Do’s & Don’ts for Parents and Family

Do . . . . Support your student in his/her choice of major. Most employers request perspective employees to have a bachelors degree for entry level positions – but do not require a specific major. On the flip side, most positions seeking Masters Degrees are specific to the field – once applying for graduate school the student must be certain on their choice of major.

Don’t . . . . Put added stress on your child about their choice of major. College is a time for exploration and growth. It is not uncommon for students to change majors multiple times while finding their ‘right fit.’

Do . . . . Encourage your student to visit the Career Center early in their college career. We have a multitude of services for students in all levels of their education.

Don’t . . . . Suggest that your student wait until after graduation to start their career search! Senior year is stressful enough and having a resume that only requires tweaking is a lot less stressful than starting from scratch. Your student should be well on his or her way to landing their first position by senior year. Internships and other work experience during their time in college will help build their resume to impress employers. Resumes are required documents for internships.

Do . . . . Propose that your student attend our Career Services events throughout the year such as our open house, internship panel, and Dine Like a Diplomat.

Don’t . . . . Call prospective employers on behalf of your students “Hi. John is very busy with school work . . . he is free at 3 on Wednesday. Can you interview him then?” Employers do not look favorably on this.

Do . . . . Persuade your student to attend Barry’s Career Fairs. Employers are recruiting for full-time, part-time and internship positions. It is a WONDERFUL networking opportunity. If your student attends each Career Fair by senior year he or she will be comfortable in the environment and will SHINE to the employers!

Don’t . . . . Encourage your student to come to the Career Center and be given a job – we teach skills and expect students to complete their own job search. We offer many opportunities yet it is up to the student to take advantage!

Do . . . Talk with your student about the ‘world of work’ and how important it is to start at entry-level positions and build your skills and work their way up within an organization. The skills they learned in the classroom have to be enhanced with ‘real world experience.” Each organization wants to train college graduates on how that organization operates. Employees with degrees have a higher rate of promotion than those without higher education.

Do . . . Instill in your student that their first position out of college will not be the one their hold for the rest of their life! It is a starting off point where they can get their feet wet and put their classroom learning to the test!