Your Career Steps
Table of Contents
- Self-Discovery
- Career Assessments
- Researching College Majors
- CSU Channel Islands Majors
- Exploring Majors
- Academic Advising
- Skills Search
- What can I do with my Major?
- Career Research
- Design a Career Plan
- Experience Your Field
- Internships
- Service Learning
- Volunteer Opportunities
- On-Campus Jobs
- Networking
- Career Mentorship
- Informational Interviews
- Launch Your Career
Step 1: Self Discovery
Explore your values, interests, and skills to discover which careers are aligned with your strengths and unique talents.
Career Assessments
Career assessments are a way for you to better understand yourself and serve as the foundation of your career planning. Taking a career assessment will enable you to explore your values, personality preferences, interests, and skills to discover which careers are aligned with your strengths and unique talents. We offer the following online assessments:
Eureka
The Eureka database provides various inventories to assess your skills, values and
interests. With Eureka, you can research colleges and universities, take assessments
to help you find careers that may be right for you, learn about programs of study
available for your chosen career, and research scholarships and grants for which you
may be eligible. Additionally, this program will assist you in identifying your skills,
researching occupations, planning your career and searching schools that fit your
education plan to prepare for the future.
Career Cruising
Career assessments included in this database will ask you a short series of questions
and offer you a range of majors that match your interests. This is an excellent way
to start identifying possible majors. Career Cruising has been designed to help students
plan their future. Additionally, through Career Cruising you can design your personal
online portfolio.
Researching College Majors
College Majors 101
College Majors 101 is an education resource dedicated to one purpose and one purpose
only: to teach students about different college majors in depth so that they can make
more informed college and career choices.
CSU Channel Islands Majors
View a list of CSU Channel Islands Academic Programs. Academic advisors are available to answer any questions you might have and can provide you with further information about the major requirements.
Exploring Majors
Assist helps you explore majors offered at UC and CSU campuses. This website is particularly useful to identify transferrable coursework should you plan to take winter or summer courses outside of CI. It provides several paths you can take to learn about specific majors, requirements for majors, and major preparation courses.
Academic Advising
The Academic Advising Center offers new student orientations, mandatory freshman advising, and advising on general education and graduation requirements for all students.
Quintessential Careers is a career, job and college site, offering comprehensive free expert career and job-hunting advice as well as links to other job sites.
Skills Search:
What can I do with my Major?
- What can I do with my CI major? (PDF, 66.4 KB)
- My Plan
Step 2: Career Research
Conduct occupational exploration research using multiple sources to find specific information on career pathways.
Career Research Databases Overview:
Eureka
Use Eureka to find information on hundreds of occupation descriptions and career pathway
information. Eureka includes detailed and clearly written descriptions with distinct
topics of information. Hundreds of links to professional associations provide information
on given careers.
Career Cruising
Hundreds of detailed occupation profiles can be easily accessed from professions ranging
from A to Z. Included in these occupations is detailed information such as job descriptions,
working conditions, education and training, earnings, and job outlook.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Details on education, earning potential, training requirements, and future employment
outlook for 200 occupations are presented in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’
Occupational Outlook Handbook.
O*NET Online
Your tool for career exploration and job analysis! O*NET OnLine has detailed descriptions
of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals,
students, researchers, and more!
My Plan
Search, browse or query through over 900 different careers. Read career profiles,
job descriptions, educational requirements, and career outlook information. Find out
what kind of salary to expect, watch short videos, and even learn about the types
of people that typically go into each career.
California Occupational Guides
These occupational analyses include job descriptions, job outlook and wages, and qualification
requirements. The detailed guide provides information on licensing, education, training,
links to possible employers, how to find a job, related occupations and links to additional
resources.
America's Career InfoNet
Part of CareerOneStop, this unique site offers visitors a variety of tools and resources
for career exploration, education information and even job search instruction. The
site features user-friendly occupation and industry information, salary data, career
videos, education resources, self-assessment tools, career exploration assistance,
and other resources that support career exploration and development in today’s marketplace.
Occupational Outlook Quarterly (OOQ)
The OOQ is published quarterly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This print and online
magazine features articles with practical information on jobs and careers. It covers
a wide variety of career and work-related topics, such as new and emerging occupations,
training opportunities, salary trends and results of new studies from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
Vault.com
Vault is a resource for career management and job search information, including insider
intelligence on specific employers, salaries, hiring practices, and company cultures.
The website offers both free and paid subscription content to users who want to research
employers, professions and industries.
Wetfeet.com
WetFeet offers “insider guides to employers” which consist of interviews with employees
of the organization or the employers themselves. The guides offer good insights into
the company’s culture, interview process, and career development possibilities. WetFeet
allows all users to view extensive employer, career and industry profiles.
Based on the career research, develop short-term and long-term goals to enrich your education through preparing for experiential-based opportunities that provide added value to your academic experience.
