Career Ready Program from the College of Professional Studies

The College of Professional Studies supports our online students and alumni in their career journey! Our newly launched Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help you explore and hone in on your career goals, search for jobs, create and improve your professional documents, build your professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more.

At launch in March 2024, the Career Ready Program (Phase 1) consists of five sections addressing career readiness skills. New resources and tools will be added in the near future. Plans also include the addition of sections for recent graduates and alumni as they focus on career growth, satisfaction, and success.

Career Exploration

Career Exploration is a process people can use to find (or confirm) a career that suits their personality, interests, and skills. It is a process of researching and learning about career paths, job functions, titles, roles, salaries, education, skills, and more. This section includes resources to help students and alumni do that important work.

Job Search

Searching for jobs can be difficult, but CPS provides you with tools to help you with the process. This section explains how to create and build your profile, and search and apply for jobs, on Handshake, a powerful recruiting platform. We also provide links to a number of additional job boards, which provide valuable information on posted jobs with the details of what employers are looking for.

Your Professional Documents

Employers and recruiters are flooded with resumes and cover letters. This section addresses the basics of writing great documents, the importance of customizing them for each application, and top tips to help your resume stand out.

Resume and cover letter samples are provided for CPS programs.

Your Professional Network

Networking is about intentionally building professional relationships. It is important to learn techniques and practice to improve your skills and confidence. This section focuses on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network online. With easy, step-by-step instructions, you will be able to build your LinkedIn profile and your network.

Interview Skills

In the world of employment, the interview process can’t be avoided. While it can be intimidating for many of us, learning the skills to interview well, and practicing those skills, may lead to increased confidence and success. In this section we cover the highlights of what to do before, during, and after the interview to help you make a great impression and hopefully get the job!