Major Map

• Check out what you can do with this major
• See where other students in this major have interned and secured employment
• Make sure to review these additional career resources
• Still unsure if this is the right path? Stop into the Career Center, 2nd floor Rogalski, during walk-in hours

• Develop a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile your first year at St. Ambrose, update it throughout your college career, attend a workshop, and have your documents reviewed during the Career Center's walk-in hours
  
• Check out this resume template and sample for your major
• Practice your interview skills virtually using the Big Interview
  
• Attend Career Fair Prep Week, to practice interviewing and polish your resume and LinkedIn profile as early as possible in you college career
• Attend the networking & etiquette dinner (offered every other year) for dining etiquette and networking tips. Experts agree that 80% of jobs are found through networking
• Attend a salary negotiation workshop before you graduate, so you can better negotiate 
• Attend a job/internships search strategy workshop

• Start seeking internships or full-time employment at least 1 semester prior to when you would like to be employed
• Call (563-333-6339), email (careercenter@sau.edu) or stop by the Career Center in Rogalski Center, 2nd Floor, so we can schedule you an appointment with a Career Advisor who will give you some tips and connect you with an alumnus in your field to coach you through the internship or job search
• Attend our Career Fair and/or the Health Sciences Networking and Career Fair to find internships and full-time opportunities
• Take PSYC 420 Supervised Practicum in Psychology (Junior or Senior year)
• Take EXPL 202, a FREE 1-credit P/F course, for additional internships you obtain. You should start looking for internships your sophomore year

• Attend Club Fest to find out about all of the great opportunities to join clubs or organizations on campus where you can gain skills that will be applicable to your future career
• Consider working on-campus in a work study (if eligible) or temp position. Check the openings on BeeCAREERS to see if there are openings in the following positions related to your major: 
• Psychology
• PT
• OT
• Health Sciences

• Join the student organizations Biology Club and/or Doctors to Bee. Both organizations bring in health care professionals to their meetings.
• Apply to be a Resident Assistant where you will learn how to plan and execute programming, confront conflict situations, embrace diversity, and foster lifelong relationships
• Apply to be a Peer Assistant to act as a student co-instructor with a full-time faculty or staff member for New Student Seminar where you will further develop your communication skills
• Apply to be a STAR where you will share your university experiences with new students and parents during orientation and hone your problem solving and communication skills

No need to explore or prepare, just start taking action!

• Take part in Urban Plunge your first year of college and continue volunteering at the site throughout your college career
• Check out Volunteer Match in Davenport, IA to learn more about opportunities that match what is most important to you
• Consider taking part in a service trip during Spring Break. Previous trips have been to: Appalachia, northern Mississippi, East St. Louis, Cleveland, and Inner-city Chicago
• Participate in BEE the Difference Day in the fall or CommUNITY day in the spring where we help families in area neighborhoods prepare their yards for the seasons
• Explore a different service activity each week with the Campus Ministry office and their Service on Saturday opportunities. Check out the Campus Ministry bulletin in your email for the details for that week.

• Explore the Study Abroad Portal to learn about the many different study abroad opportunities offered by the university. Consider a semester abroad at Kingston University, London, a short-term program at the Free University of Amsterdam or the Ireland Summer Internship Program.
• Attend the Study Abroad Fair each semester!
• Investigate your eligibility for outside scholarships to help pay for your study abroad. If you are a Pell Grant recipient, for example, you are eligible for the Gilman Scholarship.
• See whether the Peace Corps Prep program is a good fit for you.

• Discuss with your academic adviser how to fit study abroad into your academic program.
• Meet with the staff of the Center for International Education to prepare for the study abroad application process
• Complete the Education Abroad Budget Planning Worksheet (pdf) and discuss with the Financial Aid Office how to use your financial aid to study abroad.

• Major or minor in a foreign language, International Studies, or International Business in order to broaden your global perspective.
• When will you study abroad? Complete your study abroad application and spend a break or an entire semester abroad doing coursework, an internship, or volunteering.
• Participate in Multicultural Week activities each spring.
• Learn more about St. Ambrose's international students by joining the BeeFriends program or the International Student Organization.

• Explore different graduate school programs here
•  Check out college rankings on U.S. News and World Report
•  Make sure the programs you are considering are accredited by checking this database
•  Attend the I-74 graduate school fair to ask questions and explore options

In addition to the items listed in the sections above under prepare for your future career, you should:

• Attend a personal statement workshop
• Check out a test preparation book from the SAU library
• Practice your interview skills in person by scheduling a mock interview with a career advisor or virtually using the Big Interview
• Check out Learning Express Library for more test prep strategies and practice tests
• Ask for your letters of recommendation early in the application process
• Participate in Honors II Research your Junior Year.  Must have a GPA of 3.5 of higher.
• Participate in the Summer Research Institute (available freshman - seniors)
• Take Psyc 494: Research Practicum and conduct an independent research project with a faculty member

• Graduate school applications for some programs are due as early as December. Make a list of all the schools you would like to apply for and check their application deadlines and requirements your junior year.
• Apply to at least 6 programs (2 you know you will get into, 2 you think you will get into, and 2 of your dream programs - according to Donald Asher, author of Graduate Admissions Essays)