Step 3: Design a Career Plan 
Based on your career research, develop short-term and long-term goals to enrich your education through preparing for experiential-based opportunities that provide added value to your academic experience.
Did you know the career development process begins immediately when you start undergraduate education? Every course you take helps you to builds your skills, expands your interests, and informs your career goals. Following this four-year Career Compass Guide (PDF, 212.6 KB) with the suggested action items is a great way to stay on track to career success.
Step 4: Experience Your Field
Gain valuable hands-on experience in your field through participating in internships, service learning, volunteer opportunities, networking, mentorship and informational interviews.
Internships
Internships allow you to test-drive career options, develop important skills and establish relationships with people who may ultimately help you get hired after graduation.
An internship is work experience that is either directly related to your major or career interest. Some internships are paid and some may provide academic credit. See the Jobs & Internships page for specific information pertaining to internships.
Top 10 Reasons to Intern:
- Experience in a field will help you make more educated career choices.
- This is your chance to explore careers in different fields or specific areas within your field.
- Hands-on experience enhances your academic experience and performance.
- You can develop career related skills and demonstrate them for future employers.
- A significant percentage of surveyed graduates from across the country continue to report that they got their current job because they previously interned for their employer!
- Employers prefer candidates with previous work experience.
- Gaining professional contacts in the field can help you get hired and get ahead in your career.
- Many organizations use internships as extended interviews for full-time employment.
- Most organizations will hire successful interns over candidates they have just met.
- Many internship positions are paid!
Service Learning
Consider a service learning experience as an opportunity to build your resume and job skills. In particular, your upper-division service learning credit should relate at least to your major if not also to your career interests. Use this experience as an opportunity to network with people that may be useful in your future career endeavors. See the volunteer section on the Center for Community Engagement website for information on local opportunities.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you find yourself in need of more experience related to your field in order to get hired in a position that you want, volunteering may be an option. Volunteer experience related to your career interests enables you to gain valuable experience and polish your skills. Volunteering is also a great way to make contacts with people in the industry and network your way into paid opportunities. See the volunteer section on the Center for Community Engagement website for information on local opportunities.
On-Campus Jobs
Working on-campus can give you great experience performing in a professional environment. This may mean that you get to build general office skills and prove that you can manage your time and be responsible. In addition, there are many opportunities that may help you gain specialized experience in your field and build key relationships with professional staff and administrators.
Networking
Networking is the act of meeting people with whom you can develop mutually beneficial relationships and exchange information, advice, contacts or support. Networking in the early stages of your career can help you build contacts, find out about open positions, enhance your understanding of industries, and gain important insight into what it takes to succeed in your field.
Career Mentorship
A career mentor can assist you in your career development journey by providing valuable career recommendations specific to your field of interest. To discuss ways to find a local mentor, attend drop-in career counseling at the Career Development Center. See the schedule of Workshops & Events (PDF, 1.79 MB) for details.
Informational Interviews
An informational interview is one of the best ways to identify what organizations are really looking for in competitive applicants. By interviewing someone in your field of interest you will find out tips and strategies on how to enter the field. You will also learn about the challenges associated with the position and get recommendations on how to become a competitive applicant. To setup an informational interview, the first thing you will need to do is conduct research on companies/organizations in your field of interest. Second, you will need to identify potential individuals who you intend to interview. Third, you will need to draft a letter to request the informational interview; see the prospective cover letter section in the Resume Handbook (PDF, 1.64 MB) for a sample. Lastly, you will need to prepare for the informational interview by developing a series of questions to ask the interviewee. Attend drop-in career counseling to discuss ways to prepare for an informational interview. See the schedule of Workshops & Events (PDF, 1.79 MB) for details.
Sample Questions:
- What skills/attributes are important for success in this position?
- What was your career pathway?
- What trends have you recognized over the years in this field?
- Would you recommend certain classes or training programs for this position?
- What other organizations are you aware of that hire for this position?
- Which professional associations or publications would you recommend I consult?
- Do you have any recommendations to make my resume more appealing to employers in this industry?
- Do you have any advice for a new graduate entering this industry? How does an individual stay competitive in this field?
- Do you have any recommendations of additional people in this field that I can interview?
Step 5: Launch Your Career
Market yourself effectively through gaining the practical skills to launch your career including a polished resume and cover letter, proactive job search strategies, professional networking skills, salary negotiation techniques, and strong interview skills to become a competitive applicant in today’s market.
Resumes & Cover Letters
A resume and cover letter is often your first impression to an employer and you want the impression to be outstanding. See the Resume Handbook (PDF, 1.64 MB) for information on how to develop a polished resume, cover letter, professional reference sheet, and thank you letter. Also, attend a resume clinic to get your questions answered by a CDS staff member. See the schedule of Workshops & Events (PDF, 1.79 MB) for details.
