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Four Year Plan

No matter where students are in the process of exploring majors, thinking about internships, looking for jobs, or applying to graduate school, Career Services has programs and resources to assist with the entire process.

Here is a suggested timeline for undergraduate students, for keeping the pressure low and the potential for career success high.

Freshman Year
Sophomore Year
Junior Year
Senior Year
Post-Graduation


Freshman Year:

We know freshmen have lots to do…classes to find, friends to make, a campus to explore. Career Services has something for you too! Career Services is here when you are ready to start looking for summer jobs and internships. In addition to summer opportunities, we also have a number of resources to help you explore how your interests relate to academic concentrations and potential career paths. Here are just a few things to think about doing during your first year at Princeton:

Getting Started

  • As you become involved in extracurricular activities, be aware that you are gaining skills and experience that will be useful as you consider summer jobs and internships.

  • Join other students on TigerTracks, our online system containing thousands of summer job and internship listings. You can search for internships from a range of industries and geographic locations. Start looking early, as some internships have late fall deadlines.

  • Attend an Internships/TigerTracks Orientation in the fall semester. Once you log in to TigerTracks via our web site, you may complete your "profile" which enables you to receive targeted emails announcing internships based on your interests.

  • Begin putting together your resume and meet with a career counselor to get feedback. You may also discuss your interests and the types of summer job or internships are available

  • Subscribe to "CareerNews" a weekly email announcing upcoming events and career-related information. Go to https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=careernews&A=1 and select "careernews" from the Public Lists.

    Exploring Majors and Options

  • Use the "What Can I Do With My Major?" page on Career Services web site to begin reading about majors and careers, and learn what some alumni from each major are doing now.

  • Talk to sophomores in your residential college about classes they have taken, to help you learn about majors that interest you most.

  • Learn about exciting careers by attending CAREER WEEK during both the fall and spring semesters. Other workshops and "career conversation" panels are held throughout the year, during which alumni talk about what it is like to intern and work in a wide range of career fields.

  • Use the Alumni Careers Network on our web site to connect with over 4,000 alumni who have offered to give students advice about majors and careers. Search for people who had majors that interest you and talk to them about their experiences as an undergraduate at Princeton.

Sophomore Year:

Sophomore year is an interesting time - you know the campus and Princeton environment pretty well after a full year here and yet now you are faced with some big decisions. As you all know, one main focus of this year is choosing a major.

There are many resources on campus to help guide you through the process of choosing a major and, then, learning more about opportunities that will be available to you with the academic field that you have chosen.

Exploring Majors and Careers

  • Talk to academic advisors, upper-class students, and faculty members. Attend the Majors Fair in the late fall to learn about majors that may interest you.

  • Use the "What Can I Do With My Major?" page on the Career Services web site to begin reading about majors and careers, and learn what some alumni from each major are doing now.

  • Ask yourself what you like most about your classes, what activities outside of class you enjoy the most, and what types of things are important for you to learn about. This information can be used to help make decisions about majors and internships you might like to explore.

  • Meet with a career counselor to talk about different options for majors and careers.

  • Look through the Alumni Careers Network (ACN), our online database of alumni who have volunteered to provide advice to students. Look at their college majors and current jobs, to see the diversity of options you have for your future no matter what major you choose!

    Pursue Activities and Internships

  • Get involved in volunteer work and extracurricular activities. These help build skills that future employers or graduate admissions committees find valuable when considering applications.

  • Look for internships beginning in November, as some have late fall deadlines. Use TigerTracks, other online links, and resources in the Career Services Library.

  • Keep your resume updated - get cover letters and resumes critiqued by a career counselor.

  • Connect with alumni through career panels held on campus and via the Alumni Careers Network (ACN). Talk to people about their jobs, what they do on a daily basis, to discover more about your future options.

  • Subscribe to "CareerNews" a weekly email announcing upcoming events and career-related information. Go to https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=careernews&A=1 and select "careernews" from the Public Lists.

  • Attend CAREER WEEK in the fall and spring, as well as career panels throughout the year, to hear alumni talk about what it is like to intern and work in a wide range of career fields.

