This is your final year on campus, you have a lot on your mind and still so much to learn.

Your goal this year is to maintain focus on finishing classes and developing your plans for life after college. If you are planning to apply to companies that hire HBCU graduates, the career center must be on your agenda. Whether your goal is going to graduate school or launching a career, it will take work on your part. As I have told hundreds of college seniors, none of it will happen without your input.

No worries. You have a lot of support and resources available to you. All you have to do is use them.

Make your Senior Year a Career Success

If you haven’t done it yet; explore internships, co-ops, practicum or job shadows.
Finalize your resume. Get a resume critique from the career center.
Register to meet companies looking to hire HBCU graduates on our job board.
Identify industries and careers of interest to you for exploration.
Join a professional association while you can still pay student rates.
Get your interview and professional attire together.
Attend career fairs and not just the ones on your campus.
Google yourself and clean up digital footprint.
Get your resume on a few niche job boards like The HBCU Career Center.
Create or update your LinkedIn profile and join LinkedIn groups like The HBCU Career Center.
Use Homecoming this fall to build your alumni network.
Participate in career center information sessions and schedule on-campus interviews.
Improve your interview skills by doing mock interviews.
Brush up your workplace knowledge, regardless of the position you are seeking.

Managing Student Loan Debt

The team at U.S. News & World Report recently created a series guide that breakdowns the different types of student loans and available repayment options, how they work and what students should know before considering them. We are sharing those links here to help you manage your student loan debt!

Start thinking about how to manage your private student loans and loan consolidation. It’s not too early!