Business Career Success Track

• Take an assessment to find careers that fit you and to ensure your intended major meets your needs.
• Start researching careers in your field of study, even if you have a firm concept of where you want to be after graduation. An early understanding of the multiple doors your education can open will increase your options as you near graduation.
• Get strategic advice on how, when, and where to network to start building your professional circle. How? Make an appointment with the Career Development staff at the College of Business' Decosimo Success Center to get some ideas.
• You will be asked to complete two Career Development Touch Points this academic year, one focused on exploring business majors and the other on your personal career development timeline. Take these activities seriously, and reflect on the content so you can be confident about your choices and actions.
• Earn great grades in your General Education classes so your GPA is high when you start your business classes (where courses can get harder to ace). How? Ask your Academic Advisor and Instructors for support and tutoring information. And, if you need help with time management, reach out to UTC's Personal Development Center.
• Join clubs focused on your major. You'll be so much better connected, informed, and memorable to VIP faculty and local employers than if you don't. How do you join? Click here to explore all the College of Business organizations.
• Finally, plan to finish! Your weekly earnings will likely increase by about 43% by earning a Bachelor's degree. 

• Continue researching careers in your field of study.
• Meet multiple people whose career titles interest you to gain a better understanding of your options for internships as a Junior/Senior and after college. How? Schedule an informational interview or job shadow experience.
• Get strategic advice on how, when, and where to network to start building your professional circle. How? Make an appointment with the career development staff at the College of Business' Decosimo Success Center to get some ideas.
• If you think you are ready, consider registering for the mentoring program which matches you with a local professional for a semester while earning academic credit.
• Talk to your Academic Advisor about registering for the Success Seminar (BUS 3410) next year. This course focuses on career readiness.
• Join clubs focused on your major. Why? You'll be so much better connected, informed, and memorable to VIP faculty and local employers than if you don't. How do you join? Click here to explore all the College of Business organizations. 
• Consider studying abroad to expand your cultural horizons, explore new career possibilities, and engage in a transformative experience while staying on track for school. How? Visit the International Studies department for experiences at the university level or through the College of Business.
• Finally, plan to finish! Your weekly earnings will likely increase by about 43% by earning a Bachelor's degree. 

• Secure an internship or fellowship in your field of interest. Even if it isn't a perfect match for your career goals, you will learn much about yourself and the business world. You'll also gain invaluable experience for your resume. You could even earn academic credit for an internship! Need help? Email us and we'll give you the support you need. Also, keep an eye out for emails from us advertising internship openings.
• Not quite ready to intern? Meet multiple people whose career titles interest you to gain a better understanding of your options for internships and employment after college. How? Through an informational interview, job shadow, or mentoring program. Email us so we can make suggestions to get you started.
• Network face-to-face at professional associations and build a LinkedIn profile to attract employers. How? Make an appointment with the Career Development staff at the College of Business Decosimo Success Center to get some ideas.
• Make business cards to use when networking. We even provide a Business Card Workshop at the start of every semester to make this one easy! Look for an invitation for that event or go online to find inexpensive options for business card printing. We can provide advice on formatting your cards.
• Refine your resume. You have probably already created one through Professional Writing, but that was only the first draft. If you need help, set a resume review appointment with us.
• Learn how to write a great cover letter. No two should look alike! Schedule an appointment to learn how to tailor it for each unique opportunity.
• Hone your interviewing skills. Interview performance is the number one reason a hiring manager chooses to hire someone or releases them.
• Fortify your professional skills. There are skills every manager wants to see in a new hire. Career Development can help you better understand the characteristics hiring managers want to see you demonstrate in an interview and beyond.
• Get a professional wardrobe. Have at least three good interview-ready or networking-worthy outfits to lean on. Stop by the Career Closet if you want access to free professional clothing.
• Join the club for your business major and consider acting as an officer. Click here to explore all College of Business organizations.
• Finally, plan to finish! Your weekly earnings will likely increase by about 43% by earning your Bachelor's degree.

