How Parents Can Help
College career counselors and parents have a common goal — helping students make sound career choices. Here are 10 ways you can help your son or daughter:
- Encourage your student to visit the Career Services Center. It's never too early to meet with the career counselors and become familiar with the services we provide. The sooner a student becomes familiar with the Career Services Center, the better prepared s/he will be.
- Listen to your student. Be open to ideas and try to help your student find information. The Career Services Center is an excellent source of resources and information.
- Challenge your student to explore his/her interests, likes, and dislikes by volunteering and becoming involved in extracurricular activities. Not only will these activities aid students on their journey of self-discovery, but important qualities can be developed, such as interpersonal and leadership skills.
- Allow your student to make the decision about his/her future career. We all have our strengths and interests, and your child's are unique to him/her. Even if you don't agree with the decision, be patient and understanding.
- Advise your student to stay abreast of current events. Students can gain much career-related knowledge by reading the daily paper or a weekly periodical. Additionally, during the interview process, many employers ask questions pertaining to recent events in their industries.
- Emphasize the importance of career exploration through interviewing and networking with professionals, as well as through internships. Hands-on experience exposes your student to the workings of the actual job position and teaches them additional skills.
- Persuade your son or daughter to work during the summers and learn the value of a strong work ethic. Too often new employees do not succeed due to poor attendance records and poor work habits.
- Encourage your student to write a resume. We provide a variety of resources to help students learn the basics of writing a resume and suggest that students meet with their career counselor for a review of the final draft.
- Lend support to your child throughout the job search process, but do not conduct the job search yourself.
- Assist the Career Services Center. When you have an open full-time, internship, part-time or summer position, please call our office with the information. If you are an alumni, please consider becoming a mentor and helping current students learn more about your profession.
Thank you! And remember . . . by working together, we can prepare our students for their future!