Your Career Starts Here

Your Career Journey

Your career journey is unique to you – your interests, values, and skills are just a few factors that influence the decisions you make about your future career. You will overcome your own set of challenges and engage in opportunities that are most meaningful to you. Your first job after completing your degree will likely not be the job you retire from, and you will likely switch roles and industries several times over the duration of your career. Through your work experience you will gain new skills, build new relationships, develop new interests, and clarify your values and preferences which may take you down paths you had never previously considered. Not to mention the ever-evolving job market that creates new job opportunities and shifts the focus of existing jobs.

Sound overwhelming? Have no fear! Your career is meant to be a journey – you just have to figure out where to start and we are here to help!

We like to think of your career journey as a continuous process of five actions that will reoccur at different points throughout your working lifetime (based on Stanford’s Design Thinking Model):

As you are at the very beginning of your career journey, we have organized these actions by year in school based on the traditional Gies undergraduate student experience:

First Year

The first year is all about understanding yourself - your interests, values, personality, workplace preferences, and competencies - and how this all connects to potential career paths. The first year is also important for developing professional skills such as drafting a resume, navigating a career fair, networking with professionals, and communicating the value of your first-year experiences.

Second Year

The second year is about continuing to explore your fit with potential career paths and getting firsthand exposure to different areas of business to make an informed decision about your major. The second year is also important for building on professional skills required for recruiting and the internship search process such as updating a resume, optimizing a LinkedIn profile, networking with recruiters, pursuing professional opportunities, and interviewing with impact.

Third Year

The third year is about reflecting on your experiences thus far, identifying areas of strengths, and areas that you would like to develop further. This is the perfect time to take inventory of the activities that you have been involved in, what you have learned from it, and shape it into a story that you can utilize during the recruitment process. At this point, you should also have a short list of careers or industries that you would like to pursue upon graduation. Finally, you can compare the skills that you have developed with the skills you might need to develop further according to your areas of interest.

Fourth Year

The fourth year is about preparing to enter the workplace and easing the transition from being a college student to a full-time professional. By learning about topics such as job trends, upskilling, life-long learning, you will be prepared to pivot into the new chapter of life. Additionally, understanding work culture and getting tips on how to navigate it will help you manage this new chapter successfully.

The Cohort Sequence is more than just required coursework; it's a catalyst for career development. Unique to Gies, the Cohort Sequence consists of four transformational courses you will take with your peers each year that will help get you career ready!

Business 101

By engaging in a business project with a real-world client, you will gain confidence in working in teams and talking to professionals in various industries. Understanding the competencies valued by employers (as outlined in the Gies Professional Pathway), crafting resumes, and attending the career fair, translate classroom knowledge into practical career development tools. These activities, coupled with opportunities for professional networking conversations, empower you to identify your career goals, develop a strong professional identity, and build relationships that can open doors to future success.

Business 201

Building upon Business 101, this course offers students a deeper dive into the interconnectedness of business functions. Through dynamic simulations and collaborative projects, students hone their strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities—all essential competencies for career success. By understanding how different business areas interact, students gain a broader perspective on organizational dynamics and the roles they can play within various industries.

Business 301

Business 301 provides students with a more immersive experience that accelerates career readiness. By collaborating with real-world clients to solve complex organizational problems, students hone critical skills and gain valuable insights into potential career paths, enabling them to make informed decisions about the next steps in their career journey. The course's emphasis on storytelling equips students with the ability to articulate their experiences and value proposition effectively, a crucial skill for networking and interviewing.

Business 401

Business 401 culminates the Cohort Sequence by empowering students to become purpose-driven leaders. Through a deep dive into the Gies Professional Pathway, students gain self-awareness and identify their purpose in the context of their career goals. By completing projects focused on this purpose, they translate their aspirations into actionable results. As students reflect on their Gies experience, they emerge as well-rounded individuals prepared to make a meaningful impact and thrive in the world of business.

We encourage you to explore opportunities outside of the classroom to build your network and skills as well as to explore your interests! Below are a few ideas to get you started!

Beyond the Classroom

Getting involved on campus can be one of the most enriching aspects of your college experience and the university offers so many opportunities!

Focusing on building the skills employers want is an excellent strategy for your career development and our Gies Professional Pathway outlines the ten most highly desirable career competencies - here are some specific ways you can develop in each competency:

Campus Recruiting

Campus recruiting is a strategy employers utilize to engage college students and build a strong talent pipeline for future hiring. Employers participate in a variety of activities and events on campus to meet current students and up-and­coming graduates and recruit them for internship and entry-level positions. Employers visit campus all year round, but they plan most of their recruiting activities and events between September-November in the fall semester and February-March in the spring semester. They also host virtual activities and events throughout the year.

We recommend you engage with employers early on so you can identify opportunities and build relationships with recruiters that may help you stand out in the application and interview processes! Here are some of the most common types of recruiting activities and events:

  • Career fairs - a formal event where you can interact with hundreds of different employers across varying industries, all in one physical space
  • Employer showcases - a casual event hosted in the Lincoln International Atrium in BIF where you can interact with 10-15 different employers
  • Information sessions & workshops - structured events offered in person or virtually where you can learn from employers about their organization, ask questions, and get advice
  • Coffee chats - informal meetings where you can chat one-on-one with an employer about their organization, role, career path, and anything else you may be curious about
  • Conferences & leadership development programs – immersive experiences hosted by employers on-site to help you learn about one specific organization, meet their professionals, build relevant skills, and ultimately determine if it is a place you would like to work in the future

For more information about the campus recruiting process and how it ties into your internship and job search, click here.