Career Preparation Activities
The goal of Capstone is to set you up for professional success. The Career Preparation activities encourage you to polish your career skills from different perspectives.
“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” — Chris Grosser
Attend a Guest Speaker Event
Section titled “Attend a Guest Speaker Event”Attend two guest speaker events (either from class or outside) and write a reflection on the speakers’ career paths, insights shared, and how they relate to your career aspirations. List the questions you asked the speakers and the answers you received.
Resume Building
Section titled “Resume Building”Create or update your resume, emphasizing relevant projects and internships. Have your resume reviewed by three (3) peers. Revisit your resume based on their feedback.
Submit the original resume, the feedback you received from your three peers, and the updated resume.
Practice LeetCode
Section titled “Practice LeetCode”Improve coding skills by solving at least three (3) problems on platforms like LeetCode.
Provide a list of problems solved and a brief reflection on learned concepts.
Mock Interviews
Section titled “Mock Interviews”Participate in at least two mock interviews to build confidence and refine communication.
Write a summary of the interview experience, including strengths and areas for improvement.
Portfolio Development
Section titled “Portfolio Development”Create or update an online portfolio showcasing your work. Have your portfolio reviewed by three (3) peers. Revisit your portfolio based on their feedback.
Submit the feedback received from your three peers and the link to your portfolio.
Attend Job Fairs or Industry Networking Events
Section titled “Attend Job Fairs or Industry Networking Events”Network with employers at least twice (2 events).
Write a summary of contacts made, companies of interest, and potential follow-ups for each event (indicate the event and date).
LinkedIn Optimization
Section titled “LinkedIn Optimization”Create or update and optimize your LinkedIn profile. Have your profile reviewed by three (3) peers. Revisit your profile based on their feedback.
Submit the feedback received from your three peers and the link to your profile.
Personal Branding
Section titled “Personal Branding”Establish an online presence through blogs or social media. Create at least one blog post and one social media post to promote your blog post.
Write up goals for your personal branding over the short, medium, and long terms. Share links to the blog post and social media post.
Write a Cover Letter
Section titled “Write a Cover Letter”Find a job or internship of interest and write a cover letter for it. Have your letter reviewed by two (2) peers. Revisit your letter based on their feedback.
Submit the original job description, the feedback received from your two peers and the cover letter.
Join a Professional Association
Section titled “Join a Professional Association”Join a professional association (such as ACM) and attend at least two events.
Submit membership confirmation and a summary of the events and the networking opportunities available.
Complete an Online Certification Course
Section titled “Complete an Online Certification Course”Complete a course relevant to your field (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud).
Submit the certification and a summary of new skills learned and how they apply to your career aspirations.
Public Code Repository
Section titled “Public Code Repository”Polish and make one of your code repositories public (e.g., GitHub). Have your project reviewed by two (2) peers. Revisit your repository and its README based on their feedback.
Submit the feedback received from your two peers and the link to the repository.
Read Wait But Why Post on Career Picking
Section titled “Read Wait But Why Post on Career Picking”Read the article How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You) to gain insights into how to approach career decisions thoughtfully. The post delves into understanding your values, exploring different career paths, and making informed, long-term choices that align with your passions and skills. This reflective activity can help you make more meaningful career decisions.
Write a reflection on how the insights influence your career planning.
Read A Recruiting Advice Blog Post
Section titled “Read A Recruiting Advice Blog Post”Here’s a list of career advice blog posts to choose from:
- Recruiting Advice No One Tells You
- How I hustled my way to a developer job at Khan Academy
- The Making of Robby Leonardi’s Interactive Resume
- How To Get A Job Anywhere Without Applying Online
- Value Validation Project: A Deliverable That Will Land You More Jobs
Write a reflection on how the insights influence your application planning.
Participate in a Hackathon
Section titled “Participate in a Hackathon”Participate in a hackathon/codefest (e.g., BeaverHacks) to develop your coding skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
Submit a summary of the hackathon experience, including the project developed (with screenshots or pictures if available), challenges faced, and lessons learned.
Job Shadowing
Section titled “Job Shadowing”Spend one day observing an industry professional in your desired career path. This activity requires a little more planning to find a professional willing to host you for a day.
Write a reflection on the experience, including insights gained and how it influences your career goals. What did you learn about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role? What surprised you?