One of the most valuable things parents can do to help a student with career planning is listen: be open to ideas, try to help your student find information, and
\nbe nonjudgmental.<\/p>\n
Here are 10 ways you can help: Next time you visit campus, drop into the career services office and pick up a business card from one Many students use their first semester to \u201csettle into\u201d college life, and so perhaps the spring semester of the freshman year is the optimal time to start using career center services. And, it\u2019s a good time for you to prompt that first visit.<\/p>\n Ask your student (in an off-handed way), \u201cHave you visited the career center?\u201d If you hear, \u201cYou only go there when you are a senior,\u201d then it\u2019s time to reassure them that career services is not just for seniors, and meeting with a career counselor can take place at any point (and should take place frequently) in their college career. The sooner a student becomes familiar with the staff, resources, and programs, the better prepared he or she will be to make wise career decisions.<\/p>\n Many centers offer a full range of career development and job-search help including: 2. Advise your student to write a resume<\/strong><\/p>\n Writing a resume can be a \u201creality test\u201d and can help a student identify weak areas that require improvement. Suggest your student get sample resumes from the 3. Challenge your student to become \u201coccupationally Iiterate\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Ask: \u201cDo you have any ideas about what you might want to do when you graduate?\u201d 4. Allow your student to make the decision<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though it is helpful to ask occasionally about career plans, too much prodding can backfire. 5. Emphasize the importance of internships <\/strong><\/p>\n The career center will not \u201cplace\u201d your child in a job at graduation. Colleges grant degrees, but not job guarantees, so having relevant experience in this competitive 6. Encourage extracurricular involvement<\/strong><\/p>\n Part of experiencing college life is to be involved and active outside the classroom. Interpersonal and leadership skills\u2014qualities valued by future employers\u2014are often developed in extracurricular activities.<\/p>\n 7. Persuade your student to stay up-to-date with current events <\/strong><\/p>\n Employers will expect students to know what is happening around them. Buy your student a subscription to the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n When they are home on break, discuss major world and business issues with them.<\/p>\n 8. Expose your student to the world of work<\/strong><\/p>\n Most students have a stereotypical view of the workplace. Take your child to your workplace. Explain to your son or daughter what you do for a living. Show him 9. Teach the value of networking<\/strong><\/p>\n Introduce your student to people who have the careers\/jobs that are of interest. Suggest your son or daughter contact people in your personal and professional networks for information on summer jobs.
\n1. Encourage your child to visit the career center (and you go too!)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nof the career counselors. When your son or daughter is feeling anxious about his\/her future, offer the card and say, \u201cPlease call this person. He (or she) can help you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 mock interviews,
\n\u2022 a network of alumni willing to talk about their jobs and careers,
\n\u2022 a library of books on a wide range of careers,
\n\u2022 workshops on writing resumes and cover letters,
\n\u2022 a recruiting program, and
\n\u2022 individual advising.<\/p>\n
\ncareer center, from books at the public library, or online .
\nYou can review resume drafts for grammar, spelling, and content, but recommend that the final product be critiqued by a career center professional.<\/p>\n
\nIf your student seems unsure, you can talk about personal qualities you see as talents and strengths.
\nYou can also recommend:
\n\u2022 Taking a \u201cself-assessment inventory,\u201d such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey at the career center,
\n\u2022 Talking to favorite faculty members,
\n\u2022 Researching a variety of interesting career fields and employers.
\nA career decision should be a process and not a onetime, last-minute event: Discourage putting this decision off until the senior year.<\/p>\n
\nMyth: A student must major in something \u201cpractical\u201d or marketable. Truth:Students should follow their own interests and passions.
\nMyth: Picking your major means picking the career you will have forever.
\nTruth: That\u2019s not true anymore. \u201cMajor\u201d does not necessarily mean \u201ccareer\u201d, and it is not unusual for a student to change majors. Many students change majors after gaining more information about specific fields of study and career fields of interest. Many students end up doing something very different than originally planned, so
\ndon\u2019t freak out when they come up with an outrageous or impractical career idea. Chances are plans will develop and change. It\u2019s okay to change majors\u2014and careers. It\u2019s okay to make suggestions about majors and career fields, but let your student be the ultimate judge of what\u2019s best.
\nCareer development can be stressful. Maybe this is the first really big decision that your son or daughter has had to make. Be patient, sympathetic and understanding, even if you don\u2019t agree with your child\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n
\njob market is critical.
\nYour son or daughter can sample career options by completing internships and experimenting with summer employment opportunities or volunteer work.
\nWhy an internship?
\n\u2022 Employers are interested in communication, problem-solving, and administrative skills, which can be developed through internships.
\n\u2022 Employers look for experience on a student\u2019s resume and often hire from within their own internship programs.
\n\u2022 Having a high GPA is not enough.
\n\u2022 A strong letter of recommendation from an internship supervisor can often tip the scale of an important interview in their favor.<\/p>\n
\nor her how to network by interacting with your own colleagues. Help your student identify potential employers.<\/p>\n
\nEncourage your child to \u201cshadow\u201d someone in the workplace to increase awareness of interesting career fields.<\/p>\n