Our Framework for Vocational Discovery and Planning
Figure out what stage of the pyramid you're in, and click below to explore different resources for each!
Where to Start
"It's never too early - or too late - for you to engage with the CVC."
~Olivia Zimmermann Lorimer '11, CVC Director
Preparing for the future is multi-layered and sometimes messy. At the Center for Vocation and Career, we’ve created a basic blueprint to help students structure their effort and time as they navigate their vocational journey. You’ll note that some layers are larger than others and this is intentional. Building a solid base now will ultimately help our students land well later.
Our knowledgeable career coaches and specially-designed programs and events will be there to help you on every step of your journey. We also offer resources and support for alumni, which means we're there for you at Wheaton and beyond.
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As we begin all conversations about vocation, there is a theological base that infuses and undergirds everything we endeavor to accomplish. Life looks different for us as Christians—as it should! Understanding and believing that our lives have purpose will affect our subsequent pursuit of our vocations.
We start at the bottom of the blueprint pyramid because self-awareness is foundational when thinking about your future. Examining your vocations, interests, competencies, skills, strengths, and values sets you up for meaningful work: work that God has already wired you for. This is where you’ll want to exert most of your initial effort, and it’s where you’ll return as you explore and prepare, adding new layers from the learning you’ve done along the way.
Below are some resources and events we offer to help students know themselves more profoundly:
- CliftonStrengths. The CliftonStrengths Assessment has been taken by over 18 million people worldwide, and is used by top corporations, non-profit organizations, and universities. At Wheaton, we believe strengths are the combination of how God has wired you and your life experiences. Understanding your top 5 strengths will uncover your natural skills and abilities and provide common language to talk about group dynamics, career pursuits, and leadership opportunities.
- What Are Your 5? also known as WAY5, is a first-year exclusive event centered around a student's Top 5 strengths. First-year students take the CliftonStrengths assessment and then spend a Saturday morning with their friends exploring their Top 5 strengths with upper-class students.
- Sophomore Series: Voyage. A series designed especially for sophomores, featuring four distinct events to guide students as they begin their journey through the Blueprint layers Know Yourself and Explore Possibilities.
- Career Coaching. Our career coaches are trained to help students discover, prepare for, and launch into their next steps after graduation. Meet our coaches.
- My Next Move. This resource provides multiple ways to discover opportunities that might be a good fit for you as an individual, and a roadmap on how to pursue those options. This is an exceptional conversation starter that will likely highlight experiences you've not considered before.
- Career Explorer. This self-assessment tool will help identify careers that other similar-minded individuals like you have pursued with great success and fulfillment. We would encourage you to take this assessment and schedule time with a coach to discuss the results.
Exploration is the primary means for discovering what you will actually enjoy doing, rather than what you think you will enjoy doing. To do this well, you’ll need to first spend time getting to know yourself and then try something out. Discover what you like or careers you could see yourself doing through things like internships, job shadowing, or informational interviews.
Below are many exploration-related events and resources students can take advantage of throughout the next academic year:
- Internship Exploration - October 10, 2024. Other Wheaton students share about their internship experiences from the previous summer, linking their peers to the company, industry, or even hiring team.
- AlumNights (3x / semester) - A group of alumni come to address an area of student concern, offering wisdom and a way forward.
- Networking Night - November 14, 2024. Dozens of alumni from a variety of industries and seasons of their career come back to encourage, empower, and help students prepare for the future.
- Externship Day - February 4, 2025. Students go on-site across the Chicagoland area to experience a day in an industry of their choosing.
- myInternship.
- CVC Internship Scholarships and Fellowships - Don't let an unpaid or underpaid internship prevent you from experiencing the right internship. We give away ten's of thousands of dollars each year to make sure you can get the experience you need.
- VAULT - Use your single sign-on to login it to find write ups on hundreds of companies, industries, and more.
Preparation includes assembling all the tools you’ll need to articulate who you are to prospective employers and graduate schools. Spending necessary time here will help you tell your story well through resumes/CV, cover letters, personal statements, and interviews.
Below are a list of tools, resources, and events you can participate in that will help you prepare:
- Resume and Cover Letter Guides. The Center for Vocation and Career has created custom guides for resumes and cover letters based on the latest industry trends and research. Learn how to customize your resume and cover letter.
- How-To Videos. Not sure how to upload a resume for review on Handshake? Looking to learn how to find alumni on LinkedIn? We've created how-to videos for some of our students' most common questions. Check out the full video library on Handshake.
- Big Interview. Conquer your nerves with Big Interview, an online practice interview platform with hundreds of question sets ranging from role, industry, grad school, and more.
- Mock Interview Workshop. An opportunity for students to practice interviewing in real time, the Center for Vocation and Career invites local recruiters to campus to host mock interviews. Before that, attend our Workshop on how to prepare for an interview.
- Senior Series. The Senior Series events help graduating students prepare for life after Wheaton. Read more about all three taking place in the spring.
Once you have leaned into each layer of your blueprint effectively, you are best poised to land in a role that aligns with your interests, skills, competencies, strengths, and values. Whether you land on Broadway, Wall Street, or Main Street, we know God will use you to build the church and benefit society worldwide
- Fall Job Fair. Each Fall the Center for Vocation and Career hosts a Senior Job Fair. This is an opportunity for soon-to-be graduates to meet with employers and learn about open positions at companies that want to hire Wheaton Students.
- Spring Job Fair. Join us in February as we invite 50+ employers on-site who are actively looking to fill positions.
- Negotiation Conversations. Our Career Coaches are trained to help students prepare for negotiation conversations when they receive job offers or grad school acceptance packages.
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