Career Planning | Career Connections Center

What is Career Planning?

Career Planning is defined as learning, discussion, and reflection about your career. The Career Connections Center sees career planning as an ongoing process that helps you learn about yourself, develop professionally, build experience, and prepare for next steps. Our career planning perspective is focused on solutions, gaining insight, and taking action.

How can Career Planning help you where you are today?

We see you as the expert. We help guide you in discovering your potential so you can live independently and with responsibility over your career choices
We help you define your personal and/or professional goals, opening a field of possibilities
We ask the right questions, giving assignments and feedback to help you reflect on your next steps

What are the ways you can engage in Career Planning?

At the Career Connections Center, we offer a variety of different Career Planning options to best meet your needs:

On your own with self-guided worksheets, guides, reflection journals, and tools/services
In a group with Career Conversations, Workshops, and Labs
Individually with Express Drop-In and Career Planning Appointments

See the details of how the C3 can help you with Career Planning below:

Career Planning On Your Own

There are several ways that you can engage in Career Planning on your own – at any time or any place. Engaging with these resources, activities and tools can be a great first step in moving forward and finding support. Use these ideas to help you answer quick questions, reflect on your goals, and take time to assess what additional services you might need.

CHOMP – CHOMP is an online, interactive, self-guided career, and educational planning system designed to help you make decisions about your future career goals and education plans.
Gator Professional Series – GPS is a sequence of personal and professional development virtual workshops that review skills and topics needed for you to become career-ready.
Career Communities – Career Communities provide access to customized career resources and information based on your college or other identities that may be important to you.
Self-Assessments – Self-assessments can provide you additional ideas about careers, as well as help you learn more about yourself.

We also have several guides that can help you with common Career Planning questions and action steps. These guides provide information, as well as short activities that you can do on your own. For a complete library of our guides, visit our resource library.

Group Career Planning

Participating in Career Planning in a group can be helpful to learn about career information, discover strategies to move you forward, and hear from Career Connections Center coaches and your peers about Career Planning topics. Career Planning group activities can vary from large group workshops to small group Career Conversations. Many of our workshops are also live-streamed. Visit our events page for a complete list of group activities and upcoming dates.

Express Drop-In

We are committed to your career development and are offering continued service March 16 through March 30. Our Express Drop-In service will be moving to a new format on Monday, March 16 with virtual Drop-In hours Monday – Friday from 11 p.m. – 3 p.m.

In addition, the Center will host virtual Resume Labs on weekdays from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. The virtual Resume Labs event will consist of a 5-10 minute overview of resume basics, as well as time to ask individual questions.

UF students will join the virtual Express Drop-In and Resume Labs through provided Zoom links accessible in Gator CareerLink. For more information and access to Zoom, log into Gator CareerLink at career.ufl.edu/gatorcareerlink. \

If you would like to meet with a Career Ambassador individually, without an appointment, Express Drop-In* is available Monday-Friday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. when classes are in session. Check-in for Express Drop-In is at the Career Connections Center front desk- a Career Ambassador will get you started.

Express Drop-In is designed for document reviews (i.e. resumes, cover letters, personal statements), mock interviews, and quick Career Planning questions. Express Drop-In visits are designed to be 15-20 minutes long.

What to Bring:

If you are having a document reviewed, it is required that you bring a hard copy to your visit. Career Ambassadors can not review documents on a laptop, phone and/or tablet.

*Express Drop-In is only available for current UF students and alumni up to one year after graduation. Although no appointment is needed, there may be a wait time during peak times.

Career Planning Appointments

Career Planning appointments* are 30-minute individual sessions with a career coach. In a Career Planning appointment, you can talk to your career coach about anything related to your career. Career Planning appointments are suggested for more in-depth, personalized questions and strategies about your career goals. We currently have nine Career Planning topics to choose from:

Choosing/Changing Your Major
Exploring Career Options
Finding/Discussing Your Career Interests, Strengths and Values
Finding Meaningful Experience (Internship, Part-Time work, Shadowing, Volunteering, Research etc.)
Developing Your Network/Community (Networking, LinkedIn, Finding a Mentor)
Developing Your Resume, Cover Letter, Personal Statement or E-Portfolio
Graduate School Exploration/Preparation
Finding/Preparing for a Full-Time Job
Preparing for Interviews

Download the Career Planning appointment guide here to learn how to schedule an appointment.

Outcomes of a Career Planning Appointment:

You work directly with one of our highly trained Career Coaches at either the Career Connections Center in the Reitz Union or at a specific college or department
We will spend time getting to know you and what career questions you may have and we will work together to strategize your next steps and connect you with the UF Community
We will provide you feedback, information, and strategies to encourage you
You will leave with action steps to help you move towards your goals. We will also help you stay accountable through follow up communication and feedback

*Individual Career Planning appointments are only available for current UF students and alumni up to one year after graduation. Career Planning Appointment slots fill up very quickly, with potential wait time during peak times. Other forms of Career Planning can provide similar information and strategies to get you started during peak seasons.

Career Planning Hub