• Secure an internship or fellowship in your field of interest. Even if it isn't a perfect match for your career goals, you will learn much about yourself and the business world while gaining invaluable experience to add to your resume. Think you are out of time? Some internships are only a few weeks long! Click here to find out how to gain academic credit for an internship. Keep an eye out for emails from us advertising internship openings.
• Not quite ready to intern? Meet people whose career titles interest you to get a better understanding of your options through an informational interview, job shadow, or mentoring program. 
• Network face-to-face at professional associations and build a LinkedIn profile to attract employers and help manage your professional circle. Make an appointment with the career development staff to get some ideas.
• Make business cards to use when networking. We even provide a Business Card Workshop at the start of every semester to make this one easy! Look for our email invitation for that event or go online to find inexpensive options for business card printing. Come to us for advice on formatting your cards.
• Refine your resume. You likely created one through Professional Writing class, but that was only the first draft. Schedule a resume review appointment with us to target it to your field of business.
• Learn how to write a great cover letter. No two should look alike! Schedule an appointment to learn how to tailor it for each unique opportunity.
• Hone your interviewing skills. Interview performance is the number one reason a hiring manager chooses to hire someone or releases them. Fortify your professional skills. There are skills every manager wants to see in a new hire. Challenge yourself to be the best you possible. 
• Engage in a thorough and methodical career hunt. 
• Make sure to have a professional wardrobe. Have at least three professional outfits for the job hunting process and ten outfits ready to go upon graduation. Stop by our Career Closet if you want to access free professional clothing!
• Be active in the club for your business major. Click here to explore the College of Business organizations.
• Get to the finish line! Check out this chart that describes how your weekly earnings will likely increase by about 43% by earning your Bachelor's degree.
• Evaluate job offers wisely and confidently navigate through the murky waters of your first year as a business professional. Visit us for advice on negotiating offers, appraising positions that fit your career goals, and just being the new kid in the office.

Graduate Students at UTC have unique career development needs. The Decosimo Success Center in the College of Business is here to support you as you launch, change, or advance your career.

Career Advising: If you need assistance with your resume, help with networking, someone with whom to discuss your future career plans, or anything in between, the Career Development team in the Decosimo Success Center can assist you.  Visit Career Services and choose "Set an Appointment with COB Career Development" (blue box). Read and follow the instructions to create an account and log into the Appointment Calendar to set an appointment. After setting an appointment online, you will receive an appointment confirmation and a reminder via your UTC email account. If you are out of town, appointments can be conducted by phone or video chat - just email your advisor to indicate that preference after setting an appointment.

Career Assessment and Exploration: Taking time now to understand your motivations, honor your values, recognize your strengths, and consider your future can have tremendous benefits - time saved, money earned, and most importantly, happiness in your chosen career. Consider taking the Career Leader assessment available through the Decosimo Success Center. This assessment focuses on careers in business. It provides insight on specific jobs that are likely a good fit for you (based on evaluations of your interests, motivators and abilities) and what organizational cultures you should thrive in. It also provides industry profiles and concrete advice to plan and implement strategies to achieve career goals. If interested, simply ask for access to Career Leader via email ([email protected]). You are welcome to discuss findings with a career development associate in the Decosimo Success Center to identify implications for your career plans.

Job Searching: Graduate students have multiple options for employment assistance through UTC.

The Moc Links system is the online career portal linking to UTC's job database and on-campus interviews. This system contains listings for experienced candidates, but is also suited for entry-level candidates. 

Graduate students with more experience may find the CareerShift platform a more robust option for the job hunt. You can search and store jobs from all the major job boards, company websites, newspapers and anywhere else a job is posted on the internet. Get inside contact information immediately, including email addresses for millions of companies, then save and manage your lists. Automatically create unlimited email campaigns with your saved contacts, resumes and cover letters. You can also keep notes and set reminders for follow-ups. Click here to set up your account in CareerShift. 

Additionally, you will occasionally get email notifications from the Decosimo Success Center regarding openings in the Chattanooga area that prefer or require graduate level degrees or certifications.