Creating a Path to a Major and/or a Career

The information provided below is a general guide to academic planning for your four years at Xavier. This document is also avaialble as a one-page PDF.

Skip to: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors

Freshmen

Goal: Explore diverse majors and/or career opportunities; become informed.

• Talk with academic advisor or department chair/career counselors.
• Take a core course that interests you.
• Attend Major Exploration Sessions, October, fall semester, to gather information about the following:
  • Various majors/minors and their requirements.
  • Career paths in a particular major.
  • Professional schools and their requirements.
  • Job market in foreseeable future.
  • Options for study abroad and service learning.
• Discuss career information with academic advisor.
• Visit a Career Services Center counselor and discuss services available to assist students with career choices.
• Continue to search, discuss, and collaborate with academic advisor to arrive at a major/minor, or change major and add minor; study abroad.

Sophomores

Goal: Explore, select, change, confirm majors/minors and/or college.

• Discuss academic program with academic advisor.
• Attend career workshop/forumfor Undecided sophomores, others.
• Attend various career workshops with career counselor (CSC) and take the Self-Directed Search Test; other tests.
• Obtain web-based career information from career counselor; search web materials and discuss information with academic advisor.
• Collaborate with career counselor and academic advisor upon completion of Self-Directed Search; other tests.
• Map career path and select courses which lead toward a major, graduation.
• Declare, chose a major/minor.
• Explore information for possible volunteer opportunities, research opportunities, internships, co-ops, etc.
• Take UNST 150 Career and Life Planning course (optional).
• Plan for study abroad; research opportunities.

Juniors

Goal: Plot individual career path – Declared majors only (Juniors in academic difficulty will continue to work with deans/academic advisor in Academic Advising Center or designated college).

• Prepare for internships in collaboration with academic advisor and/or department chair and career counselor.
• Work with career counselor to meet and network with possible employers.
• Work with academic advisor to prepare for professional school, graduate programs. (Take GRE, MAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc.)
• Volunteer in job related fields.
• Work part-time in job related fields.
• Continue to search web, other resources for possible careers and discuss options with academic advisor/career counselor.
• Visit the eRecruiting job board. Log on and download the eRecruiting quick start guide.
• Practice interview skills with career counselor.
• Discuss remaining academic requirements for major/minor with academic advisor/dean.
• Apply for graduation.

Seniors

Goal: Finalize plans for graduation and enhance career choices:

• Follow-up plans for jobs, graduate/professional school, post-baccalaureate experience.
• Do internship.
• Do part-time work, volunteer service, research.
• Practice interview skills, resume writing with career counselor.
• Make a list of reference/referrals
• Meet with potential employer.
• Review transcript to see that all requirements have been or are being met for graduation.
• Retake any test for professional school to enhance score.
• Attend campus recruiting visits.
• Interview for possible job.
• Evaluate job and/or graduate school offerings.