This resource is designed for parents and families, helping them think about what students face as they perform their first professional job search. It provides guidance and information to help you become a career encourager in support of your student.
The O*Net program, supported by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration, is the nation’s primary source of occupational information. This free “interest profiler” is a self-assessment career exploration tool that helps students discover the type of work activities and occupations they might enjoy.
We asked several hundred parents and students for advice they would give to other students and parents just starting the career launch process, whether for internships or full-time employment. This resource highlights the themes that emerged from the research and tips on how families can apply the lessons to their own situation.
Occupational employment and wages by area can help you find out where a specific job type is common and how much you might expect to get paid for that occupation in different areas. The data are available for the nation, individual states, and metropolitan areas.
Your student is about to embark on a process with ups and downs, that millions have gone through before. Remind your student that they are gaining valuable “real world” experience and expanding their professional skillset and network with each interaction!
Your student may need help focusing on the special skills and strengths they can bring to an organization. From time to time, they may need you to help ensure they are emphasizing those, especially when employers do not recognize those strengths right away.
Most students have not attempted a search for full-time employment before. They likely do not know all the resources at their disposal. Our resource center is a good place to start, as well as local career fairs in your community.
Some students and families see their feelings rise and fall with each contact from an employer. We have found that families and students perform better when there is a clear process.
One of the biggest mistakes we see is comparing one student with another. Commenting on your student’s friend who already has a job is a sure way to deflate your student. There is only one person that matters here – your student!
Career Basecamp equips students and recent graduates with key resources for accelerating their job search process, including a library of videos and tutorials, a series of career workbooks, and more.
