What Can I Do With This Major
Whether you are exploring majors or looking for more information about your chosen field of study, “What Can I Do With This Major?” is a valuable tool designed to help you connect your major and interests to career paths. This resource details the typical industries, career areas, and employers associated with each major and covers strategies aimed at making you a more marketable candidate after graduation. “What Can I Do With This Major?” is a free, virtual resource available to all Ohio State students
What path are you on?
**Schedule a Career Advising Appointment through Handshake to talk through where you are**
Resources that will help along the way
Your resume is your first impression for a potential employer, be sure it's a positive one. To see examples, navigate to Handshake. On your profile, under "Career Center" click, "Resources".
Necessary Content
Name and contact information—local address, cell phone number, e-mail address, and personalized LinkedIn url
Education—include the university name, degree, major, minor, GPA, and expected graduation date
Experience or leadership/extra-curricular involvement—include employer name, position title, location, dates of employment, and major responsibilities or list your community service and club membership here (be sure to include dates)
Other skills and qualifications—list computer skills/applications and other skills the position description outlines (e.g. experience with Adobe InDesign)
Optional Content
Coursework—courses that are relevant or required for your field
Objective—include only if you’re sharing at a career expo; omit if applying for a specific job
Publications or presentations—if you have published work or presented at a conference
Resume Tips
1. Include your contact information (only one phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address is necessary)
2. Make your document visually appealing (is the important information easy to find?)
3. Use action verbs (managed, oversaw, organized, developed, analyzed)
4. Use bullets to organize information
5. Write in full sentences
6. Have someone proofread your resume (someone in the career services office is always willing)
7. Include dates on everything (except your objective and skills) in reverse chronological order
8. Organize with subheadings (education, work experience, honors/awards/leadership, other skills/qualifications, relevant coursework)
9. Use numbers when possible (increased sales by 20%, an avg. attendance of 30 members, etc.)
10. Keep your resume to one page
11. Don't include high school information (sports, awards, etc.). It is OK during your freshman year, but after that omit it
12. Include all experience (especially on a family farm or as a restaurant server)
13. Try using Times New Roman, Ariel, or Calibri font
Must Haves
1. Address a person (e.g. Dear John Doe:)
2. Include person's name, title, address
3. Highlight your qualifications (refer to job description)
4. Thank person for his/her consideration.
5. Include salutation (Respectfully or Sincerely
Internship vs. Job: Internships often lead to affirmation of what type of job you want to pursue. In addition, many CFAES students are extended full-time job offers from their internship sites. When considering internships and jobs it is important to consider your interests, skills, what you hope to get out of the experience and what you have to offer the employer. Below are some steps to help you get started on your internship search.
1. Meet with a Career Counselor to develop your resume and work on a plan of action for your search
2. Start your search through Handshake and the College Career Expos
3. Attend a workshop for help with Career Expo prep, resume writing, and many more career development activities
4. Attend networking events relevant to the field you are looking to work in the future
5. Check with the Internship Coordinator from your Department for guidelines on using your internship for academic credit
Research the company
- Prior to the interview, research the company
- Browse the company website, social media, and talk with contacts to learn more
Find out who will interview you
- Use LinkedIn or their website to see if you can put a face with a name
Dress professionally
- It is always better to be overdressed than under-dressed
- Wear a suit/blazer
- Appropriate button down or formal wear under suit
- Aim for being comfortable while still being professional
What to bring to an interview
- A portfolio of your work
- Several copies of your resume
- A list of questions to ask your interviewer
- Something that has your contact information on it (resume, business card, etc.)
After the interview
- Make sure you leave with contact information of your interviewer(s) so you can follow-up
- Send them a handwritten thank you note and mention something that was discussed at the interview and reiterate your interest in the position
Video Interviews
- Pick a background that allows the person to see you clearly and is not to busy. You don't want the employer to be distracted while you are talking.
- Test your audio and video the day before, just in case an issue comes up. This allow you to have time to figure it out before the big day.
- Dress professional... just because it is a video does not mean you can wear your PJ pants and a blazer... Dress to impress and the confidence will follow.
- Do your research just like you would an in person interview
- Have questions prepared and as the meeting go write down any other questions that you think of.
- Send a follow up Thank you email.
WHAT IS NETWORKING?
**It's not what you know, it's who you know, and how you treat them**
One of the best ways to expand your career knowledge and interests (industry, company, or specific position) is to learn from someone who is connected to it first-hand. Building your connections will provide you an invaluable opportunity to develop and prepare for your career goals.
- Networking is talking with people who will learn about you and your interests, and then help you gain insight into your career options and goals.
- It is a two-way process that involves developing and maintaining connections with individuals, and mutually benefiting from the relationship.
- Networking is an ongoing process that takes time and attention; it is not something you do only when you are looking for a job.
- Successful networking requires preparation and practice.
- Networking can be done in-person and online. A valuable tool for online networking is LinkedIn. For more information on networking, building a profile, using LinkedIn's alumni tool, and other topics, click here
Check out our tips and tricks on how to have a successful virtual fair experience