You are here

BFA Checklist

The purpose of this checklist is to provide a foundation for career preparation throughout your time at Otis, with each year building on the previous year. Print this out or make a copy in your Google Drive, refer to it and complete a task or two each week, and check items off the list as you complete them. It can be completed at your own pace and provides a framework for career counseling discussions.

Career planning, preparation, and professional development involves ongoing practice and is always a work in progress. Don’t wait – the most successful students engage in their career planning early and often! Bring this list with you to career counseling appointments to discuss your progress and next steps.

  • Foundation Year: Explore (Fall)
    • Dedicate at least 1 hour each week to pursuing career-related activities. Block this time out on your calendar. Start completing items on this checklist and commit to making good career development habits by following through on it. (Ongoing this year.)
    • Set up your profile in Handshake. (Log in with your SSO - Otis email and password). Jobs/opportunities will be suggested for you based on your profile, and you can also make it visible to employers if you choose. Career Services uses this platform to communicate with students so be sure to check your Otis email.
    • Explore the Handshake website and download the mobile app. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Handshake is Otis’ career platform for:
    • Online job/opportunity board (only art/design positions by companies that want to hire Otis talent)
      • Employer/organization info and recruitment
      • Career counseling
      • Career workshops
      • Career resources
    • Follow Otis Career Services on social media IG: @otiscareerservices, LI: Otis College Career Services.
    • Search the Career Services website to familiarize yourself with our resources, especially resources by topic and major. Bookmark this page for easy reference. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Consider an on-campus student employment position. On-campus jobs can be found on Handshake - use the filter for “On-campus.” Attend a Student Employee 101 workshop or an On-Campus Employment Job Fair. (Ongoing each year. For questions about whether you have Federal Work-Study (FWS) or how much your award is, visit the Dashboard or contact OneStop.)
    • Explore student engagement and leadership opportunities including clubs and organizations on campus.
  • Foundation Year: Explore (Spring)
    • Meet with a Career Counselor to discuss career paths related to majors and minors of interest or take a strengths assessment. (Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss majors and minors, course requirements, and your four-year plan. (Find advising drop-in hours by visiting the Dashboard my.otis.edu > Advising and Academic Support > Drop In Advising Hours (or email advising@otis.edu for an appointment.)
    • Identify your personal and professional networks by getting to know classmates, RAs, and Otis faculty and staff.
    • Establish a tracking mechanism for your networking (meeting new people) and employment/organization search. (Download a tracking spreadsheet from Career Services website.) Start by writing down 1+ person who’s in a job you may be interested in or in a position that could potentially hire you (where did you hear about them, are they an alum, do you know how to contact them?) and 1+ employer/organization you may be interested in working for or learning more about (where did you hear about them, does an alum work there, do they have a website?) Fine Artists: the person might be another artist, a gallerist, curator, or collector, and the organization may be a gallery, museum, festival, or other entity where your work may be exhibited or sold.
    • Keep a list of your activities and a folder of your projects to guide the creation of your resume, portfolio, or future grant, fellowship, scholarship, or artist submissions. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Attend at least one event or workshop hosted by Career Services. (Ongoing each semester. Events are posted in Handshake.) Example: Resume workshop, Creative Futures Panel, etc.
    • Plan how you will spend your summer and do something that will increase your exposure to the art and design world (volunteer, freelance, intern, try an opportunity to see if you like it, develop a plan to create and promote your work, etc). Add this to your list of activities once completed. (Ongoing each Spring.)
  • Sophomore Year: Get Involved (Fall)
    • Dedicate at least 2 hours each week to pursuing career-related activities. Block this time out on your calendar. Start completing items on this checklist and commit to making good career development habits by following through on it. (Ongoing this year.)
    • Participate in something happening around campus, in your community, or virtually that gives you job/career insight or furthers your education outside of class. Add this to your list of activities once completed. (Ongoing each year. Otis career workshops and employer events are posted in Handshake.)
    • Research and familiarize yourself with industry resources such as art/design festivals, art/design magazines and publications, professional organizations and conferences related to your major and fields of interest. (Use career resources as a start in creating your own list.)
    • Build a draft of your resume using career resources and your list of activities and work experiences. You may have more than one version for the types of opportunities you’re pursuing. Then make a career counseling appointment to review your resume and discuss next steps, such as creating a cover letter or applying for an opportunity. Fine Artists: you should also build a draft of your bio and artist statement. (Learn what a bio and artist statement is on the Career Services website.)
    • Create a LinkedIn profile utilizing your resume as a foundation for your profile. This is the world’s largest online professional network. You can join for free with the option to upgrade.
