We advocate a four-year plan for exploring your major and career path. It is a tried and tested approach that has proven itself by yielding great results for our students. One year after earning their Rhodes degree, more than 99% of our graduates are employed and/or attending graduate school. Some employment highlights include:
- Major accounting firms, including Deloitte, Ernst & Young, PwC, and KPMG
- Fortune 500 Companies, including Amazon, AutoZone, Estee Lauder, Exxon Mobil, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and Texas Instruments
- World-class healthcare organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
- Other businesses and organizations, such as The World Bank, the Peace Corps, the Smithsonian Institute, and the U.S. House of Representatives
Students were able to achieve their varying accolades by engaging with the Center for Career and Professional Development and following the Four-Year Plan.
First Year
- Come to the Center for Career and Professional Development and meet your advisors. Try to come to the office for meetings at least 2 to 3 times during the year.
- Form strong professional relationships with fellow students and professors.
- Create a professional wardrobe.
- Create a professional social media presence, especially on LinkedIn.
- Register on Handshake. Use this site to research employment and schedule an appointment with an advisor.
- Locate a summer job, internship, or volunteer opportunity. Then, use our office to get it.
Second Year
- Continue to visit our office 2 to 3 times during your second year. Use these opportunities to ask questions, get help searching for opportunities, and to form a personal relationship with your advisor.
- Get involved in more extracurricular programs, particularly in leadership roles, to improve your resume.
- Finalize plans on a major.
- Attend sophomore programming, and get ready for junior year.
Third Year
- Apply for and complete an academic internship.
- Pursue leadership roles on campus if you have not already, and continue to take part in extracurricular work (organizations, volunteer work, on and off campus jobs).
- Develop a list of your top 5 employers and/or top 5 graduate programs that interest you, and start researching them for opportunities before and after graduation.
- Attend our upperclassmen programming opportunities, such as
- Our networking events
- LinkedIn workshops
- Interview training
- Continue to visit our office, as needed. The internship process will be a good time to meet with us, as well as while you create your lists for post-graduation.
Fourth Year
- Take graduate school exams in the summer (before senior year) and fall, if needed.
- Apply for graduate school programs in the early fall! Utilize our office to assist with cover letter writing, application help, and any other needs.
- Participate in our programming opportunities for upperclassmen, if you have not already.
- Use your professional relationships with faculty and professors for recommendations and finding unique employment opportunities. Many are specialized in their respective fields and have resources available to help you as well!
- Finish strong in your academics and professional development all the way through graduation!