Did you know? November is National Career Development Month!

Have you set goals, explored your interests, sought out hands-on experience, or learned a new skill? If so, you have already started your own career development!

What is career development?  

Career development is an ongoing process you’ll engage with throughout your life! From planning professional goals, to learning and building new skills through training, receiving feedback, and more, you’ll evolve and continue to advance your career development in many ways. 

When and how can I start my own career development? 

There is no perfect time to start your own career development, and everyone will approach it differently. With the end of the semester, finals, and break coming up, this might be the last thing on your mind. We encourage you to rest, and if you feel up to it, pick one actionable item to try from the list below to help you further your own career development! 

5 Quick Actions (With Resources) You Can Take for Your Own Career Development: 

1. Complete a career self-assessment: 

Feeling lost about choosing a major? Not sure what your strengths or interests are? Know your major but you’re not sure what you can do with it? 

• FOCUS2 asks you questions related to your values, work interests, skills, and personality, and provides a personalized report about what CofC majors might be a good fit for you, in addition to potential career paths.
• O*NET Online Interest Profiler is a free resource offered through the U.S. Department of Labor that anyone can use to quickly assess work-related interests and explore career options that are a good fit for them. 

2. Upskill through certifications: 

Need to learn a new skill to gain a competitive edge on applications? Want to practice or strengthen specific skills before next semester?  

• Coursera has partnered with CofC to offer a variety of affordable certifications, from project management to designing fundamentals with AI, that you can do at your own pace. 
• LinkedIn Learning has partnered with CofC to help you develop your skills across various industries through engaging video-based courses, certifications, and more. Find more information on the Career Center Hub > Networking and LinkedIn page.  

3. Connect to your network: 

Not sure how to network or how to start? Uncertain why it’s helpful or important? 

• Create a list of people you know who work in jobs or industries of interest to you. Think of friends, family, upperclassmen, alumni, family friends, supervisors, professors, advisors, and more. Then, see if you can schedule an informational interview with them to ask about their career path, get insider advice, tips, and more to help you towards your own goals. 
• If you need more ideas, look at LinkedIn profiles of people or companies of interest. Follow them, interact with them, and connect strategically through a shared interest and genuine desire to learn more about their industry, job, or company. 

4. Make time for career exploration: 

Confused about what you can do with your major? Know what you want to do, but you’re not sure how to get there? Unsure how to find more information about salary, job qualifications, and desirable skill sets? 

• Explore and research different careers and industries through free databases like the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) and O*NET Online (Occupational Network). 
• Find resources offered through the College of Charleston on the Career Center Hub > Explore Careers page or Handshake > Resources like “What Can I Do With This Major?” (WCIDWTM), the FOCUS2 career-assessment, or GoinGlobal (for local and international opportunities). 

5. Explore the Career Center Hub: 

Having a hard time finding our resources? Not sure where to start? Feeling confused about what you have access to as a CofC student? 

• Find resources for YOU on the Career Center Hub, only for College of Charleston students (use your CofC-assigned email and password to access the Hub)!  
• From sample resumes and cover letters, to interview preparation resources, tips and strategies for the job, internship, or graduate school search, and more…see what you can explore! 

Whether you start with one of these actions or need more time, the Career Center is here to help support you with your next steps after a well-deserved break, Cougars!

~ The Career Center Team

January is for setting goals and starting new habits. February is for sustaining them beyond the 30-day challenge.

New Year’s resolutions have never looked more fashionable than when rising college graduates set them. As a senior communication student approaching graduation, what’s on my mind is drinking my green juice every day and finding a job. I spent most of December and some of January with my family and hometown friends, and I was asked what my plans were after May, probably four to five times a week. After the third time, I thought about tattooing “I Don’t Know” on my forehead. 

When I thought about how to spend 2025, I realized this is a perfect time for goal setting and thinking about what my goals are beyond working out and drinking green juice. Yes, getting a job is at the forefront of my mind, but I also have other short-term goals that are helping me achieve my “reach for the stars” goals.  

My first goal is research: researching jobs I want to apply to; my second short-term goal is to apply to 20 post-graduation jobs by the end of February. While researching and applying, I’m also using this time to set additional short-term goals like using this time to network, asking questions, and scheduling as many informational interviews as possible. What I keep hearing is the more you can connect to people in jobs or industries you’re interested in, ask for advice, and learn about opportunities, the more likely you are to open additional opportunities for yourself. Before you know it, your informational interview may land you a job offer.  

So, while I learn about my industry and meet people along the way, I’m also creating a master Excel spreadsheet to track the jobs I’m applying for and the ones I get interviews for. Because even if I don’t get a job offer from the 20 jobs I apply to, I know that I will continue to meet people who can give me insider knowledge about the industry I want to enter, help me form a connection with someone I may help one day, or meet someone who may help me. 

The mindset I am trying to embrace is that goal setting, both long-term and short-term, is important, not just for the job search, but for overall growth and possibility of future connections and success. Now, when I see my family and friends, the tattoo on my forehead will be “I don’t know, but I have a plan.”. 

Until Next Time,
Emilia Feltner  

B.A. Communication, May 2025
Peer Career Advisor, CofC Career Center

Visit the Career Center Hub for job searching, interviewing, networking resources and more!