    • Build out your profile further by:
      • Adding people you’ve met as contacts in the last two years, people in your email or social media contacts, and continue to add as you are introduced to and meet new people
      • Following companies/organizations of interest
      • Making note of and following people who are doing jobs or working at companies/organizations of interest
      • Searching for jobs/opportunities
      • Joining a group
    • Fine Artists and other designers: you may consider another platform as well that helps you promote your work or connect with others in the art and design community. Behance is the world’s largest creative network for showcasing and discovering creative work, so a profile here may be useful for you as well. Add to the tracking spreadsheet you established by adding 5+ more people and 5+ more organizations of interest. Then decide how you will learn more about them (is this person an alum, find contact info on a personal website or social media platform such as LinkedIn or IG, search LinkedIn to find out if you know anyone who works for the organization, look for a careers page (or artists submission page) on the organization’s website). Identify your next steps (reach out to them to learn more, let them know who you are, or apply for an opportunity). (Learn more about networking, job applications, or artist submissions on the Career Services website.)
    • Plan how you will gain experience this year, through part-time industry jobs or internships. An internship is strongly recommended. You should spend at least one semester prior to your intended internship applying to positions in order to secure something. Keep in mind large companies will be hiring for Summer internships as early as Fall. Make a career counseling appointment regularly to keep on track with your search. Add this to your list of activities and/or resume once completed.
    •  
    • (International students can request CPT by first applying for internships and obtaining an offer, and then completing the CPT Request Form at least two weeks before the anticipated start date. Find more information or speak with the International Advisor DSO by visiting the Dashboard my.otis.edu > International Students (or contact OneStop).
    • Write an elevator pitch about yourself and your goals as an artist/designer, and practice pitching it to a Career Counselor or other trusted source. (Learn what an “elevator pitch” is on the Career Services website.)
    • Practice speaking to individuals and groups about yourself (projects you’ve worked on and what you want to work on) and asking questions of the person you’re speaking with (projects they’re working on and goals they have). This can be informal or through an informational interview. (Learn what an “informational interview” is and find networking tips on the Career Services website.)
    • Reach out to the 6+ people and organizations on your tracking spreadsheet. This is how you develop your network, meet new people, learn about opportunities, and begin interacting with professionals and organizations. (Make a career counseling appointment to review a draft of the messages you intend to send.)
    • Attend an event related to your major/major of interest where an alum or company representative is speaking. This may be at Otis or outside of Otis. (Otis Career Services events are posted in Handshake and Otis Alumnx events are posted on Instagram.)
    • Develop a plan to create a project and promote your work - this could be creating something you’ll add to your portfolio, social media, or attracting an audience such as through a magazine or physical exhibit. (Learn how to “identify and develop your target audience” on the Career Services website.)
  • Sophomore Year: Get Involved (Spring)
    • Schedule a regular meeting with a Career Counselor (once per month/every two weeks) to define your career goals and next steps. (Ongoing each year. Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Learn about the types of employers and opportunities available through the online job board and recruitment events at Otis including Intern Recruitment Day. Add the jobs/opportunities and companies/organizations of interest to your tracking spreadsheet. (Jobs and events for the Otis community are posted in Handshake.)
    • Draft a cover letter for a position/opportunity you intend on applying for or just to practice for a position/opportunity that seems interesting even if you don’t actually apply (use career resources to create your draft). Then make a career counseling appointment to review your full application by bringing in your resume and cover letter, as well as the job/opportunity description. Discuss next steps, such as submitting your application, interviewing for a job and negotiating a job offer. (For additional guidance on improving your writing, make an appointment with the Student Learning Center (SLC).)
    • Apply for a leadership role on campus, such as resident assistant, orientation leader, peer advisor, or student club leader. Take on a leadership role on a team project as well. Add these experiences to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
    • Groom and grow your social media to look more professional (LI, IG, Behance, FB, Snapchat, TikTok, etc). Google yourself to see what others’ may find if they search for you and look at your web presence from an objective perspective - what impressions are you giving and are they what you want professional contacts to see?
    • Identify skills you want to develop while at Otis and plan how to acquire them.
    • Collaborate with someone on a project.
    • Tell someone about your current projects and future goals (at least as they currently are this moment).
    • Cultivate your professional network by checking in with former supervisors, past professors, and classmates. This means staying in touch on a regular basis to ask how they’re doing, what they’ve been working on, and share what you’ve been doing and what your goals are. Add them on LinkedIn too. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Apply to a position or opportunity, whether for an on-campus job, internship, part-time, freelance, contract, full-time, or call for artists. Add this to your tracking spreadsheet. (Read the career resource for “How to Identify and Avoid Job Scams.” Make a career counseling appointment if you want to review anything.)
    • Continue efforts from previous year (actively participating in career-building activities, tracking activities, and utilizing resources).
    • Take inventory of your progress on this checklist. Make an effort to complete suggested items, or start completing the next ones in advance. (Feeling stuck? Make an appointment for individual career counseling.)
