Think of yourself 4 years from now.
It’s May. The sky is blue and the flowers are blooming.
Campus is buzzing with families and you are wearing your graduation cap and gown, newly minted diploma in hand, and are getting ready to say goodbye to this campus that has been your home away from home.
People you greet are all asking the same reiteration of the question, “So, what’s next for you after college?”
What’s your answer?
Although we can’t forecast the future nor guarantee career success & smooth sailing ahead, there are steps we can take to make it more likely that you will be prepared to answer that question when the time comes!
We often think of college as simply an academic journey, forgetting that after graduation comes an exciting new opportunity into the world of work. The reality is both! These next four years can be an amazing robust journey of academic engagement and learning as well as an opportunity to develop career competencies and experiences that will set you up for success in finding job opportunities that are a good fit for the unique individual you are!
No two students are alike–we all have unique personalities, interests, and abilities. This guidebook has been especially created with students on the spectrum in mind. It’s a career road map walking you step-by-step throughout each year of your college experience, guiding you through the often mysterious process of figuring out a major, building experience, and developing professional skills & connections. In particular, we wanted to create a resource that guides you one action at a time, with action steps to do each year to not only keep you on track to graduate with the professional experiences you need, but also experiences that employers are looking for.
We hope that this resource will not only provide critical touchpoints for you along the way to think about how to develop professional skills and experiences, but it also reminds you that you don’t have to figure it all out alone–you have resources available to you, in particular, career coaches who are resources guiding you throughout it all.
Welcome to to the Career Map for Students on the Spectrum.
Let’s get started!