You may think it's early to start thinking about the career implications of your decisions in your junior year of college. ("Can the decisions that I make now truly have an impact on my career later?")

     Well, let's take a look at the study abroad example, a common issue for students. Some students think that they will "lose time" and graduate "late" by studying abroad. Others see study abroad as a critical part of expanding their knowledge beyond the classroom. Both sides have legitimate concerns for how studying abroad may affect them, but they have opposite opinions.

     The right answer depends on you, the student. If you are planning on medical school, then perhaps fitting study abroad into your college plan may be difficult. If you are planning to go to work right after college, then study abroad is a great way to add depth to your experience. (By the way, graduating according to your own plan is never "graduating late." It's just graduating.)

     This is just one example of a thought process that you will repeat many times over as you begin to evaluate different opportunities to see how they fit your interests, values, and skills. This process most often takes place in an instant, as you go with "what feels right."

     Intuition is a good thing, but there is also a lot of value in testing that intuition by putting a little structure around your evaluation. That is why we offer you this decision making tool.

     Ultimately, the evaluation you do in your junior year should help you answer two important questions:

• What do I want to do when I graduate?
• What is the ideal profile I can build to present myself as the best candidate for my goal after graduation?

Remember -- You're Not Alone
     The responsibility is strictly yours to set your career goals and make plans to achieve them, but you shouldn't see yourself as alone in your decision making process. Your career evaluation will become easier if you use the resources available to you. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Attend career and graduate/professional school fairs
• Talk with alumni about your chosen career field
• Meet with a career counselor to refine your resume and cover letters
• Attend workshops to enhance job and graduate school search skills
• Attend information sessions offered by recruiting organizations