  • Junior Year: Plan Your Next Steps (Fall)
    • Dedicate at least 3 hours each week to pursuing your career development and job/opportunity search. Block this time out on your calendar. Start completing items on this checklist and commit to making good career planning habits by following through on it. Relevant activities include researching and applying to jobs/opportunities, being purposeful in meeting new people in careers/organizations of interest, and following up on applications or with networking contacts. (Ongoing this year.)
    • Create a draft of your portfolio (from your activities list, resume, and project folder). It will be helpful to create your own website, but a dedicated social media page could also be used. Check with your department as to their suggestions for portfolio platforms. (For user-friendly templates try Wix, Squarespace, or Google Sites.)
    • Reach out to 10+ people (such as professors, alumnx, and industry professionals) to request a 1:1 conversation or informational interview (in person or via Zoom) to gain industry knowledge, explore careers and life after Otis, and build your network. LinkedIn and IG are great resources to find these and other professionals. Add them to the tracking spreadsheet you established. (Review what an “informational interview” is and find networking tips on the Career Services website.)
    • Start writing down a 1-5 year career plan (what you want to be doing in the future and what you need to do in order to get there) and review it with a Career Counselor. (Download a career plan template from Career Services website. Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Research and write down 10+ possible employers/organizations or jobs/opportunities of interest. Add these to the tracking spreadsheet you established. Check their careers page regularly and apply for opportunities of interest.
    • If you’re interested in freelancing or entrepreneurship, write down the skills and services you offer or ideas you have for a business. Then talk to someone about it. (Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Prepare for interviews using career resources. Then make a career counseling appointment to practice a mock interview as often as needed to feel confident. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Attend as many career workshops, industry events, and networking opportunities as possible to gather information and meet new people. Add these to your list of activities once completed. (Ongoing each year. Otis career workshops and employer events are posted in Handshake.)
    • Search and apply for part-time industry jobs and internships throughout the year to gain valuable experience. If you’ve already completed an internship, a second one is recommended to gain more experience or try something else. You should spend at least one semester prior to your intended internship applying to positions in order to secure something. Keep in mind large companies will be hiring for Summer internships as early as Fall. Check the Otis job board and make a career counseling appointment regularly to keep on track with your search. 
    •  
    • (International students can request CPT by first applying for internships and obtaining an offer, and then completing the CPT Request Form at least two weeks before the anticipated start date. Find more information or speak with the International Advisor DSO by visiting the Dashboard my.otis.edu > International Students (or contact OneStop).
  • Junior Year: Plan Your Next Steps (Spring)
    • Meet and network with professionals and alumnx by attending events and conferences outside of Otis. Add people you meet to your tracking spreadsheet. Fine Artists: start going to galleries and museums during regular hours and for opening receptions - make note of which galleries show the kind of work you appreciate and work you are making. (Refer to career resources as a start in creating your own list of events or conferences of interest, add your own research, and ask/network with others to learn about events they attend.)
    • Attend employer recruitment events and Intern Recruitment Day at Otis to discover and explore opportunities. Add employers/organizations of interest to your tracking spreadsheet. (Events are posted in Handshake.)
    • Make sure your resume (and bio or artist statement if applicable) is up to date, as well as your LinkedIn or other social media profiles. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Be active on LinkedIn or other social media of choice and use it purposefully. (Ongoing each year.)
    • Examples of using social media purposefully:
      • Share professional and educational content or events you participate in on a regular basis.
      • Start and participate in conversations with alumnx and other professionals through your feed or groups.
      • Reach out to people who are doing jobs or working at companies/organizations of interest and request an informational interview with them.
      • For LinkedIn specifically:
      • Connect with or follow 3-5 recruiters at your top companies/organizations. Reach out on a regular basis (every month or two) to let them know what you’re skilled at, interested in, keep them updated on your work and your search, and stay top of mind for them when an opportunity becomes available.
      • Ask work supervisors, faculty, or project teammates to write you a recommendation on your profile.
      • Apply to jobs/opportunities.
    • Practice mock job offer negotiation (as often as needed to feel confident). Make an appointment with a Career Counselor to practice. (Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Continue efforts from previous years (networking, job/opportunity applications, interviewing, developing your skills, creating and documenting projects, and regularly meeting with a Career Counselor). 
    • Take inventory of your progress on this 4-year checklist. Re-evaluate skills you still want to develop and plan how to acquire them. (Feeling stuck? Make an appointment for individual career counseling.)
    • If grad school or an additional degree is your goal, research schools and programs, application requirements and deadlines, and prepare to take entrance exams if necessary. Many schools will have Fall application deadlines so Summer will be a good time to develop your submission packages.
