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Four Year Plan

First Year - Inquiry
  • Create your profile on Handshake to find internships/jobs, register for events/workshops, and schedule appointments with your career advisor (ramapo.joinhandshake.com
  • Schedule a meeting with your Career Advisor
  • Register for your first Pathways course (ramapo.edu/pathways)
  •  Develop your first-year resume to apply to on-campus jobs (www.ramapo.edu/careercenter/first-year-resume/)
  • Get involved! There are more than 100 groups including cultural, academic, religious, recreational, entertainment, political, social, and special interest groups (https://www.ramapo.edu/clubs/
  • Participate in events on campus (archway.ramapo.edu/home_login)
  • Attend the Spring Career and Internship Fair
  • Ask a faculty or staff member to mentor you 
Sophomore Year - Exploration
  • Register for your second and third Pathways courses (ramapo.edu/pathways)
  • Update your resume and profile on Handshake
  • Attend career panels, workshops, and career fairs (ramapo.joinhandshake.com)
  • Explore service-learning and volunteer learning opportunities (ramapo.edu/ccec)
  • Investigate careers and specific jobs of interest using available resources
  • Update your career planning map
  • Connect with and learn about professionals in your prospective career through informational interviews and career programs
  • Participate in a job shadowing program or employer information session
  • Seek projects, E-boards, or  opportunities to build leadership skills
  • Investigate  international experiences such as study abroad or alternative spring break (ramapo.edu/study-abroad/ or ramapo.edu/ccec/alternative/)
  • Find  a summer internship (ramapo.joinhandshake.com)
  • Meet with fellowships and scholarships advisor if you are thinking about graduate school (ramapo.edu/prestigious-fellowships-and-scholarships/)
Junior Year - Prototyping
  • Make a list of companies, agencies, or firms and research each to learn more about the culture, employment opportunities, and for people with whom you can connect 
  • Make an appointment with your career advisor to target your resume and include industry/job-specific keywords
  • Update your resume and profile with internships and activities on Handshake
  • Clean up your social media, monitor your online identity, and ensure social networking settings are private
  • Practice your elevator pitch for use ad career fairs and in interviews
  • Join professional associations/organizations
  • Attend career panels, workshops, and career fairs (ramapo.joinhandshake.com
  • Explore graduate and professional school programs, attend workshops, write personal statements, and take all required admission tests
  • Identify a mentor in your chosen field
  • Use Handshake, LinkedIn, Indeed, and other job search sites to find your next internship
  • Prepare fellowship and scholarship applications
  • Attend career skills workshops offered throughout the year
  • Network, network, network!
Senior Year - Career Search
  • Contact professionals to ask for assistance and guidance in your search design and share your job search strategy with your Career Advisor
  • Secure references from faculty, staff, and employers who can speak specifically about your skills and abilities
  • Join and attend appropriate professional association 
  • Familiarize yourself with RCNJ alumni networks
  • Consider obtaining professional certifications
  • Fine-tune your resume and post an updated version on Handshake
  • Google yourself, monitor, and clean up your online identity
  • Network – tell everyone you know you are looking for a job
  • Identify employment opportunities and familiarize yourself with employer websites
  • Update elevator pitch and ensure it contains “key-words”
  • Use Big Interview to practice commonly asked questions
  • Attend career fairs (internal and external) and career events
  • Participate in on-campus interviews (with employers)
  • Finalize and send graduate school applications by deadlines
  • Learn about the benefits of registering with a temporary employment agency