For Parents

Parents and Career Development staff share a common goal - to help your student prepare for and to make sound career decisions. Various studies indicate that parents are ranked as the number one influence over their child's job choices. Students today are offered so many choices and opportunities that it is often difficult for them to decide on "the best" career path to follow.

Choosing a Career/ Choosing a Major

Security vs. adventure.
Accountant, Peace Corps volunteer, journalist, college professor.
Ultimately, your child should make the choice. Of course, you may want to mention factors to consider, such as job market demand, salary ranges, long-range opportunities, skills required, etc.
Just because an occupation is "hot" now does not mean it will be equally in demand in 10 years or that your child has the aptitude or motivation for it.
How Assessment Can Help You Choose a Major or Career
A Career Action Plan

Choosing to Double Major / Choosing a Major and Minor

Most employers do not place a premium on a double major. It usually requires an extra one or two quarters/semesters to obtain a second major and does not particularly enhance a student's marketability. Exceptions would be a second major or a major and a minor chosen for a specific career, such as English and chemistry for technical writing, or a health policy major and business minor for hospital administration.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Some students who get off to a rocky start eventually pull up their grades; however, this can be very difficult to do. Parents should encourage your child to make academics a high priority beginning with their freshman year. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that it may take them a while to adjust to the rigorous academic demands of college. Some employers use GPA cutoffs in considering applicants. Other employers stress the student's overall background: experience, number of hours worked during the school year to finance college, leadership activities, etc.

Obtaining Marketable Skills

Most employers today put as much or more emphasis on graduates' skills than on their academic majors. Encourage your child to develop strengths in at least two or three of the following areas:

Computer skills (e.g., programming, word processing, spreadsheets, database management, e-mail, Internet)
Quantitative skills (e.g., accounting, statistics, economics)
Communication skills (e.g., written and oral)
Marketing/selling skills (e.g., sales, publicity, fundraising)
Scientific skills (e.g., lab skills, scientific research)
Foreign language skills (e.g. especially Spanish, Japanese or Chinese)
Leadership skills (e.g., supervisory, extracurricular leadership roles, teamwork/team leader)

Leadership Activities

Many employers rate leadership activities even more than GPA. Some students who were very active in high school activities may be less involved in college extracurricular activities. However, employers regard high school as "ancient history" for a college senior. It is more valuable for a student to be involved in a few meaningful leadership roles on campus than to be in a "laundry list" of many campus clubs.

Experience

You may want your child to work in their hometown every summer. However, the experience gained as a lifeguard or ice cream shop counter clerk does not compare to that which comes from an internship (paid or unpaid) in the career field that they aspire to enter. Future employers will seek graduates with relevant, real world work experience. Some students have little to write about on a resume if their summers were spent in school, traveling, or working at low-level jobs. We strongly suggest that students seek career-related experience for their sophomore and junior summers even if they must live away from home or accept an unpaid internship. Students needing financial support can combine an unpaid internship with a job such as a waiter/waitress, etc.

Graduating Early, Graduating Late

Some students graduate early through advanced placement credits, heavy course loads, and summer school courses. The advantages are lower educational expenses and the ability to start employment or graduate school earlier. The disadvantages may include the sacrifice of academic honors, work experience, and extracurricular and volunteer activities that may contribute to a student's maturity level and qualifications. Other students graduate late due to light course loads, academic difficulties, changing majors, poor academic advising, lack of direction, or reluctance to leave the cocoon of the college environment. Advantages to the late graduation include the ability to improve grades with light class loads, extra time to change majors, the ability to take additional electives to improve marketability, and extra time to gain more career related or leadership experience. Disadvantages to late graduation are increased college costs and possible disapproval of employers and graduate schools.

Planning for Graduate / Professional School

About 88 percent of the nation's college freshmen indicated in a recent survey that they plan to go to graduate or professional school, yet only about 24 percent do so within a year of completing their bachelor's degree. Students aspiring to graduate or professional school should:

Be clear about the reasons they want to go on for further education;
research the qualifications required for admission and be realistic about their chances of acceptance;
always have a "Plan B" or back-up plan in case they are not accepted.

Some students should discuss their interest in graduate or professional school well before their senior year with their academic advisor, the college's graduate or professional school advisor (e.g., the pre-law or pre-med advisor); and a career counselor to obtain advice and guidance from three different perspectives.

Taking Time Off

Many students want to take time off after graduation from college before attending graduate school or taking a career-related job. Future employers will want to know how the student has spent the intervening time. Participating in activities during this time period demonstrate relevance to future career goals and/or a good work ethic. While short-term travel may be personally broadening, it does not increase a student's marketability to employers unless it is seen as career related. Therefore, the time off may result in a longer job search. For example, management trainee programs, which often begin shortly after graduation and hire large numbers of new graduates, may be filled by the time your child is ready to begin a job search.

Using the Center for Career Development

Students should begin using their campus career office no later than their sophomore year. Virtually all career offices provide individual career counseling/ advising, career planning workshops, internship assistance, and career fairs and programs, these services are specifically for underclassmen. Your child should seek help early with choosing a career and preparing for it. Competition for good jobs, particularly in certain fields, is stiff. The Center for Career Development can advise students about how to become a strong candidate for their field of interest.

What a Career Center Can Do for You

Parent Career Checklist

Parents and family members are an important part of a student's career exploration process. Below are helpful questions to consider as you assist your student with his/her career choices:

Am I allowing my student the freedom to have new experiences?
Do I encourage the exploration of new ideas, experiences, and occupations without being pushy?
Do I really listen to what my student tells me?
Am I willing to tolerate ideas and values which are different than my own?
Am I willing to discuss my own career development history?
Am I positive and supportive when my student makes poor decisions or fails?
Do I encourage my student to explore occupations of interest and refer him/her to appropriate resources?
Do I help my student objectively look at his/her strengths and weaknesses and suggest how they might relate to various careers?
Am I willing to refer my student to friends/ acquaintances who might discuss their occupations with him/her?
Do I ask questions that will encourage my student to further his/her career information gathering process?
Do I compliment my student on his/her positive strengths and accomplishments?