Career Help and Preparation

On This Page:

Explore your Interests

Not sure where to start or what you may be interested in doing after graduation? That’s ok!

In exploring possible careers, you’ll want to self-reflect on the following:

• Your skills: What are you good at that is marketable in the current or future job market?

• Your interests: Set aside job titles and industries, what drives you? Think about past courses and experiences that have been interesting, rewarding, or enjoyable. What is that thread that connects these preferences?

• Your values: How do your personal and professional values relate to potential career fields or employers? Are you motivated by money, status, philanthropy…? Who do you want to serve?

Linking your interests and values to careers:

Take an online career assessment/quiz to learn what career fields line up with your interests and skills: 

• 16 Personalities will provide you with an in-depth overview of your personality type and corresponding careers. 

• Career One Stop offers skills, interest, and values assessments, with career recommendations and introductory videos.

Career Exploration Resources:

• Use the course catalogue to explore relevant academic programs, minors, and electives.

• The Occupational Outlook Handbook can help you find career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations.

• ONET OnLine contains detailed descriptions of job function, skills, education, and employment trends.

Seek Opportunities to Gain Experience:

• Join a club:  Student Organizations

• Volunteer: Office of Engagement Programs

• Internships: Apply for internships or other professional opportunities on Handshake

• Job Shadowing/Informational Interviews: Utilize your personal network or connect with Career Services to explore these opportunities

Need some help with all of this? Don’t forget that Falk Career Services is here to help! Just make an appointment

Launch your Career

Research positions and employers through online platforms, career fairs, and personal networks.

Online platforms:

• Handshake: Connect with employers that are already connected with Syracuse University and interested in hiring Syracuse alumni.

• LinkedIn: Network with alumni to learn about their position, company, or candidate expectations that are not available on job postings and websites.

  • All students can join the CuseConnect Group to engage with current students and alumni.

  • Falk seniors: Join the Falk College Alumni Group to network and receive updates on positions relevant to Falk majors.

• Search directly on company websites.

• Review major-specific resources, including lists of professional associations and helpful keywords.

• Use general employment search engines such as Indeed, Glassdoor, Simply Hired, etc.

Career fairs and networking:

• Login to Handshake and look for upcoming Career Fairs or Networking Events, such as etiquette dinners and alumni receptions, to practice these skills.

• Select the appointment type “Career Fair/Networking Skills” on Handshake.

• For information about effective networking, review the Develop Your Skills page.

Consider continued education to meet career goals (M.A., Ph.D., CAS, Fellowship, etc.).

• Attend the Grad School Prep workshop.

• Select the appointment type “Graduate School Applications and Prep” on Handshake.

• Explore the resources available from the Graduate School’s Career Services Office.

• Explore Grad School/GRE resources.

Navigate the job application process, and ultimately consider and negotiate job offers.

Search and apply for jobs using the methods above.

• For information about resumes, cover letters, and interviewing, review the Develop Your Skills page.

• Select the appointment type “Job/Internship Search” on Handshake or “Resume/Cover Letter Review” for assistance with the application process.

Consider and negotiate job offers.

• Determine the cost of living in a given city.

• Assess and prioritize the personal and professional benefits of each job offer.

• Use resources like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to research regional salary information. 

• Use Big Interview has negotiation training and practice opportunities.

• Select the appointment type “Considering and Negotiating Job Offers” on Handshake.

Develop your Skills

What can you accomplish over the next weeks, months, or years to prepare for your future profession?

Write strong resumes, cover letters, and personal statements.

• Start by reviewing these Skill Sheets and samples:

  • Resumes

  • Cover Letters

  • Personal Statements

  • Professional Emails 

• For help with writing style and grammar, set up an appointment with The Writing Center.

• For help with content and formatting, contact Falk Career Services to make an appointment.

Build skills for interviews and networking events.

Interview skills

• All students can access their free account with Big Interview, using their Syracuse University email address, to access interview training videos, interview strategy resources, and interview practice questions.

• Sign up for a Workshop in Handshake.

• Select the appointment type “Interview Strategies and Prep or Mock/Practice Interview” on Handshake.

In-Person networking

• Look for upcoming Career Fairs or Networking Events, such as etiquette dinners and alumni receptions, to practice these skills.

• Select the appointment type “Career Fair/Networking Skills” on Handshake.

Online networking skills

• Join the Falk Alumni LinkedIn Group for Falk seniors and alumni.

• Review your social media privacy settings.

Grow knowledge, skillsets, and abilities specific to your career field.

• Search the Syracuse University Course Catalog or speak to your academic advisor to find relevant electives.

• Begin using your experiences to gain career field specific skills and abilities.

  • Explore leadership positions or additional responsibilities within clubs and volunteer activities.

  • Seek additional internships and job shadowing opportunities on Handshake that will help you develop necessary skills.

Need some help with all of this? Don’t forget that Falk Career Services is here to support you! Just make an appointment.

Ready to start setting goals?

Career Preparation Timeline

Below is a suggested career preparation timeline. There are a number of great ways to prepare for a career throughout your time Syracuse University. If you’ve missed completing some of the tasks listed by year below, don’t worry! Now is a great time to get started and take that first step.

Students can search for and register to attend upcoming workshops and career events by signing in to Handshake, Syracuse University’s career development tool.

