Career Development
Building a resume while you are in college is crucial to your success. A resume lists your education, GPA, career objectives, work experience, special skills, extracurricular involvement, and references. What you do now to build on these areas will make all the difference when you start looking for a job.
Do an Internship
Show future employers that you have the smarts to take what you've learned in the classroom and apply it to real world situations. Through internships, you can build your resume, find out if you've chosen the right major, and establish connections with companies that you might want to work for.
Internships
Develop Professional Skills
You can build a repertoire of professional skills through work experiences, college courses, workshops and seminars, and extracurricular activities.
Professional skills include presentation skills; interpersonal skills; business writing, resume, interview and job search skills; knowledge of business ethics; and leadership and teamwork abilities.
You can acquire professional skills for the workplace right here on campus. You can improve your written and oral communication skills by taking speaking and writing courses. You can take resume, interviewing, and dress for success workshops through the Career Resource Center. You can take elective courses like "Job Search Strategies" or "Effective Career Management" to expand your job search skills. And you can develop your team-building and leadership abilities through active membership in a student organization.
Florida Leadership Academy
Professional Development Electives
CRC Online Workshops
WCBA Student Organizations
Integrated Process and Product Design (IPPD) Program
Job Search Basics (video)
Start Building Your Network
Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know. To maximize your chances for employment, you need to develop and maintain relationships with on campus recruiters, employers, student organizations, faculty, academic advisors, administrators, fellow classmates, and professionals in your field.
Meet with On Campus Recruiters
One way to find an internship and develop professional contacts is to meet with on campus recruiters. Be sure to go to Career Showcase and use "Gator CareerLink" to sign up for interviews, submit resumes and cover letters, view dates for company information sessions, and track your job search activities.
Join a WCBA Student Organization
Business student organizations provide excellent networking opportunities: you'll gain special access to on campus recruiters, meet and work with faculty advisors, attend conferences, and form friendships with other students who share your interests.
Develop Relationships with Faculty, Advisors, and Students
Each day, you have an opportunity to foster relationships with your instructors, advisors, and fellow classmates. Work on creating positive relationships with these individuals by going to class, talking with your professors, going to social events, and visiting with your advisor once a semester.
Contact Your Advisor
Establishing relationships with others is central to your college experience. Not only will you improve your interpersonal skills, you will make valuable contacts that can help you along the road to success. As a business major, you take a lot of online courses, so you must take the initiative to make an extra effort to get to know your professors, advisors, and fellow students. To develop these relationships, you should...
- Introduce yourself to others
- Speak with faculty at least once a week
- Attend class regularly (go to the live sections when you can!)
- Visit your professors during office hours at least once a week
- Sit in the front row
- Get hired as a teaching assistant
- Actively participate in student organizations
- Work side-by-side with the faculty advisors who lead the student organization(s) you are involved in
- Work alongside faculty on a research project
- Seek out opportunities to serve your college
- Meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester
- Have fun with your classmates!
Know Your Options: Explore Business Majors and Careers
What exactly can you do with a Marketing degree? Is Finance the right major for you? If you are unsure about what you can do with your degree, you need to actively research your major.
Research Majors
Choosing the right major requires research. The following steps can help you with this process:
- Read the UF Undergraduate Catalog to determine available majors. Learn about the requirements for the majors that are of interest to you and read the course descriptions required for those majors. From there, narrow your choices to two or three majors.
- Research the sites listed below under "Helpful Links", which provide detailed information on what you can actually do with the majors you are considering. Remember, business degrees are versatile - choosing one business major over another will not prevent you from working in other areas.
- When you have further narrowed your choices, speak with a faculty member (or other knowledgeable person) who can give you firsthand information on the career(s) you are interested in.
- Speak with an academic advisor to clarify the degree requirements for your chosen major.
- Do an internship to confirm the major you chose is right for you.
In addition to these steps, you might also consider taking SLS 2302 "Career Planning" or GEB 3035 "Effective Career Management."
Helpful Links
Business Major Descriptions
Online Career Indexes
Career Counseling
