A Parent's Guide to Student Employment & Career Development

Pittsburg State University guide to Student Employment (Student/Parent's View)

Articles from National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE)

A Parent's Guide to Career Development
"One of the most valuable things parents can do to," says Thomas Denham, Director of Siena College Career Center in Loudonville, New York, "help a student with career planning is listen: be open to ideas, try to help your student find information, and be nonjudgmental." Denham offers 10 tips to parents who want to help.

A Career Planning Course for Parents
Sally Kearsley, retired director of the career center of Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, spent 28 years helping students find their directions. She writes, "Your son or daughter has left for (or returned to) college but doesn't seem to have a clue as to what he or she wants to major in, let alone choose a career. Don't worry! This is not unusual, although you might wish your student had a little more sense of direction! Choosing a career is a process students (and adults) need to go through--and students go through the stages of process at different rates of speed."

A Career Action Plan
It's important, career counselors say, to start thinking about your career as early as possible. That doesn't mean you have to know exactly what you want to be after college--or that you can't change your mind along the way. Your freshman year isn't too early to start mapping out your future--even if you haven't chosen a major yet.

How Assessment Can Help You Choose a Major or a Career
The center staff can't make academic or career decisions for you. You can, by scheduling counseling sessions with the staff and using other resources available through your career center, including assessment tools.