Exploring Careers
Four Year Plan
The things you study, the activities you choose to explore your interests, and your pre-professional experiences all help to make career plans clearer. The following suggests a timeframe for your college experience and career development. This is meant to be a general timeline; individuals will vary in their progress. We encourage you to check in with a career counselor at any point in the process as you develop ideas for the future.
- Navigate the academic system and learn how to manage time as a college student
- Get to know your faculty and advisors, and make a point to meet them outside of class time
- Join student groups that match your interests, both personal and professional
- Earn good grades to set you up well for the future
With the Career Center…
- Meet with a career counselor
- Begin exploring what careers might match up with majors you’re considering
- Take an interest inventory if you want help brainstorming major & career ideas
- Select or reevaluate your choice of major
- Consider a minor that fulfills another interest
- Learn about the local community, in and out of Villanova
- Attend events off campus and learn about the greater Philadelphia region
- Maintain involvement on campus and consider leadership positions in your student group
With the Career Center…
- Attend career fairs and Career Center programs
- Explore Handshake – consider part-time jobs and internships in your field of interest
- Complete or polish your resume and make it employer-ready
- Talk with a career counselor about how your major may connect with careers
- Strengthen relationships with faculty members and begin to consider them as references for future employment or school
- Mentor and tutor other students, especially new students who are finding their way
- Take the lead in a leadership position of one of your student groups
- Consider studying abroad as an option to expand your worldview
With the Career Center…
- Apply for and obtain an internship in a field of interest
- Master interviewing skills for your meetings with employers
- Research graduate school options and consider if this is a possible next step in your career
- Open a credential file at the Career Center if necessary
- Finish academic requirements and become an expert on a focus area in your major
- Take a class just for fun to explore an interest one more time
- Leave a positive legacy at Villanova and pave the way for the next generation to follow your lead
With the Career Center…
- Utilize the Career Center’s job search resources and seek full-time employment
- Access Villanova’s NovaNetwork, our alumni directory, to make professional contacts
- Schedule a practice interview at the Career Center
- Study for and take graduate school entrance exams
