13 Chapter 13 Begin to Search My Future Career

Introduction

There are various ways to acquaint yourself with the field you are interested in. These include engaging in experiential learning activities, exploring career paths through internships, and volunteering, among others.

Where Do I Start?

  1. Review the material on engaged scholarship, career center, internships, and volunteering below
  2. Create a profile on Handshake
  3. Create a profile on Engagement Zone
  4. Prepare your resume and contact Career Center for their feedback

Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning

The Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning at UTRGV supports student learning experiences beyond the classroom. The Office focuses on helping students integrate and enrich academic knowledge, gain professional experience, and develop skills through hands-on learning opportunities. These experiential learning activities can include:
  • Creative works
  • Research
  • Service learning
  • Study abroad
Funding is available to support your engagement in any of the above activities.
For more information, visit the Engaged Scholarship and Learning website.

Career Center

The UTRGV Career Center provides assistance to undergraduates, graduate students and alumni who seek help in formulating and implementing career plans through a variety of career exploration opportunities, employer information sessions, job fairs/expos, and many other resources. Their services include, among many others, helping you:
  • Find a major
  • Explore a career
  • Find a part-time job on-campus or off-campus
  • Prepare for an interview
  • Prepare and post your resume
  • Connect with employers through the Handshake system
  • Find an internship
  • Participate in career launching programs such as micro-internships, Student Experience Internship (SEI) program, Student Leadership Academy
  • Prepare for graduate school
The following Student Experiences video (3:45 minutes) includes testimonials from students who have utilized the Career Center services.

To start engaging with Career Center and benefit from all the services available,

  • Access your Handshake account. The Handshake platform is free to all UTRGV students. Handshake facilitates communication between students, Career Center staff, and potential employers. The process of registering with Handshake takes about 5 minutes. To get started take the following steps:
    1. Log in to my.utrgv.edu
    2. In your portal, select and click the Handshake icon
    3. For assistance, view this video or contact the Career Center.
On handshake, you can schedule an appointment with a career advisor, build your Handshake profile, search for jobs, apply for jobs, among others.

Resume

Whether you are applying for an internship, a job, a research opportunity, or any kind of student program (e.g., leadership, study abroad, etc.), a resume is one of the first items requested. Developing a top-notch resume does not happen overnight. Starting one early and updating it regularly ensures that you keep track of all your accomplishments and that you have a solid and effective document ready to customize for whenever an opportunity presents itself.
In this assignment, develop and submit your resume. To assist you with the process, the following resources are available.

Internships

An internship is a short-term, paid or unpaid, work experiences that companies and other organizations offer for students. Internships are an important stepping stone to gain valuable work experience, to explore a career path, to develop and refine your skills, to network with professionals in your field, to gain confidence, and to open doors for future employment.
The UTRGV Career Center offers a Student Experience Internship Program and Micro-Internships. Visit the Career Center website for more information and view the UTRGV – Student Internship Panel video below to hear from students who have recently participated in internships.

Volunteering

UTRGV offers various volunteer opportunities. Through Engagement Zone, volunteer needs and events are posted in real-time by community partners. Over 100 partner organizations are already listed. Interested students and faculty can find requests for volunteers by interest, date, region, and organization.
Start by registering on Engagement Zone (EZ). To get started take the following steps:
  1. Log in to my.utrgv.edu
  2. In your portal, select and click the Engagement Zone icon
  3. Add information to your profile
  4. View the following video (2:47 minutes) for guidance

seekUT

What is seekUT

seekUT is a free, online tool and website that can assist you and your family in making informed decisions about your college education and financial future.

How does it work?

seekUT presents straightforward and understandable data that tells you what real UT graduates are earning – based on campus and major – one, five, and ten years after graduation. It also tells you what Industries are employing UT graduates in Texas along with predicted job openings.

Additionally, seekUT tells you what the median student loan debt is at graduation for those who took out loans, the percentage of students who borrowed, and the estimated monthly loan payment compared to median monthly earnings.

Once you realize your foreseeable earnings compared to your expected loan debt, you can better grasp the value of your higher education journey.

What will the data tell me?

  • National and Texas earnings – 1, 5, and 10 years after graduation
  • Student loan debt – median loan debt, monthly loan payment, debt-to-income ratio
  • Industry of employment
  • Job openings by occupation (2012-2022)
  • Other interesting information, such as basic degree requirements, time to degree, and the percentage of students who go further in their education
To access seekUT, click here.

For more information on the wide range of services and resources available, visit the Career Center website, or contact the office at:

Brownsville: BINAB 1.105; (956) 882-5627

Edinburg: ESSBL 2.101; (956) 665-2243

Email: careercenter@utrgv.edu

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Building My Professional Identity Copyright © by College of Health Professions Student Success Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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