Helping Your Student Find a Career, Internship, Job, or Other Experience
College can be overwhelming—for students and parents.
The good news? You and your student don’t need to figure it out alone.
Use the timeline below to encourage your student to start early, use Career resources consistently, and schedule a meeting with a career advisor.
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Career Planning Timeline
Goal: Help your student explore interests, learn about majors, and start building basic career skills.
Encourage your student to:
- Complete the PathwayU career assessment to identify interests, values, and strengths.
- Explore majors and career options using What Can I Do With This Major
- Turn a high‑school resume into a college‑level resume and have it reviewed by a career advisor.
- Tip: Download our first-year resume template to get started
- Apply for a campus job or part‑time work through Handshake
- Complete a Forage job simulation to gain hands‑on experience and resume‑ready skills.
- Tip: Forage is a pre‑recruiting and early‑talent engagement platform that companies use
- Explore research opportunities, such as Sophomore Research programs (applications open in March).
Goal: Select a major and clarify career interests by gaining relevant experience.
Encourage your student to:
- Declare a major after talking with faculty, peers, and alumni through Ask A Scot.
- Make their winter break or summer job meaningful by building transferable skills
- Tip: Check out Forage or Wooster’s signature programs below
- Learn about recruiting timelines, especially for industries that hire early
- Applying for internships through Handshake
- Exploring Wooster’s paid, signature programs and tracking application deadlines, including:
| Program | Date Application Opens | Deadline |
| APEX Fellowship | Mid-January | Deadline 1: Mid-February Deadline 2: Beginning of April |
| AMRE Consulting Program | Mid-January | Mid-February |
| Summer Microfellowship | Rolling Basis | Beginning of May |
| Winter Microfellowship | Rolling Basis | Beginning of December |
| Sophomore Research | Beginning of March | Until Filled |
Goal: Build marketable skills, expand networks, and prepare for competitive internships.
Encourage your student to:
- Meet with a career advisor early, especially since many internships recruit in the fall
- Update your resume and LinkedIn profile
- Strengthen alumni connections using Ask A Scot
- Attend career fairs and employer events
- If applicable, meet with a career advisor to discuss graduate, law, or medical school plans
- Apply for Wooster‑funded experiences or internships and track deadlines carefully
| Program | Date Application Opens | Deadline |
| APEX Fellowship | Mid-January | Deadline 1: Mid-February Deadline 2: Beginning of April |
| AMRE Consulting Program | Mid-January | Mid-February |
| Summer Microfellowship | Rolling Basis | Beginning of May |
| Winter Microfellowship | Rolling Basis | Beginning of December |
Goal: Transition confidently into a job, graduate school, or other post‑graduate plans.
Encourage your student to:
- Meet with a career advisor to finalize job, graduate school, or gap‑year plans
- Prepare applications early, especially during the fall semester
- Attend career fairs and targeted recruiting events
- Apply for full‑time jobs, graduate programs, fellowships, or gap‑year opportunities
- Ask faculty, staff, or supervisors to serve as references or write recommendation letters
- Continue networking with alumni through Ask A Scot
