Sophomore

SOPHOMORE YEAR PLAN FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS

Hello,
I am Charleita Richardson, a Class of 2000 graduate of Randolph-Macon College. I am currently the President & CEO of Partnership for the Future (PFF). PFF is a high school internship and college preparation program in metro Richmond. We help students from low-income families and first-generation college students realize that a college degree is a viable option and something that they can attain in their future.

Now that you know a little about my organization, I would like to discuss with you a little more about my journey to this point because it may help you in your decision. I graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a BA in Accounting and a minor in Black Studies. After multiple changes in my major and minor, the deadline to declare approached and I decided that I enjoyed my accounting classes and believed it would be a good foundation no matter what career path I would take in life.

Looking back, I realize that this may not have been the best approach. My original plan was to major in Political Science and minor in Education so that I could teach Government at the Secondary level; however, getting a “C” in a Political Science class caused me to drop that major and choose Accounting, where I knew I’d excel. Had I stuck to my original major, I probably would have begun working with high school students at a much earlier time in my life.

Knowing what I know today, I would encourage sophomores, and all college students for that matter, to major in something that you have a passion for because that will ultimately drive your success in your career.

This leads me to my final point. Regardless of what major you choose or how often you change it, be sure that you decide to do something that gives you joy. If you fall in the path of challenges, just realize that those challenges are only making you stronger for the “real world”; they are experiences that will shape you into the person you are destined to be. They will lay the foundation for your future, just as having my Corporate America experiences and a BA in Accounting created the networks that I needed to ultimately lead to my position today.

If you don’t remember anything else, remember this point: pursue your passion, be diligent about your studies, and utilize your networks in life.

Good luck!

Charleita

The Randolph-Macon Edge - Second Year

Basics of Career and Personal Development

• Attend an internship information session to learn about the various kinds of internships available to Randolph-Macon College students and how to apply.
• Consider engaging in a summer internship or employment relating to your career interests.
• Become familiar with R-MC's web-based job and internship database, Jobs4YellowJackets.
• Explore various career options by attending a variety of Career Services events.
• Utilize the Alumni Career Network to obtain contact information of alumni in career fields in which you have interest in order to begin conducting informational interviews.
• Begin to explore and pursue leadership opportunities on- and off-campus.
• Update your resume and begin working on cover letters.
• Continue to save noteworthy projects, papers, and assignments to include in a portfolio.