Career Pathways

Begin your studies in the field. Choose your concentration. Join media organizations.

• Take the APS Course (take one of the Career Interest Instruments: Sokanu, Myers-Briggs, I Start Strong).
• Take introductory classes in your concentration area: [JRB 200, 224, 225, 227, 242, 243].
• Select a concentration to guide your professional goals.
• Take classes focusing on media literacy [JRB 224 and 242].
• Get familiar with Eagle Connect, your Career Resource portal. Order business cards from Career Design Center with your name, major and class year.
• Attend Club Craze and join a student media organization, all of which welcome first-year students. Report and cover news, work with clients, learn technology.
• Attend Major/Minors Fair and select a minor.
• Consider the Leadership Development Program.
• Attend Research & Internship Day and Scholars Day.
• Attend a professional media conference.
• Attend a session of “So you want to be a…?” Career Speaker Series (profile of a career and day-to-day tasks).
• Attend the Diversity Conference.
• Meet with your APS adviser as well as your academic adviser

Determine the direction for your career. Build your résumé. Consider internships.

• Take introductory classes in your concentration area.
• Attend a Career Event or Career Design Center Workshop.
• Develop a résumé that you can use to obtain an internship. Develop a LinkedIn profile and a professional presence on other social media platforms.
• Hone your interviewing, writing and editing skills in courses that utilize the Academic Success Center’s services.
• Round out your experiences: think about education abroad; choose an unusual minor; aim to get the service award for volunteering through the Office for Community Development; attend Scholars Day and plan to present next year; consider applying for the Washington, D.C., internship semester, the NYC alumni trip or the SUNY Undergraduate Research Program.
• Get involved in more than one student media organization to expand your knowledge of different media.
• Attend a Career Design Center Workshop this year (e.g., Etiquette Dinner or Have Lunch with a Career).
• Do informational interviewing with three people; ask to job shadow one.
• Attend the Diversity Conference.
• Attend a professional media conference.
• Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track in your concentration and to go over options to set aside time to study abroad and/or intern.

Develop credentials. Immerse yourself in the field with experiential learning and internships. Attend and present at conferences.

• Obtain your first internship.
• Take ethics-focused upper-division courses.
• Begin working on your e-portfolio, including samples from your classes and student media organizations.
• Become a leader in a student media organization, such as an editor, director or executive board member.
• Attend the SUNY Undergraduate Research Program.
• Attend and help plan a professional media conference.
• Present and/or attend Scholars Day or another conference; do an Independent Study; education abroad; chair a campus club or sport.
• Attend the Diversity Conference.
• Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track in your concentration and to go over options to set aside time to study abroad and/or intern.

Get ready to launch your storytelling career. Finalize your e-portfolio. Refine your interviewing skills and apply for positions.

• Take the capstone class in your concentration area.
• Create an e-portfolio as part of JRB 496.
• Apply as a Teaching/Research Assistant.
• Take ethics-focused upper-division courses.
• Complete your e-portfolio, including samples from your classes, internships and media organizations.
• Obtain your second internship or continue with your first one.
• Join Lambda Pi Eta, the department’s National Honor Society, upon invitation based on your GPA.
• Present at Research & Internship Day.
• Attend and help plan a professional media conference.
• Attend alumni-delivered talk (at least one organized each year).
• Attend Career Design Center event; get a professional photo for LinkedIn account and professional networking workshop.
• Attend one Have Lunch with a Career (Career Design Center event) and/or attend alum workshops.
• Present at Scholars Day or another conference; do an Independent Study; education abroad; chair a campus club or sport.
• Attend the Diversity Conference.
• Meet with your academic adviser to ensure you are on track for graduation.