First-Year Students
Explorer
Begin your studies in the field. Choose your concentration. Join media organizations.
- APS Course (take one of the Career Interest Instruments: Sokanu, Myers-Briggs, I Start Strong).
- Take Introductory classes in your concentration area: [200, 224, 225, 227, 242, 243].
- Select a concentration to guide your professional goals.
- Take classes focusing on media literacy [224 and 242].
- Get familiar with Eagle Connect, your Career Resource portal, order business cards from Career Services with your name, major and class year.
- Attend Club Craze and join a student media organization, all of which welcome first-year students. Report and cover news, work with clients, learn technology.
- Attend Major/Minors Fair and select a minor.
- Consider the Leadership Development Program (LDP).
- Attend Research & Internship Day and Scholars Day.
- Attend a session of “So you want to be a…?” Career Speaker Series (profile of a career and day-to-day tasks).
- Attend the Diversity Conference.
- Meet with your APS adviser as well as your academic adviser
Second-Year Students
Diver
Determine the direction for your profession.
- Take introductory classes in your concentration area.
- Attend a Career Event or Career Services Workshop.
- Develop a resume that you can use to obtain an internship. Develop a LinkedIn profile and a professional presence on other social media platforms.
- Hone your interviewing, writing and editing skills in courses that utilize the Academic Success Center’s services.
- Round out your experiences: think about study abroad; choose an unusual minor; aim to get the service award for volunteering through the Office for Community Development; attend Scholars Day and plan to present next year; consider applying for the Washington, D.C., internship semester, the NYC alumni trip or the SUNY Undergraduate Research Program.
- Get involved in more than one student media organization to expand your knowledge of different mediums.
- Attend a Career Services Workshop this year (e.g., Etiquette Dinner or Have Lunch with a Career).
- Do informational interviewing with three people; ask to job shadow one.
- Attend the Diversity Conference.
- Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track in your concentration and to go over options to set aside time to study abroad and/or intern.
Third-Year Students
Aspirer
Develop credentials, immerse yourself in the field with experiential learning.
- Present your work at Scholars Day.
- Take ethics-focused upper-division courses.
- Begin working on your e-portfolio, including samples from your classes and student media organizations.
- Become a leader in a student media organization, such as an editor, director or executive board member.
- Attend the SUNY Undergraduate Research Program.
- Present and/or attend Scholars Day or another conference; do an Independent Study; study abroad; chair a campus club or sport.
- Attend the Diversity Conference.
- Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track in your concentration and to go over options to set aside time to study abroad and/or intern.
Fourth-Year Students
Dreamer
Get ready to launch your career! Finalize e-portfolio, refine interviewing skills, and apply for jobs.
- Take the capstone class in your concentration area.
- Create an e-portfolio in 496.
- Apply as a Teaching/Research Assistant.
- Take ethics-focused upper-division courses.
- Complete your e-portfolio, including samples from your classes, internships and media organizations.
- Obtain your second internship or continue with your first one.
- Join Lamda Pi Eta, the department’s National Honor Society, upon invitation based on your GPA.
- Present at Research & Internship Day.
- Attend alumni-delivered talk (at least one organized each year).
- Attend Career Services event; get a professional photo for LinkedIn account and professional networking workshop.
- Attend one Have Lunch with a Career (Career Services event) and/or attend alum workshops.
- Present at Scholars Day or another conference; do an Independent Study; study abroad; chair a campus club or sport.
- Attend the Diversity Conference.
- Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track for graduation.
Student Media Organizations
- 89.1 The Point
- The Stylus
- Talon TV
- PR Club
- Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
- Lambda Pi Eta (National Honor Society) Alpha Epsilon Omicron Chapter