Always look to stand out of the crowd by keeping your base tool
applications kit updated. Learn excel, word, ppt, basic web development, but
• Develop relationships at internship more than what others would know. Trust us! its an
application, more like a game. You just need to know where the
• Revisit your financial situation and aim to not take any further
button are 
financial help from home
With so much planning and thought, it “almost” goes well as
• If employed @ internship, develop strategic plan to extend it to
planned. But always prepare for the unplanned. The spring
Co-Op. Network and have always have a plan ready
career fair will be your only saving grace to land a job. Play your
• Attend every single on-campus job seminar and networking cards right, play them early and play them well
event. Drop your guard and mingle - Intelligently
“When you want something real bad – The universe conspires to
• Fix a goal of not returning on-campus if online courses are help you achieve it – Just want it real bad”
available and continue to work
You already have a leg up compared to others – us. Leverage us
• Aim to be the best resume in the pile and make your way forward – Good Luck !!