Find the Right Experience & Employment:
The Four Year Plan

 

The Career Center’s FREE program is an innovative way for GW students to navigate their own careers. 

FREE incorporates cumulative, planned activities over four years that enhance career exploration, build marketable skills, feature experiential learning and prepare and inspire students for a lifetime of meaningful work.

FREE creates a deliberate progression of career-related tasks and experiences into manageable components.  These components bring together Career Center services into a coherent and progressive system that's easy to follow.

These components reflect the FREE philosophy and facilitate career development as students prepare for a job search, find part-time jobs and internships or co-ops, explore careers and locate full-time employment.

Elements of FREE include:

The Four Year Career Action Plan
Career Development Process
Individual Career Consulting
Education and Training
Experiential Learning
Career/Occupational Information
Employer Connections
Information, Resources & Programs

Four Year Career Action Plan

FREE Plan - General Information


YEAR 1:  Assess and Engage

Freshmen:   In your first year, learn about Career Center services and resources, how to conduct a self-assessment and begin constructing a personal portfolio, and how regular or Federal Work Study part-time jobs, volunteer activities, residential and other experiences during your first year at GW will contribute to your overall career development.

YEAR 2:  Explore and Refine

Sophomores:  This year, explore career-related student groups, organizations, and employers and begin to articulate skills, interests, values and goals; research industries and workplace environments to explore career and major interests and to test professional and work assumptions.  Learn how the Career Center can help you develop and implement a successful plan to obtain major-related internships, part-time jobs, co-ops, and other experiences.

YEAR 3:  Experience and Enhance

Juniors:  In the year before your final year at GW, learn to demonstrate an understanding of career development and job-search skills and strategies that will effectively link career goals to professional realities upon your graduation.  Learn how the Career Center can help you this year to clarify your occupational choices, improve your career-development and job-search skills, and develop and expand your career network.

YEAR 4:  Reflect and Transition

Seniors:  In your final year, learn to synthesize your experiences in academics, service, leadership, internship and experiential learning, and articulate plans for post-GW success and lifelong career development.  The Career Center can help you develop a self-marketing campaign with resources such as on-campus recruiting, resume-writing and interviewing workshops and career fairs.

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Career Development Process

Need Help?  Meet with a Career Center Consultant

Meet with one of our consultants to discuss your plans and goals and to answer your questions about preparing for and searching for employment, whether it be for full-time, part-time, internships or co-op.  Walk-in consulting is available Monday to Friday, 10am-12pm & 1-5pm.  Appointments are also available if more time is needed (call 202.994.6495).

Mock interviews

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Education and Training

Experiential Learning

Career/Occupational Information

Employer Connections

More Information, Resources, Programs