Freshman Year

• Claim your Handshake account and fill in your profile

• Expand your skills and experience by joining clubs or seeking volunteer opportunities

• Attend Career Services workshops:

  • Using Handshake

  • Resume creation and management

  • Career exploration

• Attend a career fair or alumni/employer panel

Sophomore Year

• Expand your skills and experience by getting a part-time job or studying abroad

• Attend Career Services workshops:

  • Researching employers and job opportunities

  • Tailoring your resume to particular internship/job opportunities

  • Crafting cover letters and personal statements

  • Career exploration

• Attend a career fair or alumni/employer panel

Junior Year

• Expand your skills and experience through internships, research projects, and/or leadership roles in current activities

• Attend Career Services workshops:

  • Researching employers and job opportunities

  • Tailoring your resume to particular internship/job opportunities

  • Crafting cover letters and personal statements

  • Creating and maintaining a personal brand

  • Applied digital and interpersonal networking

  • Interview strategies/mock interviews

  • Career exploration

• Attend a career fair or alumni/employer panel

• Attend alumni/employer networking events

• Attend on-campus recruiting/on-campus interviewing events (for internships)

Senior Year

• Expand your skills and experience through internships, research projects, capstone events, or off-campus leadership roles (volunteer organizations)

• Attend Career Services workshops:

  • Researching employers and job opportunities

  • Tailoring your resume to particular internship/job opportunities

  • Crafting cover letters and personal statements

  • Creating and maintaining a personal brand II: social media presence and privacy

  • Applied digital and interpersonal networking

  • Selecting and engaging references

  • Interview strategies/mock interviews

  • Selecting and applying to graduate schools

• Attend a career fair or alumni/employer panel

• Attend alumni/employer networking events

• Attend on-campus recruiting/on-campus interviewing events (for internships or paid employment)

Graduate Study

Visit the Graduate School’s Office of Professional and Career Development for resources and assistance relevant to graduate-level positions.

Job/Internship Search

Get resources by major:

Guide to Resumes

“Your resume is your key marketing document in your job search.” – Big Interview

Sub-Sections

Although resumes vary by career field, listed below are some of the typical sections on a resume: 

• Education

• Experience

• Certifications

• Volunteer Work/Service Learning

• Specific Coursework

• Clubs/Organizations

• Awards/Honors

• Skills

• Presentations

• Publications

• Professional Profile/Summary

Content/Wording

The content of your resume is what prospective employers are evaluating to see if your experience is in line with what they’re looking for. Bring attention to what you’ve accomplished thus far by doing the following:

• Begin each bullet point/sentence with an action word, – ie. Developed, Designed, Executed, Created, Managed

• Be concise in describing the task/s you completed within each bullet point & section (4-6 bullets per sub-section)

• Ensure all current involvement is in present tense and all past experiences are in past tense

Format

• Margins: .5” to 1” – Allow for white space

• Font: Begin with 12 point font and if necessary, reduce to 10.5 (be mindful of readability)

• Length: 1-2 pgs, depending on experience

• Consistency is key. If you want to bold the name of an organization – bold all organization names. This also applies to underlining, italicizing, lining up of dates, bullet points, etc.

• Chronological Resume: Experience is listed with present employment first, then previous, and so on down the page

• Functional Resume: Accomplishments are organized by sections according to skill set, ie. Technology, Supervision, etc

Tips

Do

• Proofread your resume & have it edited

• Seek out experiences to expand your resume & ultimately, talking points in an interview

• Have a ‘Master’ (comprehensive) copy of your resume. Save a new copy for each job you apply to

Don’t

• Include any information that cannot be verified

• List DOB, nationality, place of birth, marital status

• Use a font that is not easy to read. Stick to Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, Sherman Sans

Sample Chronological Resume

Guide to Cover Letters

“Your cover letter is your handshake and your sales pitch all rolled into one.” – Big Interview

Format

Follow the formatting for a typical business letter – See example below.

Thoroughly Review Job Description

1. Print the job description for which you’re writing the cover letter

2. Review the different sections of the description, ie. Title, Entry/Mid/Sr level, Qualifications, Responsibilities, etc.

3. Highlight/Underline the sections of the job description that:

   1. Excite you about the position/why you want the job 

   2. You have done a similar task in previous work and can expound on your experience

Content

Paragraph One

State the title of the job you are applying for and briefly why you want that position. This first section should be a few sentences, not an entire paragraph – See example below.

Paragraph Two & Three

These paragraphs serve as the substance of the document. The goal is to use examples from your resume/experiences to show that you are qualified to do the job. For example: 

• Position Description Reads: “Primarily serve and engage K-6 graders in after school program.”

• Cover Letter responds with: “Through my internship at Martin Luther King elementary school, I not only tutored students one on one in English skills, but supervised recess. I allowed for free time on the play equipment but took the last 5-10 minutes to engage the whole group in a team building activity before returning to the classroom.”

Paragraph Four

• Use can (but don’t have to) state the position for which you’re applying again

• Use the ending to personalize why you want the job and that you “hope to hear from them soon” or “would appreciate the opportunity to speak further about the opportunity”

Tips

Do

• Proofread & have letter edited

• Follow the business letter format

Don’t

• Include any information that cannot be verified

Sample Cover Letter