Career Academy (Four-Year Plan)

The four-year Individual Career and Life Plan (ICLP) is designed to provide students with a guide for college life. The ICLP includes goals and activities in four areas: academic, career, personal/social, and long-term/life for four phases. Students will meet with a Career Academy counselor to initiate the ICLP.

Phase I: Foundation
The first phase of the ICLP lays the foundation for a successful college experience. The orientation process allows the student time to learn about, and become, a member of the Mary Baldwin College community. In this phase, students should set academic goals with their advisors through exploratory conversations about their majors and areas of curiosity. They should complete a career assessment to identify interests, values, and skills and then attend a career assessment interpretation session. Students should also plan to meet the Director of Civic Engagement and visit the Spencer Center.

Phase II: Involvement
In the second phase, students continue to be engaged members of the Mary Baldwin College community. The ICLP addresses these areas with activities that facilitate involvement in academics, career, and social life. Long-term goals are formulated based on experiences and the commitment to these goals becomes stronger. Students should be able to decide on majors and minors with help from the “How to Choose a Major” seminar. They should also attend a career fair or networking event with the Advisory Board of Visitors as well as participate in one civic engagement or volunteer activity. At this point, they should develop or update long-term life goals with an action plan.

Phase III: Preparation
While participating fully in college life, students in phase III begin to prepare for life after college. This focus on academic and career preparation builds on the effective decisions made in the first two phases and outlines activities that will help students prepare to implement these decisions. Students will consider graduate school and attend seminars on the topic. They will write a resume and assume leadership positions.

Phase IV: Implementation
Goals proposed during the fourth phase of the ICLP address issues and activities involved in the transition to life after college. Having reached this phase, students have developed the skills and credentials to achieve initial and long-term success. Students will summarize their skills and finalize their credentials in resumes, cover letters, etc. They will participate in the Senior Transitions Program and attend career or graduate school fairs. Once again, they will update their long-term and life goals.

Student Affairs

Career Academy (Four-Year Plan)