Five Steps to Developing Your Christ-Centered Career Plan

Embarking on your career planning journey as a Christian college student is both an exciting and pivotal time. It may also feel a bit overwhelming. And that's totally normal. Your life is likely focused on academics, family, community, and your faith — in addition to thinking about your career plan. Balancing these responsibilities can feel like a lot — and you're not alone in those feelings!

Students at Dallas Baptist University are some of the best prepared for life beyond the classroom. DBU's focus on Christian learning helps students cultivate their best selves during their time in college.

To help you start charting your course for your post-graduation goals and planning for a career, here is a guide to mapping out a comprehensive career development plan.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." - Proverbs 16:3 NIV

The Importance of a Career Plan

Creating a Christ-centered career development plan can be such a helpful discipline. It can provide:

• Clarity and Direction: Writing down and thinking through your professional goals can help provide a roadmap and distill down what is important to you in your future career while helping you stay focused and motivated.
• Strategic Preparation: A career plan also allows you to identify necessary skills, internships, volunteer opportunities, and other experiences like study abroad that could support your professional goals so that you can take proactive steps towards your future during your time in college. 
• Faith Alignment: By thoughtfully considering how your career aligns with your Christian values, you ensure that your professional journey honors God and His calling on your life.

5 Steps to Develop Your Career Plan

1. Start with Prayer 

College brings a lot of options — and you may feel the pull of different potential paths for your future. But remember to embrace your own strength and be confident in the Lord's vision for your life.

Spend time in prayer and seek God's guidance to keep understanding how your unique gifts align with potential career paths that honor your passion and your calling. Your inner compass, rooted in your faith, will help you stay true to your passions, values, and direction as the Lord reveals to you the next steps.

You may consider reflecting and journaling about career plan questions like:

1. What talents has God entrusted to you?
2. What are your career goals?
3. How can you use your gifts to serve others and glorify Him?
4. What do you want your life to look like in five years, 10 years, 20 years?

2. Engage in Research and Exploration 

College is the perfect time to explore various professions that resonate with your interests and skills. You may even discover a career path you never knew existed! 

Take advantage of on-campus career centers and other resources, like DBU's Handshake platform, as you investigate different majors and careers. You can also engage with faculty and staff, attend career fairs and panel discussions, and participate in workshops and other events to gain a broader perspective.

3. Prioritize Practical Experience 

The times in college when you get out of the classroom and into the world are invaluable. Internships and volunteering are two ways you can gain practical experience during college to help refine your career development plan.

Internships: An internship is often the first significant step into the "real life" application of a career plan. That's because internships for college students can lead to important insights into your career path while helping you develop servant leadership skills and equipping you with real-world knowledge. They can also help you get your foot in the door at a company!

Volunteering: Pursuing your goals and deepening your knowledge are essential parts of college, but so are giving back and engaging in service projects or mission work. Not only will connecting with volunteer organizations enhance your "real-world" experience, but it will also reflect the Lord's love in action. 

4. Cultivate Your Professional Network

Reaching out to professors and mentors — and even your peers — who also share your commitment to the Lord is another crucial element to establishing a career development plan that's grounded in your faith. Not only will you learn new things that could impact and inspire your professional goals, but you'll also develop strong networks in the process.

Mentorship: Christian mentorship in college is vital for students to grow in their faith, be resourced for their future careers, and hone their servant leadership skills. According to a Gallup-Purdue Index Report, college graduates who had mentorship during college were 1.5 times more likely to be thriving in all areas of well-being and nearly 2.5 times more likely to be engaged at work.

Professional Associations: Getting involved in professional organizations and associations that are related to your field helps bridge the gap from being a student to a highly productive employee. You'll also be able to gain wisdom from other people in the field — which may help direct your own career aspirations.

Peer Connections: Don't forget to intentionally network and collaborate with your classmates and alumni; these connections can lead to future opportunities and be a resource for you along the way.

5. Set SMART Goals

As you continue to define and refine your career plan, it can be helpful to establish clear objectives and mile-markers for your progress. For example, you might give yourself a deadline to find an internship or connect with a mentor. Think about setting SMART goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

Using this approach — and journaling your experiences, challenges, and breakthroughs along the way — can help keep your career planning on track. Remember to assess your progress regularly and remain open to His plan for your life. 

Take Advantage of DBU Resources

DBU delivers a wealth of resources to support your career planning journey. The mission of DBU's Center for Career and Professional Development is to provide students with the resources to find and fulfill God's call on their lives.

We provide career-related advising and resources while assisting you in making connections between your academic experience and career path.

• Career Services: DBU's Career Services can assist in finding opportunities that align with your career goals while providing job search assistance and resume workshops.
• Academic Advising Center: Here, advisers can help you investigate different majors and careers.
• DBU Handshake: This platform has thousands of internship opportunities for any course of study, some of which are also located in other parts of the United States and the world. DBU also has relationships with many local companies and facilitates a wide range of Dallas internship opportunities for students.

From the day you start class at DBU, we are committed to connecting transformational education with your vocational calling and career plan.