Undergraduate Students

Students need time to transition from high school to college. Because first-semester grades will affect their overall GPA, students should take the first semester to focus on academics and campus life. Students should register on Handshake and connect with their school-based career center to get familiar with services, resources, and events. We encourage students to explore career resources during their second semester to investigate what we do and how we can help.

Goals for the spring of the first year:

• Register on Handshake and with their school-based career center
• Join one or more student organizations or activities to learn more about potential career paths of interest
• Consider looking for a summer job or internship to explore an area of interest. Review job and internship listings through school-based career centers and Handshake as well as on the websites of organizations close to where the student will live in the summer
• View the Career Center’s Guide to Effective Resumes, CVs, Cover Letters, and LinkedIn Profiles
• Develop a first draft college resume for summer jobs or internships and get it critiqued 24/7 through USC Smart Resume 
• Create or update your LinkedIn page
• Meet with a career advisor in their school-based career center  or during the Career Center’s drop-in hours for additional resume and cover letter feedback
• Attend Industry Insights to explore industries and career paths
• Review the Career Center’s events page weekly to remain current on upcoming events; attend at least one event.

During their second year, students should explore their interests and test their perceptions of career fields. By sophomore year, students should start to feel more comfortable with their program of study. Students should begin mastering the skill of research while completing class projects and use these research skills to manage “project me.”

Goals for the second year:

• Register on Handshake and with their school-based career center
• Learn more about industries
• Learn more about internships
• Update their resume and get it critiqued 24/7 through USC Smart Resume 
• Attend fall and spring career fairs to find out more about employers and internships
• Research and apply for internships or career-related part-time jobs
• Seek out more involvement in at least one student organization or activity to build career readiness competencies
• Enroll in a course to receive academic internship credit, if the internship is unpaid
• Identify a professional association in your area of interest and consider joining as a student member

During their third year, students should start exploring options for life after college. Understandably, many students struggle with finding “what they want to do.” We understand that making such a big decision can be overwhelming. Career advisors in the school-based career centers and the Career Center specialize in facilitating these discussions with students and providing resources to help students explore potential career options.

Goals for the third year:

• Meet with a career advisor in their school-based career center or the Career Center early to touch base
• Update their resume and get it critiqued 24/7 through USC Smart Resume
• Attend fall and spring career fairs to find out more about employers and internships
• Develop a list of possible full-time employers using CareerShift, Uniworld Online, and D&B Hoovers
• Conduct information interviews with USC alumni in the Trojan Network and on the LinkedIn alumni page to learn about career options, industry choices, and the job search process
• Research and apply for internships or career-related part-time jobs
• Use Big Interview or schedule a mock interview with an advisor to practice interviews
• Considering graduate school? Visit the USC Pre-Graduate School Advising department’s website, research schools, fellowships, and admission requirements for graduate schools
• Participate in the annual fall semester Graduate Schools Fair

Senior year is a time for students to start making tangible connections between their academics, extra-curricular and work experiences. Some students may be undecided. Other students will return from the summer with full-time job offers from internships. Some students may feel they are out of the loop and falling behind. We are here to help!

Goals for the fourth year:

• Meet with a career advisor in their school-based career center or the Career Center early to discuss options after college
• Update their resume and get it critiqued 24/7 through USC Smart Resume
• Attend fall and spring career fairs to find out more about employers and internships
• Research employers and read industry publications
• Conduct information interviews with USC alumni in the Trojan Network and on the LinkedIn alumni page to learn about career options, industry choices, and the job search and graduate school application processes
• Use Big Interview or schedule a mock interview with an advisor to practice interviews
• Research and apply for jobs
• Stay healthy and focus on completing their degree requirements while maintaining grades
• Help prepare for life after college, including finances, by utilizing the Career Center’s personal finance resources  
• If you are considering taking a gap year, view our Gap Year Preparation resources

Note:  Employer and industry hiring cycles vary.  Some employers (large and in industries like investment banking, consulting, big tech, and accounting) secure full-time hires through summer internship programs, and they use the fall semester to recruit seniors for remaining full-time openings and juniors for summer internships.  Other employers (small to medium-sized and in industries like non-profits, communication, entertainment, and real estate) hire throughout the year, often in the spring when they have a better sense of summer and full-time employment needs.

After graduation, students may utilize the Career Center as recent graduates and alumni. The Career Center offers USC Alumni a lifelong and worldwide USC Alumni Career Program.

Please encourage your students to visit the Career Center YouTube channel to view our latest videos!