The Mays Center prepares students for fundamental life objectives and expectations regarding careers and employment through innovative research and learning techniques. We provide quality counseling in choosing a major, job search strategies, pursuing a profession, and graduate school opportunities. We offer many resources to students and alumni, and we want to help you find your career path. If you are unsure, we offer a resource, Focus2, a self-paced, online career and education planning tool.  CLICK HERE to get started.  

Once you arrive at the site, you will need an ACCESS CODE. Please call us at (210) 784-1356 to obtain the code. 

We recommend utilizing WhatCan I Do With This Major to explore your career options further.  

Appointments

To accommodate student services and guarantee individual time with students, the Mays Center allows students and alumni to schedule appointments with career services staff. Arrangements generally run an hour in duration. During peak times in the semester, career staff schedules may be full for several weeks; making an early appointment is strongly recommended!

Appointments can be made via  Handshake.   You would use your JagWire credentials to log in. Please check out our Handshake 101 Guide if you need guidance on setting up an appointment .

Through your career exploration journey, make sure to follow the steps below:

1.  Self-Awareness: Ask yourself what you already know about your intended career or significant and any questions you still have regarding the career you want or the major you want to study. If you have many questions without answers, you may want to take career assessments. Keep in mind: the Mays Center offers free assessments ( Focus-2 and What Can I do With This Major?) that might be beneficial to take and learn more about yourself.

2.  Gathering Information: Some of the effective ways to gather detailed information regarding your career options include:

a) Meet with Your Career Advisor: You can schedule a Major/Career Exploration appointment with a Career Advisor to learn more about your major/career options. You can discuss the results of career assessments and prepare an action plan to learn more about what you can do through the major/career exploration process.

b) Internet Research: You can access several free career exploration tools online. Here are some great ones to start with:

https://www.onetonline.org/
Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ)
https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
https://www.careeronestop.org/explorecareers/assessments/self-assessments.aspx

c) Informational Interviews: You can have informational interviews with people doing the job you would like to have when you graduate. You may consider conducting informational interviews with several people with different titles from different industries to understand your career options better and to explore whether you would like to have that specific job.

d) Talking to Your Professors and learning from their experiences and expertise is another effective way to gather more accurate information regarding your career options.

3.  Real-life Experience: You may know what occupation you want and be very knowledgeable about this particular job. However, real-life experiences will give you a better opportunity to have first-hand experience, which will allow you to make better decisions since you will have a great sense of the job and responsibilities with this specific job. Start exploring where you can do internships and/or externships early in your college career.

4.  Make your decision after evaluating all the information you've gathered!

Resources

Interviewing

Interviews are the final part of the job search, and while you may be fairly exhausted from the job search and application process, it is important to view your interview as the most important test. You may have a fantastic resume and background, but the interview can make or break a candidate. While it may be scary, we are here to help you through the process. Check out our resources below, including Big Interview, a mock interview resource.

If you need a quick reference, please click here.

A resume is a necessity today for any individual seeking employment. It is a valuable investment; therefore, you must be willing to spend time developing a resume that will be a crucial selling tool for you. Because there is no one "perfect" format for everyone, numerous styles and formats exist. You should select the type and format best fits your qualifications and experience. Below are samples to follow in developing your resume and job-search correspondence. 

Résumés

• Action Verb Sheet
• TAMUSA Résumé Workbook
• Résumé Instructive Sample
• Sample Student Résumé (Marketing)
• Customizing Your Résumé
• AI Prompts for Résumé Summaries

Federal Resumes

• What to Include
• Tutorial
• Build Your Resume

Curriculum Vita (CV)

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a specialized resume. Use this format when applying for graduate school, particularly in the STEM and medical fields. Also, use it when you apply for post-secondary jobs in the United States in higher education, the sciences, research, and medicine, or if you are applying for jobs in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Suppose applying for fellowships or grants; you also want to use a CV. 

The general rule that the resume is kept to one page does not apply to the CV. Like federal resumes, the CV may be several pages long.

• Curriculum Vita (CV) Sample

 Cover Letters

Cover letters allow you to introduce yourself to an employer and make a positive first impression. While a cover letter is not always required to apply for a position, it is highly recommended to always include a cover letter with your application materials. This is especially true if applying for a full-time job or internship.

• Cover Letter Sample 1
• Cover Letter Sample 2

Military-Focused Resources 

National Resource Directory - A website connecting wounded warriors, Service Members, Veterans, and their families with those who support them. It provides a variety of topics, including benefits & compensation, education & training, employment, family & caregiver support, health, homeless assistance, housing, transportation & travel, volunteer opportunities, and other services & resources.

TexVet -TexVet is dedicated to providing veterans, military members, and their families equal access to information. By collecting federal, state, and local Veteran Service Organization (VSO) information, TexVet has created an online Veterans Services Provider Network (VSPN).

Additional resources:   
The Riley Guide: Veterans and Transitioning Military Personnel
 
Translating Military Language into Civilian Terms
  Quintessential Careers: Job and Career Books for Veterans and Former
 
Re-entering The Civilian Job Market