    • If you’re seeking additional funding sources, research scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Many will have Fall application deadlines so Summer will be a good time to prepare your submissions. (Learn more about scholarships, fellowships, and grants on the Career Services website.)
  • Senior Year: Follow Through (Fall)
    • Dedicate at least 4 hours each week to your career development and job/opportunity search. Block this time out on your calendar. Start completing items on this checklist and commit to making good career planning habits by following through on it. Relevant activities include researching and applying to jobs/opportunities, being purposeful in meeting new people in careers/organizations of interest, and following up on applications or with networking contacts. (Ongoing this year. For additional guidance on time management, make an appointment with the Student Learning Center (SLC).)
    • Schedule a regular meeting with a Career Counselor (once per month/every two weeks) to ensure your professional materials are ready for applications, discuss career plans, progress, and next steps. (Ongoing each year. Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Review your 1-5 year career plan - update/add to it, and review it again with a Career Counselor. (Schedule an appointment through Handshake.)
    • Fine tune your networking, “elevator pitch,” interviewing, and other professional skills by continuing to practice with friends, new contacts, and a Career Counselor. (Ongoing this year.)
    • Reach out to 15+ more people (such as professors, alumnx, and industry professionals) to request a 1:1 conversation or informational interview (in person or via Zoom) to gain industry knowledge, explore careers and life after Otis, and build your network. LinkedIn and IG are great resources to find these and other professionals. Add them to the tracking spreadsheet you established.
    • Research 15+ more possible employers/organizations or jobs/opportunities of interest. Add them to the tracking spreadsheet you established. Check their careers page regularly and apply for opportunities of interest.
    • Search and apply for jobs/opportunities or internships throughout the year to gain valuable experience and plan for life after graduation. It can often take 4-6 months to secure a job/opportunity. Add completed applications to your tracking spreadsheet and plan to follow up with companies/organizations of interest if you don’t hear back. Utilize the Otis job board, Career Services resources such as “following up with employers/organizations,” and meet with a Career Counselor throughout this process.
    • Attend career workshops and employer recruitment events to continue developing your skills and discovering opportunities. Keep in mind large companies will be hiring for Summer positions as early as Fall. (Ongoing this year. Events are posted in Handshake.)
    • Fine Artists: promote your work by researching and applying for exhibitions or residencies. (Learn more about exhibitions and residencies on the Career Services website.)
    • If grad school or an additional degree is your goal, apply to schools and programs.
    • Ask at least 5 people to be a professional reference for you. (Learn what a “Reference” is on the Career Services website.)
    • Ask at least 5 people to write you a letter of recommendation. (Learn what a “Letter of Recommendation” is on the Career Services website.)
    • Identify a couple people you would consider as a mentor, whether or not they become a formal mentor to you -- someone you look up to, appreciate insight from, or want to emulate in your professional development.
  • Senior Year: Follow Through (Spring)
    • Polish up your portfolio and online presence including website, LinkedIn profile, or other social media. You want it to be current and showing your best professional work/experience.
    • Attend employer recruitment events and Intern Recruitment Day (this is for all kinds of opportunities, not just internships). (Events are posted in Handshake.)
    • Create business cards so you can let people you meet know how to stay in touch with you.
    • Join and participate in a professional organization / association / or conference in your field. Often there is a student or recent graduate rate to get started. Additionally, a great organization to hone your public speaking skills is Toastmasters.
    • International students should apply for OPT 90 days before their completion date. Find more information or speak with the International Advisor DSO by visiting the Dashboard my.otis.edu > International Students (or contact OneStop).
    • Project your financial needs and plan a realistic budget for post-graduation living. (Download a basic budget template from Career Services website.)
    • If you’re interested in freelancing, identify your rates. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, create a business plan and get feedback on it. Set your goals and next steps and hold yourself accountable.
    • Continue efforts from previous years (attending career workshops and employer info sessions, networking, job/opportunity applications, interviewing, updating your professional documents, being intentional/purposeful in your next steps, tracking your career activities, and regularly meeting with a Career Counselor).
    • Take inventory of your progress on this 4-year checklist. Make an effort to complete suggested items. (Feeling stuck? Make an appointment for individual career counseling.)
    • Complete LTON Survey (Leaving The Owl’s Nest) in April to let Otis know what your plans are after graduation. This is required in order to get Commencement tickets.
    • Connect with Alumnx Relations and plan to keep in touch with both Alumnx Relations and Career Services about your job path and projects after graduation. Follow and interact with us on Otis Alumnx Instagram, Career Services Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Congratulations! You should now have a good foundation for the steps you should be taking as you continue on your career journey. This is not the end; it’s a new beginning. Continue to refer to this list as needed for ideas, inspiration, and guidance. Career Services are available to you for life. Let us know how we can help or collaborate in the future!

View Printable BFA Checklist