View ways in which you can promote career development opportunities to your student beginning the first year they begin their college career.

1. Encourage your student to visit our office. If your student is feeling anxious about his/her future, suggest that they check out our website and consider making an appointment with a Career Counselor to discuss their interests and options. Encourage your student to attend Career Services hosted events.

2. Ask your student, "Have you visited the career center?" If you hear, "You only go there when you are a senior," then it's time to reassure them that career services is not just for seniors, and meeting with a career counselor can take place at any point 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.

3. Advise your student to write a resume. Writing a resume can be a "reality test" and can help a student identify areas that may be lacking or in need of enhancement. You can review resume drafts for grammar, spelling, and content, but recommend the final product be critiqued by one of our Career Services professionals.

4. Allow your student to make the decision. It's okay to make suggestions about majors and career fields, professional programs, and graduate schools, but let your student be the ultimate judge of what's best for them. Career development can be stressful because this may be the first big decision that they have had to make. Be patient, sympathetic and understanding, even if you don't agree with their decisions.

• The What can I do with a major in... page can be helpful in exploring majors and their related career fields.
• The I Want My Child To tool helps walk families through uncovering the difference between what a student wants, and what a parent wants for their student.
  

5. Emphasize the importance of internships. Career Services does not "place" your student in a job upon graduation. Colleges grant degrees, but not job guarantees, so having relevant experience in this competitive job market is critical. Students can sample career options by participating in internships and experimenting with summer employment opportunities or volunteer work. Your student can also search Hire-a-Falcon for internship and job opportunities.

Why an internship?

• Employers are interested in communication, problem-solving, and administrative skills, which can be developed through internships.
• Employers look for experience on a student's resume and often hire from within their own internship programs.
• Having a high GPA is not enough.
• A strong letter of recommendation from an internship supervisor can often tip the scale of an important interview in their favor.

6. Encourage extracurricular involvement. Part of experiencing college life is to be involved and active outside the classroom. Interpersonal and leadership skills—qualities valued by future employers—are often developed in extracurricular activities within student organizations, intramurals, and other activities on-campus.

7. Expose your student to the world of work. Most students have a stereotypical view of the workplace. Take them to your workplace. Explain what you do for a living. Show him or her how to network by interacting with your own colleagues. Help your student identify potential employers.

8. Professional networking. Introduce your student to people who have the careers/jobs that are of interest. Suggest your student contact people in your personal and professional networks for information on summer jobs. Encourage your student to use the UWRF Mentor Network to connect with professionals to learn about career fields through informational interviews, job shadowing, and other opportunities. 

9. Help us help your student! If you have a summer, internship, part-time or full-time job opening, please let us know. Visit the Employer Resources part of our website. If you're willing to share your career experience with our students or alumni, we'd love to have you join our Mentor Network.

A Parents' Guide to Career Development