Students
University Career Services believes that students can achieve positive, early career outcomes when they actively engage in our Four Steps to Career Success. These steps provide progression toward career mobility and a clear path forward during your time here at Carolina. Take note that each step begins with an action verb because we want to empower you to act on your own behalf; however, you are encouraged to schedule a career coaching appointment to help you understand and create actionable goals to ensure successful completion of all four steps. By clicking on each step below, you will find resources and activities to guide you through each step. Our Career Education Resource Library, in Canvas, has additional on-demand resources.
Step One: Assess Yourself
You are constantly developing new knowledge of yourself, an understanding of the world around you, and gaining fundamental understanding of academics and co-curricular content that can be applied to your path after Carolina. Through self-assessment you can better understand how you might embrace or reject certain careers. Discovery of your interests can lead to short- and long-term career satisfaction. An awareness of your skills, interests, preferences, strengths, personality, and values can drive your decision-making for the future.
Step Two: Explore Careers
Exploring careers builds from a person’s self-assessment. The purpose is to inform an individual on career choices. You gather information, which facilitates decision making, and stimulates continued exploration allowing you to assess your options and discover possible alternatives. This step includes: occupational research, company/organization research, employment trends, informational interviewing, and assessing the need for continued education.
UCS provides guidance and resources so that you can ultimately make informed choices about occupations. The critical thinking skills gained as a result of the interdisciplinary nature of your Carolina education parallel career educational competencies.
Step Three: Gain Experience
Experiences inside of the classroom, throughout campus, in the community, and beyond expose you to the practical application of your interests and skills in relation to industries and job functions. As you bring both self-awareness and occupational understanding to the table, you will be equipped to sharpen your career readiness skills and hone your academic skill sets in alignment with potential career path options. It is at this step that you should be ready to search, apply for, and land a job (part-time), internship, volunteer or research opportunity.
Step Four: Market Yourself
Self-marketing/personal branding isn’t just about mingling with employers at job fairs. It also involves you getting your name out there to professionals and employers. Ever heard the saying, "It's not what you know but who you know." You will use a wide array of resources and apply career management skills to effectively market yourself. UCS supports you in communicating the value of your scholarly endeavors, experiences, and global consciousness. The steps of your journey serve to shape the impression you will make within your given field based on your expertise, competencies, and achievements.