Job Search Strategies
- Try several job search methods. If you limit your job search to just one method, you will limit your options. To be competitive in today's market, you should use multiple methods. No one job search method will reveal all of the jobs out there. Not every kind of job or industry is represented in every job search method. If you want to maximize your options, you will need to use multiple methods.
- Start early. Some employers, especially larger organizations, look to recruit and hire many months in advance of the anticipated work-start date. If you do not start early, you can still find opportunities but you will have missed out on some of the options. It can take an average of six months to complete the entire recruitment process.
- Learn how others pursuing your career field or industry have been successful.
- Talk to faculty in your department.
- Talk to alumni about your career field.
- Learn to think beyond a major. Some people have a major that equals a job title; most do not. Learn to think about occupations, types of industries, job skills and career fields. The real world is not organized by academic majors therefore it is important to broaden your perspective.
- Do not expect your job search to be quick and easy. A job search can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Your motivation and attitude are the keys to your success.
- Research companies/organizations in your field to identify prospective employers before they have an opening. Conduct informational interviews with prospective employers before positions post on their website.
- Visit the Career Development Center to find out creative ways to tap into the "hidden job market."
- Attend a Job Search Strategies Workshop to find additional ways to strategically approach the job search including the proactive job search approach. See Workshops & Events (PDF, 1.79 MB) calendar for details.
Professional Networking
Professional networking will be an essential part of your final step in the career development journey. Your ability to build contacts in the field will help you tremendously as you prepare to launch your career.
Professional Associations
Professional associations, many of which will allow students to join at a discounted rate, offer an excellent job search resource. Many national associations have local chapters. They commonly provide some type of career services for their members and post information about jobs in their field. Attending an association meeting or event can help you meet people who can provide you with job leads and valuable career-related information. To find out how to select a professional association, attend drop-in career counseling. See the Workshops & Events schedule (PDF, 1.79 MB) for details.
Networking Events
Networking is the center of most successful job searches. When you make contact with people in a career field or organization in which you want to work, you may get tips on improving your marketability, names of additional contacts, inside information about what it takes to get hired, or even a job offer. Attend local networking events sponsored through the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce to get started with your first networking event.
Social Professional Networking
LinkedIn is a social networking tool that allows you to strengthen and increase your network of professional contacts. You can also use LinkedIn to research employers, career fields, industry contacts, and job leads. Many employers and recruitment agencies use LinkedIn to find candidates for open positions.
LinkedIn Tips:
- Increase your network by connecting to friends, family, supervisors, employers, colleagues, peers, faculty, advisers, and professionals in your field of interest.
- Continue to build and make new connections.
- Ask your connections to introduce you to people in their network from whom you are interested in seeking information.
- Follow and conduct research on organizations of interest.
- Search through the jobs postings, but before applying see if you have connections to the company and ask your contacts for recommendations and perhaps a referral for the position.
For more tips on how to use LinkedIn, visit http://learn.linkedin.com/
Business Cards
Business cards are an excellent way for you to share contact information with people during professional networking events. Business cards can include your name, contact information, major, university, and field of interest.
Interview Preparation
If you study for a test, you have a better chance of getting a good grade. Similarly, practicing your responses to specific interview questions will make you feel more at ease and more confident when you interview.
Mock Interview Preparation Packet (PDF, 295.64 KB)
| Major Area | Typical Questions | How to Prepare |
|---|---|---|
|
Are you focused? Do you articulate your career goals and how your skills, interests, and background support your career aspirations? |
Typical questions asked around this area of concern include:
|
Take some time for self-reflection Do not just say what they want to hear, really think about what direction you want your career to take, what you want from a job, etc. If the job is a good fit for you, there will be an intersection between your honest answers and what you will get out of that job. |
|
Do you know about the organization? Have you taken the time to learn about the company? Do you find the company’s work to be important and interesting? |
Typical questions asked include:
|
The key for these questions, is to do your research. Company’s website – look at their services; review the staff job titles or biographies if available, etc. Search on google.com – Internet articles that discuss the company or industry. Attend a Career & Internship Fair meet with recruiters from local organizations. Ask around. People you know may be familiar with the organization; get their perspectives. |
|
Are you qualified for this position? Do you understand the nature of the position and have appropriate qualifications? How do you operate in a work environment? How do you interact with others? |
Typical questions include:
|
Identify your transferable skills. You may not have had a job that is directly related, but you have built skills that employers want. Are you a good communicator? When have you demonstrated that previously? Are you organized? When did you complete a project/assignment or organize an event that required you to juggle many tasks and keep track of multiple deadlines? |
Practicing answers to interview questions does not mean you should memorize exact answers and recite them during an interview. Working with common questions and your answers will help you to get comfortable with the interview process and the type of information you would ideally share in an interview. This will help you to clearly articulate answers to any question.
