Career Lab: Plan, Practice, Succeed

Course aim
The course is designed to help students take control of their career journey by providing knowledge, tools, and practical skills for successful career planning, job search, professional growth, and long-term well-being at work.

Course topics

• Introduction to Career Planning – the importance of career planning, self-awareness in career development, identifying strengths, weaknesses, values and interests, setting meaningful goals, career development models.
• Understanding the Career Landscape – overview of the labour market in Latvia and globally, industry trends and opportunities, career research methods, and tools for exploration.
• Job & Internship Search Strategies – effective job search methods, finding internships, making the most of them, volunteering, Erasmus and other international opportunities.
• Preparing for the Job Hunt – mastering interviews (in-person and online), understanding employer expectations, asking questions, salary and benefits discussions.
• Professional Skills and Attitudes at Work – adapting to new work environments, developing soft skills, teamwork, proactiveness, learning on the job, and understanding organizational cultures.
• Long-Term Career Well-Being – stages of career development, maintaining direction and motivation, balancing mental health and well-being, building and sustaining a professional network.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• set personal career goals and create a development plan;
• explore career opportunities and evaluate industry trends;
• apply effective strategies for job and internship search;
• demonstrate readiness for job interviews and workplace expectations;
• develop professional skills for adapting and thriving at work;
• understand how to maintain career well-being and professional growth in the long term.

Additional information
The course includes worksheets and exercises for practical career development.
The course is developed by Dr. Sc. Administr. Anita Gaile in collaboration with RTU Well-being and Career Support Center Career Counselor Santa Latkovska.

For advice on worksheets, CV and motivation letter writing, or further education opportunities, students are encouraged to contact RTU career consultant Santa Latkovska at career@rtu.lv.

For questions about the course content, please contact us at career@rtu.lv