First & Second Year Students

The resources and tools found within this community have been designed and curated to support students in their first and second years at the University of Florida. This community covers two main student populations:

  • Freshman Students
  • Sophomore Students

This page contains important information and resources supporting your career and professional development at the University of Florida and beyond.

Take time to review the community – check out the articles and blog posts and explore the resources to learn more about ways to become career ready. You will also find things you can do now, like joining a related student organization, connecting with alumni, researching occupations of interest by career categories or pathways using real time labor market data to power your decision-making, or reading featured articles and blogs.


University of Florida Expectations for First and Second Year Students

Also, we want to inform you of some University of Florida expectations you must complete during your first and second year. Please review the information below:

  • Career Prep Process must be completed during your first year at UF. To learn more, please visit the Career Prep Process page.
  • Career Readiness must be completed during your second year at UF. To learn more, please visit the Career Readiness page.

First and Second Year Resources

CHOMP is an online, interactive, self-guided career and educational planning system designed to help you make decisions about your future career goals and education plans. CHOMP offers a variety of self-assessments in order to evaluate your level of career readiness and gain self-awareness.

CHOMP can help you identify…

  • Work Interests
  • Values
  • Personality
  • Skills
  • Leisure Interests
  • Majors and Occupations
  • How different majors at UF connect to careers

What Can I Do With This Major? is a website featuring 100 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities.

Whether you’re exploring majors or searching for information about your chosen field, this website will help you connect majors to careers.

The official University of Florida online community for UF students and alumni to connect for mentorship, networking, professional development, and virtual access to the Gator Nation.

Biotech Career Trek opportunity-May 17, 2024

Attention aspiring biotechnologists! Are you ready to step out of the classroom and into the laboratory? The Career Connections Center has an opportunity to ignite your career with our biotech/biopharma site visit to Jupiter, FL. On this site visit we …

By Jessica Hendrick
Jessica Hendrick Assistant Director for Career Pathways- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Read more

Gator Career Chat: Leadership Development & Rotational Programs (event Recap & Recording)

Many companies offer 1-3–year programs that involve rotating through diverse roles to develop experience and leadership skills. Often, these programs are open to graduates from any major, so they are a great way to explore opportunities with various companies. A …

By David Adams
David Adams Assistant Director for Career Pathways – Business, Public Service, and Tourism
Read more

Is Getting a Minor in College Worth It?

As you make your way through college, one very important question you might ask yourself is if a minor is worth undertaking. While not everyone graduates with a minor, it’s a great way to add some versatility to your resume …

Read more

Tips to Make the College Transition Easier

For students getting ready for college, it should not be a surprise to expect changes in this new environment versus high school.  The question is how will incoming freshmen deal with them.

Lauren Salamone

Lauren Salamone, a college transition expert …

By College Recruiter
College Recruiter believes that every student and recent grad deserves a great career.
Read more

7 Important College Experiences Students Should Include in Professional Portfolios

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

A common complaint from college graduates today is that employers expect too much experience for entry-level jobs. They have classes to attend and papers to write, social events, and possibly even part-time jobs. So, …

By CareerShift
Job hunting & career management solutions
Read more

Sidebar

Job Market DataIn partnership withLightcast logo

As a first-and second-year student, you can use the Job Market Data Tool to explore potential industries and occupations. This tool can help you gain average salary insights, and learn about required education levels, top employers, and core tasks and skills associated with various occupations. Try filtering by industry to learn more about occupations within an industry to help you explore the possibilities.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

LinkedIn Learning

Career Resources

Featured Mentor Connections

Maria Alcolea

Alumni, First & Second Year Students
  • Legal Secretary Various
Meet Maria >

Christian Garciga

Alumni, First & Second Year Students
  • Economic Analyst Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
Meet Christian >
  • Image Quality Scientist Intern Canon Medical
Meet Adam >

Contact & Location

Phone
352-392-1601
Address

J. Wayne Reitz Union
Suite 1300
PO Box 118507
Gainesville, FL 32611-8507

Career Service Hours

Monday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am- 5:00 pm

We are located on Level 1 of the Reitz Union.