Junior Year - Experience

You will begin taking upper division courses in your major, which are more in-depth and have greater challenges and rigor. Adjust your study and time management habits to meet these increased expectations. Ask your professors about the best ways to study for their class and prepare for tests early in the quarter. For subjects you are particularly interested in, ask what resources they recommend for further research.

Faculty and staff are great people to help you stay on track with graduation and major requirements, learn about valuable resources, academic policies, and opportunities to get involved outside of class! You can develop these relationships by meeting regularly with your faculty advisor to check in on your academic planning and success, and other activities to enhance your time at Western. Ask questions during class and offer comments in class discussions. Visit instructor office hours in your major and talk about career opportunities in the field!

Take a leadership role

Become a leader on campus or in the community. Participate in campus clubs and organizations, or volunteer for community organizations you are passionate about.

Leadership roles are a great way to develop skills attractive to employers, such as communication, teamwork, organization, professionalism, dependability, passion, and creativity.

Join and attend student professional organizations

Membership in a professional organization as a student has great benefits, such as cutting-edge information about your field of interest, networking opportunities, access to conferences and publications, and—best of all—you may have access to research opportunities and career postings! Not to mention, it looks great on a resume!

Find professional organizations related to your major or field interest through the Career Services Center.

Seek out a relevant internship to match career interests

Internships are an excellent opportunity to develop employable skills, expand your resume, and network with potential employers. You may discover what you might want from a future career.

• Search for internships
• Attend any quarterly career fair
• Check with your major department for postings
• Check postings through professional organizations.

Connect with the Career Services Center for help with resume writing and interview skills

Having a strong resume that highlights your skills is a very important step in the job search process. Next, you need to know how to market yourself and impress an employer in an interview!

The Career Services Center has resources to help you feel prepared for this process. Check out the Career Services Center events page for more information about workshops and drop-in sessions with a career counselor.

Network with career professionals at career fairs and other events

Getting a job can often be about who you know. Make sure you are networking or 'getting to know' career professionals that may lead to job opportunities. The Career Services Center offers workshops to help you learn the skills of networking and how to prepare for networking at career fairs. Check out the Career Services events calendar to identify your networking opportunities.