Parents

Career development is a lifelong process.  Learning to relate classroom study, internships, part-time and summer jobs, activities in clubs and organizations, study abroad and leadership experiences to beginning a career is extremely challenging for most students.

Through individual counseling and career development programs, the Career Center is a major resource for students in career planning, learning to conduct a job search and applying to graduate school.  In general, student career planning is a step-by-step process that includes:

• Learning about self by exploring interests, skills and values

• Exploring career alternatives

• Matching self understanding with career information to make decisions about internships and jobs

• Developing a job search strategy

• Preparing written materials, researching jobs and organizations, and developing networking and interviewing skills

• Beginning the job search and connecting with employers

You can help your student by providing encouragement and support for career exploration and job search efforts throughout the university experience.  To assist you, we have prepared career planning checklists for the freshman through senior year (see links at top left).  Additional information and resources are also available through the links on this page.

Some other useful information for both you and your college-age student can be found on the JobWeb, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) website. 

Also, please review our website, including the information and assistance we provide to students listed under Students and encourage your student to take advantage of all of the services the Career Center provides.