COLLEGE EXPLORATION AND CAREER CRUISING!
Your college and career search should be well underway! Hopefully, you have a career direction for yourself as this will
narrow down your school choices substantially. Junior year career plan activities include saving at least two schools of
interest to your Career Cruising Portfolio and creating a resume draft of your high school activities and studies on the
Career Cruising Resume Builder. Still not sure of a career direction? Email Ms. Garnett, Career Specialist, at
[email protected], for an appointment.
Step 1 – Return to your Career Cruising Portfolio and review/update.
1. Go to www.careercruising.com.
2. Login at the top right of the screen using your username and password which are attached. Copy onto spaces below:
Portfolio Username: ___________________________________
Portfolio Password ___________________________________
3. Click My Plan under your name at the top left of your screen.
4. Click Edit Profile under Albemarle High School.
5. Click the pencil icon to the far right of the gray box to update/correct information – be certain your full name,
Mailing address, email, and phone number is current.
6. Click Save after all corrections.
7. To review your Matchmaker career inventory recommended industries and careers; click Assessment Results on the
left of your screen, then Career Matchmaker, then click the title you gave your Matchmaker inventory which is above
the date you took your assessment.
Step 2 – How to locate programs/majors and colleges/schools related to your career.
The best way to research schools is by college majors or programs of study that relate to the career in which you are
interested. The steps listed below show you how to search for colleges based upon your career of choice:
1. Click Careers tab at top of the screen.
2. Enter the title of your career of interest in the white box to the right of Search for Careers at the top of your screen. If
you are still uncertain of a career or a career title, use the gray tabs on the screen to search for your career of interest.
3. Click the title of your career of interest.
4. Click Education on the left of the screen; read Education & Training information for basic requirements.
5. Scroll to the middle of the page to Related College Programs to see a list of programs or majors that will prepare you
for your career of interest.
6. Click the titles of all the Related College Programs to see a complete list of all two/four year colleges or technical
schools in Virginia that offer studies for your career.
7. Click the titles of schools to see specific information about each school. Please note the link at the top of the
School Profile page to each school’s official website.
8. To explore general information about each school, click on any of the blue buttons listed down the left side of the
School Profile page.
9. Save at least two colleges/schools of interest to your Career Cruising Portfolio – click gray Save to My
Portfolio button on bottom left in order to receive credit for career plan work this year.
Step 3 – Additional ways to locate colleges and/or programs of study.
If you are still uncertain of your career direction, there are additional ways to research programs and colleges on the
Career Cruising website. Follow the instructions below to see the variety of searches available to you:
1. Click Schools tab at top of the screen.
2. Click Search for Schools to see a list of all two and four year colleges/universities, technical schools and graduate
schools in Virginia – or any state. The title of each school is a link to specific information about the school.
3. Click Search for Programs to enter a specific major title or to search by categories of majors. Specific schools will be
recommended as you refine your choices.
4. Click School Selector, then Undergraduate or Career & Technical Schools to answer a series of questions that
may help you choose the types of schools and environments that would best suit you.
Step 4 – What to learn about colleges you are considering.
Spend time on colleges’ websites exploring information about admissions, academics, and campus life. Some of the
things you want to explore about the schools that interest you are listed below. Schools love to host visits; you are
encouraged to arrange personal tours of campuses that appeal to you.
1. What kinds of majors and academics do they offer?
2. What is the application process, requirements, and deadlines? How many students apply each year and how many
are accepted?
3. Where is the school located (geographically) and what is the environment of the school (city/rural/etc)?
4. How large is the school, what is the diversity of the student body, what is the gender ratio?
5. Once you have applied to the school, must you also apply to the specific major program in which you are interested?
6. What is the college’s graduation rate? What percentage of program graduates locate jobs upon graduation?
Step 5 – Additional college related resources on Career Cruising.
1. Click the Schools tab at the top of your screen, then Planning Timeline. Read through the blue buttons down the left
side of the screen for month-by-month and year-by-year steps to take toward college applications and appropriate
college testing information.
2. Click the Schools tab at the top of your screen, then Financial Aid. The first two buttons provide help in exploring
various types of scholarships. The third button provides an excellent introduction – with links - to Federal Financial
Aid.
Step 6 – How to create your resume draft in preparation for senior year.
1. Click My Plan under your name in the top left box, then Edit Profile which is under your name in the beige box.
2. Click the pencil icon in the far right corner of the gray box in order to enter your full name, full mailing address,
professional email address, and phone number including area code. Save all changes.
3. Click Employment tab at the top of the page, then click Resumes on the left to see the eight sections you can read
about how to construct professional resumes (including electronic resumes).
4. In order to enter information into your resume, click Build My Resume, follow the Edit Your Resume instructions on
the left to enter all pertinent information which means all related classes, clubs, sports, part-time jobs, volunteer work,
anything that demonstrates your interest/passion.