Identifying You Career Preferences
What academic work do I find most engaging and why?
Write down the academic topics you are most engaged in.
What opportunities does a potential college/university offer that could give you experience?
Internship and shadowing opportunities.
Preliminary research you can do to give you a general sense of career field.
Research the career field, the job, and the interviewer.
Helps the potential employer contact you.
Contact Information
The structure of a cover letter should always include this.
Your contact information
How do I feel about working in groups vs working alone?
Determine what work style fits you best.
Meaningful opportunities might a potential college/university provide.
Volunteer opportunities.
You are expected to be the one to ask questions.
Prepare at least five or more questions ahead of time.
Put this at the top of your resume to highlight your educational interests and accomplishments.
Important academic details
Be sure make sure that this is appropriate depending on the person or group you are writing to.
Salutation or greeting
What activities are my favorites and why?
Activities you engage in may reveal your hidden passions.
Experiences that allow you to form and prove hypothesis
Research experiences on or off campus
The person you are meeting with will want to understand why you scheduled the meeting.
Be prepared to talk about why you are interested.
Gives employers an idea of your skills, expertise, and interests.
Work and volunteer experience
Start the letter by clearly and briefly stating this.
What position you are applying for and why
What type of work environment do I want to work in?
Do you want to be part of a start-up or a more established organization?
Allow you to get real-world experience
On-or off-campus jobs
It’s helpful to take notes on salient aspects of the conversation.
Take notes.
Employers want to know when your experiences took place and how long you engaged in them.
Dates
If it makes sense what should you express through a followup call or email.
Your interest in a position
Take time to consider this so that the careers you consider incorporate what matters to you.
What are my values?
Allow you to learn more about exciting topics.
Guest lectures or conferences
This shares what you got out of the information interview.
Thank-you note
Add a section that highlights your skills and interests.
Creates a fuller picture of yourself
This will put you more at ease during the real thing
Mock Interview