Career Planning

Two critical parts of planning your career are defining your purpose and passions, as well as setting goals to achieve the career you want. Do you know what drives you? College is your opportunity to explore activities, internships, classes, and volunteer experiences. Are you able to find a career that will put your purpose and passions to use? How will you get there?

" The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth."

Sir Wilfred Thomason Grenfell

Looking Back:
A Self-Reflection

Of all the people you've come into contact with, are there professions or careers that stand out?

Check out our worksheet.

Quiz Ideas

  • What career is right for you? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? What do you dislike? What are your education goals? Use this quiz to find out what career you should choose.
  • Which careers match your skills? Do you know what you are good at doing and what you enjoy doing? Take this test to find out.

Moving Ahead:
The Challenge

What skills would you like to learn from an internship, work, volunteer, campus activity, or other experience?

Check out our worksheet.

Articles

Campus Resources

  • University Career Services
    University Career Services prepares and connects career-ready students for post-graduate success. They support students in clarifying their career goals, developing a strategy for obtaining relevant experience and transitioning to the professional world.
  • Career Opportunities
    Career Opportunities at Mason offers information regarding employment at the university. They list employment positions, benefit summaries, reasons to work at Mason and more.
  • Student Academic Affairs, Advising & Retention
    StAAART assists students to thrive in transitions by providing tools and guidance to help them achieve their academic and personal goals. They serve the university community as a centralized source of information on current academic policies, procedures, and student success initiatives.

Additional Resources

  • Virginia Jobs
    Virginia Jobs is Virginia’s Employment and Resource Center. The center lists state government jobs and how to apply for them. It also provides a career development library to help people plan their careers and find resources.
  • CareerArc Group
    CareerArc is the world’s largest internship marketplace bringing students, employers and higher education institutions together in one centralized location. They provide a wide variety of interactive, world-class tools and services to enable every student, employer and educator to better understand and optimize internship opportunities.
  • Study Abroad
    Study Abroad.com is a great place to begin when thinking of studying abroad. The website has information about academic semester and summer programs, internship programs, as well as an array of practical information about things like financial aid, housing, discount airfare, telephone services, health insurance, and consumer tips.
  • Monster College
    Monster College helps college students and recent graduates explore, interact, and learn about possible careers. They offer interviewing tips and tricks, resume templates and skill-building quizzes, and more.
  • Career Key
    The Career Key is a free service to assist with choosing college majors, training programs, career choices, career changes, career planning, and job searches. 
  • Career Builder
    Career Builder is the largest online job site in the U.S. and they are a global leader in human capital solutions. Through constant innovation, unparalleled technology, and customer service, they help match people’s talent with the right opportunity.
  • Office of Personnel Management
    OPM is the hiring authority for the United States civil service workforce. They are a gateway guide to federal careers around the nation and the word. They offer programs for internships, recent graduates, and an advanced degree program.