LAS 203: Professional Career Preparation

LAS 203 is a one-credit, satisfactory/fail, 8-week course that teaches students how to design and pursue a meaningful career that aligns with their values, strengths, and skills. The course is part career exploration (i.e., defining personal brands, researching opportunities, setting goals, networking with professionals) and part job-search mechanics (i.e., resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, interviews, salary negotiations). At the end of LAS 203, students will have a concrete plan for how to make their ideal career a reality after graduation!

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I had no idea what career path I wanted to follow but now I feel like I have more options. Definitely wish I would have taken this class sooner!

 

This course is a requirement for undergraduate sophomores through seniors with majors in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. All students will learn a lot from LAS 203, but we recommend taking LAS 203 as soon as you can fit it in your schedule. Students who take it close to graduation often say they wish they’d enrolled sooner, so they had more time to apply what they learned. Don’t wait – register in AccessPlus today!

LAS 203 is a half-semester (8-week) course that is offered in both an online and in-person format every fall and spring semester. LAS 203 may be offered during the winter and summer, but this will be based on enrollment needs. To view when this class is offered, please use the schedule of classes.

  • How to Build a Personal Brand
  • How to (Professionally) Play to Your Strengths 
  • How to Articulate Your LAS Transferable Skills to Employers
  • How to Write an Effective Resume
  • How to Customize Your Resume
  • How to Develop Your Network
  • How to Network on LinkedIn & LAS Connect
  • How to Research Career Opportunities
  • How to Prototype Your Career
  • How to Search for a Job or Internship
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Prepare for an Interview
  • How to Shine in an Interview
  • How to Research Salaries & Benefits
  • How to Negotiate a Job Offer

  1. “I feel we all know we need to prepare for such things, but it’s difficult to know how and this class helped me to feel ready for interviews where I can quickly and efficiently put myself in the best light.”
  2. “I had no idea what career path I wanted to follow but now I feel like I have more options. Definitely wish I would have taken this class sooner!”
  3. “Overall this course is one of the most important classes that all students should take. The class is filled with relevant life and career lessons.”
  4. “[LAS 203] really helped me start the path to my career and helped me actually come up with some goals. I was really lost coming into this class but now I am actually really excited for my future and can’t wait to challenge myself and become a better version of myself.”
  5. “Absolutely loved this course and feel confident for life after graduation! Thank you so much for offering this class.”
  6. “I really appreciate the course, I have a summer internship lined up and this class played a factor in that.”
  7. “The assignments and activities [were powerful] because they provided hands-on experience with guaranteed feedback and no real-life penalties for doing something incorrectly.”
  8. “This class provides you with the tools to improve and expand your abilities to successfully navigate the job market. You improve your resume, cover letter and how to best present yourself to get an internship or job.”
  9. “This class has made me feel a lot more comfortable with the internship and job seeking process..after [sic] this class, I have been able to get an internship and have been applying for jobs and acing my interviews! Thank you so much for this class, and it should be a required course!”
  10. “I really got a lot out of this class. I would recommend it to anyone at Iowa State… I actually think students should be required to take this class before graduation to help prepare us for the real world.”

Questions

Have questions, want to see the syllabus, or need more information about the course? Contact Rosalie Vos Tulp, Career Education Coordinator, at rvostulp@iastate.edu or 515-294-0493.