Typical Interview Questions:
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your career plans?
- What do you see yourself doing in five years?
- Why do you want to work in this industry?
- Describe your ideal job.
- What other positions are you interviewing for?
- Do you plan to pursue further education?
- What classes did you enjoy most/least and why?
- Why are you pursuing this field?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- How well do you work under pressure?
- Why are you interested in our organization?
- What do you know about our services/products?
- How do you feel about traveling or relocation as part of your job?
- In what type of setting do you do your best work?
- How would you improve our operations?
- Why should I hire you?
- What have you learned from some of the jobs you have had?
- Tell me about three accomplishments you have achieved.
- What can you offer us?
- Tell me about a job or experience that you liked the most?
- Describe a situation where you failed.
- Why did you decide to attend CSU Channel Islands?
- Why did you choose your major?
- What subjects did you like the most? The least? Why?
- What have you learned from your failures?
- Tell me about your greatest strengths and weaknesses.
- Do you prefer to be directly supervised or to work independently?
- How is your background related to this position?
- What motivates you to do good work?
- What qualifications do you have that make you feel that you would be successful here?
- How would a former supervisor describe you?
- When working on a team project, have you ever had strong disagreement among team members or a team member that didn’t do their part? What did you do?
- Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet in order to solve a problem.
Job Offer
Once you receive a job offer, your job search takes on a new dimension. Until that point, the primary focus of your search is to convince employers to choose you. With an offer in hand, you have to make a choice to accept the offer or not. Below are some guidelines that can help you make an informed decision.
What Should I Expect?
Typically, you will receive a phone call or email followed by an official written
offer. Offers usually include the job title, salary, start date, supervisor’s name,
and a deadline for responding. Keep in mind that you may get other compensation beyond
salary in the form of benefits. See the benefits section below to learn more about
benefits that you may be offered. If you need more details about the position to help
you make a decision, do not hesitate to contact the employer. It is tempting to accept
a job offer on the spot, but it is better to thank the employer for the offer, indicate
that you are highly interested, and ask when they need your decision. Employers know
you are interviewing with other organizations and appreciate your honesty and careful
consideration.
Should I Accept Any Offer I Get?
If you are offered a position that you feel you “should” accept because you fear you
will not have other options, think carefully before you accept. Do not accept an offer
before you are ready. Acceptance of an employment offer should be made in good faith and with the sincere
intention to honor the commitment. Once you make a commitment to start a job, it would
be viewed as unprofessional and unethical should you renege on your commitment.
How Do I Decline an Offer?
Contact the employer formally by e-mail or letter and indicate your appreciation for
the offer. State that you are declining. You can tell them why but you do not have
to. Decline an offer as soon as you decide you are no longer interested or immediately
after accepting another offer. Declining in a polite and timely fashion will help
you avoid offending the organization.
How Do I Accept an Offer?
Once you decide to accept the offer, verbally contact the employer and follow up with
a letter. Be sure to include the position, start date, pay rate and any other negotiated
items in the letter. Keep a copy of the letter for future reference. Notify and thank all those who acted as references for you and provided leads and advice
for your job search. It is a thoughtful gesture that will be remembered and appreciated.
Benefits
You may also receive detailed information on other benefits such as insurance (life,
medical, dental, vision), employee assistance, wellness programs, vacation and sick
leave, observed holidays, etc. If you do not receive this information and these factors
are important to you, ask the employer to send it to you prior to making your decision.
You can also ask to speak to the benefits counselor for benefits information. Ask
questions including: When do the benefits start? What is included? Are dependents
covered?
Benefits may include:
- Disability insurance, short-term
- Relocation/moving expense
- Stock options
- Retirement
- Profit sharing
- Educational assistance/tuition reimbursement
- Training and development
- Health and fitness programs
- Bonus-signing or performance
- Commission
Salary Negotiation
Eighty-two percent of employers expect you to negotiate salary, therefore it is appropriate to do your salary research and develop a negotiation strategy. Visit the Career Development Center to discuss salary negotiation techniques with a career counselor.
Salary Research Websites
CareerOneStop
All users will appreciate the easy-to-find and easy-to-understand wage and salary
information found here. Try the “For Occupations” search to quickly find national-level
wage data for hundreds of occupations, data which can then be focused on a specific
state or metropolitan region. All of the wage data is provided by the Occupational
Employment Statistics program of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
This BLS program produces employment and wage estimates for more than 800 occupations.
These are estimates of the number of people employed in certain occupations, and estimates
of the wages paid to them. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole,
for individual states, and for metropolitan areas. National occupational estimates
for specific industries are also available.
Salary.com
This site offers users free access to more than just salary data. Salary.com gives
users information on total compensation. The Salary Wizard allows users to search
for base, median, and top-level earnings in hundreds of jobs in many occupational
areas; many of these projections are local as well as national.