Career Calendar

Career Calendar
A Month-by-Month Career Development Guide

You began planning your career when you decided to attend the School of Public Health, if not before.  Now that you are here, whether in your first or second year or somewhere else in your program, virtually everything you do can be considered “career development.”  Here are some guidelines to use as reminders throughout the year to help you accomplish your career goals by capitalizing on various career development opportunities.

September
• Attend Career Conversations on the 19th.  The topic is “Resume and Cover Letter Basics.”
• Consider participating in the Mentor Program. Students who wish to be matched with a mentor for 2007-2008 should apply by Sept. 17th.

October
• Attend Career Conversations on the 17th.  The topic is “Networking and Informational Interviewing Strategies.”
• Search for jobs, internships, field experiences, fellowships and more on the Job Postings page.

November
• Attend Career Conversations on the 28th.  The topic is “Interviewing and Negotiating Strategies.”
• Begin thinking about where you would like to do your field experience.
• Check on the fellowships in which you are interested.  Application deadlines will be here soon!

December
• Make a list of organizations to target for your field experience or job search, and identify people with whom you can network over winter break.

January
• Attend Career Conversations on the 23rd. The topic is “Tips for Attending a Career Fair.”
• Submit Fellowship applications that are due this month or in February.
• Conduct informational interviews with your networking contacts.

February
• Attend Career Conversations on the 20th.  The topic is “Long Distance Job Search.”
• Attend one or all of the following career fairs:
Wednesday, Feb. 6th Environmental Career Fair (St. Paul Campus) 
Monday, Feb. 25th U of M Job and Internship Fair (Mpls Convention Center)

March
• Attend Career Conversations on the 26th.  The topic is “Interviewing and Negotiating Strategies.”
• Begin applying for jobs post-graduation or field experience opportunities.
• Research salaries  for your major and the venue in which you expect to find work.

April
• Attend Career Conversations on the 23rd.  The topic is “Resume and Cover Letter Basics.”
• Finalize field experience plans.
• Negotiate your salary with your new employer!
• Create a job search strategy if you haven’t found the right job yet. 

May – August
• Continue to network; volunteer; fine-tune your resume.  Your Career Resource Center is open all year to assist you in your job search. Schedule a meeting with Barb Laporte, the SPH career counselor, at blaporte@umn.edu.