The most valuable things parents and families can do to help a student with career planning are:
- Listen.
- Be open to ideas.
- Help your student find information.
Here are some other ways you can help:
- Encourage the student to visit the career center. Spring semester of freshman year is the perfect time to start using career center services. However, meeting with a career counselor can take place at any point — and should take place frequently— throughout a college career.
- Help the student to write a résumé. Writing a résumé can be a "reality test" and can help a student identify weak areas that require improvement. You can review résumé drafts for grammar, spelling and content, but the ÂÜÀòÔ´´ Career Development Office should review the final product.
- Emphasize the importance of internships. The career center will not "place" the student in a job at graduation. Colleges grant degrees, but not job guarantees. So, having relevant experience in the competitive job market is critical. Your son or daughter can sample career options by completing internships and experimenting with summer employment opportunities or volunteer work.
- Encourage extracurricular involvement. Being active outside the classroom is part of the college experience. Interpersonal and leadership skills — qualities valued by future employers — are often developed in extracurricular activities.