Junior Year:

Your junior year is a great time to begin focusing in on your career goals as well as prepare for the upcoming job/graduate school search. If you have not already done so, subscribe to CareerNews (go to https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=careernews&A=1 , select Public Lists, and subscribe to careernews), a weekly email announcing career-related events and other information. Although graduation seems far away, the time will fly by. So, we have some ideas of things you should be doing this year to get ready.

Internships

  • Have your resume updated, reviewed, and ready to go at the beginning of the fall semester! Bring it to Resume Day or schedule an appointment with a counselor.

  • Be sure you have attended a TigerTracks Orientation to learn about the internship search and On-Campus Recruiting. These sessions take place during the first few weeks of classes.

  • Begin investigating internship options EARLY in the fall semester so you don't miss opportunities with early applications. Some programs have November 1 deadlines!

  • Learn how to ace the interview! Review the interview preparation materials on our web site, attend an interviewing workshop, and then meet with a counselor for a mock interview.

  • Utilize the Alumni Careers Network (ACN) to connect with alumni, get advice about internships and future career possibilities.

  • Attend CAREER WEEK during both the fall and spring semesters and Career Conversations panels throughout the year to hear alumni talk about what it is like to intern and work in a wide range of career fields.

  • Attend the General Career Fair and/or the Science and Technology Career Fair in October as well as the Non-Profit Fair in March to learn about employers and their internship opportunities.

Thinking of Graduate School?

  • Thinking about graduate, law, medical, or business school? Don't miss the Graduate and Professional School Fair in October as well as information sessions on campus hosted by graduate and professional school representatives.

  • Review the exam schedules (GRE, LSAT, MCAT) and be sure to familiarize yourself with the test necessary for admission to your graduate program of choice.

  • If law school interests you, attend a Pre-Law Orientation in the fall or spring. Keep in mind that the ideal time to take the LSAT is June after your junior year.

  • Investigate deadlines for graduate fellowships and scholarships. Begin preparing your materials the summer after your junior year.

  • Begin to request letters of recommendation from faculty. Open a Credentials File at Career Services for the letters of recommendation for grad school or fellowships/scholarships.

Senior Year:

Although graduation seems far away, the time will fly. This year will be a time for finalizing your post-graduation plans. You may be planning on applying to graduate or professional school or planning to land that first job. You may be undecided about what you want to do! Career Services will support you in making those plans or decisions. Be sure that you have subscribed to CareerNews (go to https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=careernews&A=1 , select Public Lists, and subscribe to careernews), a weekly email announcing upcoming events and career-related information. Below, we have listed some important action items to assist you with your plans.

Applying to Graduate School

  • Applying to Grad School? Attend the Graduate and Professional School Fair in October, and on-campus presentations offered by graduate and professional school representatives.

  • Discuss your application strategy and review your essays and personal statements with a Career Services counselor.

  • Check deadlines, prepare applications, and have letters of recommendation sent to your Credentials File in Career Services.

    Looking for a Job

  • Attend an on-campus recruiting orientation to learn about TigerTracks and begin applying for on-campus interviews at the beginning of the semester.

  • Prepare your resume and have it reviewed by a Career Services counselor or attend Resume Day in September. Meet with a career counselor to strategize your job search and options.

  • Attend the General Career Fair and/or the Science and Technology Career Fair in October as well as the Nonprofit Fair in March to learn about companies and their opportunities.

  • Attend CAREER WEEK both semesters, as well as career conversations panels throughout the year, to hear alumni talk about what it is like to work in a wide range of career fields.

  • Use the Alumni Careers Network to connect with alumni, talk about jobs of interest to you, and begin networking for the purposes of securing employment or exploring your options!

    Plans Uncertain

  • Schedule an appointment with a counselor to clarify your interests and develop a plan of action to pursue your goals.

  • Explore possible options by using the Alumni Careers Network to talk to alumni who are doing or have done something that may interest you.

Post-Graduation:
  • Alumni are eligible for all the services at Career Services except for access to TigerTracks. If you are not located close to campus, you can have phone appointments with career counselors.

  • Join the Alumni Careers Network to share your career experiences with current students.