The SoC Career Roadmap is a comprehensive career development model designed to guide SoC students through key stages of career exploration, development & planning, connecting, & action.
For support with this model, resources, or any questions, book an appointment with an EPICS team member.
This phase focuses on self-discovery and aligning personal values, priorities, and skills with potential career paths.
Tools such as the below will help guide you through this stage of learning more about yourself and what your career options:
- Exploring Your Strengths, Values, & Priorities
- Values Assessments
- Priorities for your career
- Self-Assessments:
Meet with NCA to determine what assessment might be helpful for you. There are many different assessments designed to help you identify your personality preferences (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), and talents (Strong Interest Inventory).
- Exploring and Researching Industries of Interest
This phase focuses on building tangible career tools such as resumes, CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, portfolios, demo reels, websites and building your brand as a professional. It emphasizes refining your professional presence—both written (e.g., resume, LinkedIn “About” sections) and verbal (e.g., interview pitches, tell me about yourself questions). Students are then encouraged to develop plans for their career by identifying target roles and industries and aligning them with personal and professional goals.
- Career Materials
- Career Pathways: Conduct research on typical career paths in your industries of interest
Connection is essential, and this phase offers strategies for building and leveraging professional networks. It includes best practices for connecting with alumni and industry professionals, networking, mentorship opportunities, and attending industry-related events. Experiential learning opportunities such as internships, site visits, and volunteering are great opportunities to deepen industry connections and opportunities.
This phase is all about the action you will take for your career. It involves applying for opportunities and preparing and refining interview techniques. Preparing for interviews through company research and mock interviews, followed by strategic follow-ups, is key. This process also includes recalibrating your search strategy based on feedback and reflection to improve your chances of finding the right fit and getting an offer. After receiving an offer, you may also enter conversations regarding offer and salary negotiation at this phase.