Career Management Model

CLA Career Services offers comprehensive, personalized guidance in Career Management—one of the ten Core Career Competencies that CLA students develop to help them demonstrate and articulate their career readiness.

Career Management as one of the 10 CLA Core Competencies

The CLA Career Management Model is a framework for guiding you toward career success and satisfaction. It is a tool you can use to navigate your career path throughout your life. It is made up of three interdependent phases, which you cycle through continuously as both you and the world around you change:

CLA's career management model of Explore, Experience, Excel

Explore

In the Explore phase of the CLA Career Management Model, you learn more about yourself as well as how you can proactively and purposefully develop your Core Career Competencies through various academic, engagement, and career activities.

Examples of exploration include:

  • Meeting with your CLA academic advisor or a CLA career counselor.
  • Taking a career assessment or a career exploration course.
  • Arranging a meeting, or informational interview, with a professional in a career of interest.
  • Enrolling in courses that interest you.
     

Experience

In the Experience phase of the CLA Career Management Model, you engage in experiential opportunities to apply what you’re learning in the classroom, further explore your options, and continue developing the Core Career Competencies.

Examples of experience include:

  • Getting involved in a student organization or club related to your unique combination of major(s), minor(s), and certificate(s).
  • Participating in internships, research programs, or volunteer activities.
  • Meeting with your CLA academic advisor and/or a CLA career counselor to get support pursuing other experiential opportunities, such as part-time work, learning abroad, or off-campus study.

Excel

In the Excel phase of the CLA Career Management Model, you prepare for your post-graduation life, whether that means pursuing employment, going to graduate/professional school, or something else.

Examples of excelling include:

  • Working with a CLA career counselor to develop a solid résumé.
  • Participating in practice interviews with a CLA career counselor and/or a volunteer employer.
  • Attending career fairs to meet with prospective employers and learn about job opportunities.