Career Services and Professional Life Development is dedicated to helping you through every stage of the career development process.  By following these general steps and utilizing our resources along the way, you can increase your chances of finding your optimal career.

DISCOVER YOUR POTENTIAL

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF

•  Make a "Get to Know You" appointment with a Career Services staff member.  Staff members can help clarify the career development process, and how the above relate to your career options.

• Increase awareness of your:

-         Interests

-         Personality Traits

-         Skills

-         Values

• You maybe advised to take a variety of inventories.  For example:

Strong Interest Inventory  - Based on the idea that individuals are more satisfied and productive when they work in jobs or tasks that they find interesting. The Strong Interest Inventory will measure your interests in a wide range of occupations, occupational activities, hobbies, leisure activities and types of people and identify your optimum career choice based on your interests.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - Provides insight on individuals' preferences, ways of communication and interacting with others which then can be used to identify the types of careers that may be supportive to each personality type.

Values Sort  - Prioritize and defines work values.

• It is also useful to take advantage of the Choices program.  The Choices program can be accessed through any networked university computers or in each of our offices.

EXPLORE POSSIBLE CAREERS  

• Research your career interests by gathering information about:

-         Job Descriptions

-         Job Duties

-         Day-to-day Expectations

-         Work Environments

-         Salary Ranges

-         Employment Outlook

-         Entry Level Requirements

-         Specialization's

•  Visit the Career Resource Libraries for further information

• Set-up Informational Interviews

- talk to some on who is in the profession

• Find a part-time or summer jobs

- experience first hand what it may be like

• Obtain a Cooperative Education internship

- bridge the gap between school and work

MAKE CHOICES & PREPARE

• Use the information you have gathered to make career choices 

• Take the time to reflect on what you’ve learned and integrate it into a realistic career plan. Continuing individual sessions are available by appointment 

•  Prepare for action by brushing up your resume and developing your interviewing skills

• Stop in during walk-in hours and have your resume critiqued, pick-up some interviewing tips

TAKE ACTION

• If you are declaring a Major or changing your Major

-         Visit your advisor and fill out the necessary forms 

-         Contact your new department and meet with your new advisor as soon as possible

• If you are Starting your Job Search

-         Do what you need to do to market yourself to the working world

                    - finalize your resume and sharpen your interviewing skills

-         Expand your network

- talk to your professors, family, friends, neighbors, co-workers

- tell everyone you know you are looking for work and ask for suggestions

-         Check out Career Services Job's data base

- www.usm.maine.edu/careers

-         Attend our annual Job Fair held every spring

- meet with employers who are looking to hire new graduates

·        If Graduate School is in your future

-         Go to a "Thinking of Going to Graduate School" workshop

-         Attend our annual Graduate and Professional School Fair in the fall

- talk to admissions counselors and gather information

-         Research and compare differed school and programs

-         Prepare and take the GRE / GMAT / LSAT / Praxis /or Miller Analogy

-         Write your first, second or third draft of your personal statement

- make sure you have someone edit it before you finalize it

-         Gather your letters of recommendation