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document.writeln('');
document.writeln('A Career Planning Course for Parents
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document.writeln(' By Sally Kearsley
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document.writeln('Your son or daughter just ');
document.writeln(' left for (or returned to) college but doesn\'t seem to have a clue as to what ');
document.writeln(' he or she wants to major in, let alone choose as a career. Don\'t worry! This ');
document.writeln(' is not unusual, although you might wish your student had a little more sense ');
document.writeln(' of direction!
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document.writeln(' Choosing a career is a process ');
document.writeln(' students (and adults!) need to go through—and students go through the stages ');
document.writeln(' of this process at different rates of speed. The steps include:
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - assessing skills, interests, ');
document.writeln(' and abilities (this is an important first step to choosing an appropriate ');
document.writeln(' career);
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document.writeln(' - exploring majors and ');
document.writeln(' career options;
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document.writeln(' - experimenting with possible ');
document.writeln(' career options; and
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document.writeln(' - organizing and conducting ');
document.writeln(' a job or graduate school search.
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' You can assist and support ');
document.writeln(' your students in each of these stages. But what can—or should—you ');
document.writeln(' do?
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document.writeln(' Here\'s your own career planning ');
document.writeln(' timetable!
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' CAREERS 101 - FOR PARENTS ');
document.writeln(' OF FIRST YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS
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document.writeln(' During their first year ');
document.writeln(' or so of college, students will be involved (formally or informally) in assessing ');
document.writeln(' their skills, interests, and abilities. They will do this through finding success ');
document.writeln(' (or failure) in courses they take, involvement in campus activities, discussions ');
document.writeln(' with their friends and faculty, and generally being exposed to and trying out ');
document.writeln(' different ideas and experiences.
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document.writeln(' Most students enter college ');
document.writeln(' with a very limited knowledge of the vast array of courses and majors available ');
document.writeln(' to them. When they begin to delve into studies that are new to them, even those ');
document.writeln(' who entered with a plan may be drawn to different options. This is an exciting ');
document.writeln(' time for students!
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document.writeln(' Here\'s what you can do ');
document.writeln(' to help:
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Support your child\'s ');
document.writeln(' exploration of new areas of study and interests. This, after all, is what ');
document.writeln(' education is all about!
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document.writeln(' - Affirm what you know ');
document.writeln(' to be areas of skill and ability he or she has consistently demonstrated. ');
document.writeln(' Sometimes students overlook these and need to be reminded.
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document.writeln(' - Talk with your son or ');
document.writeln(' daughter about the courses and activities he or she is enjoying and how well ');
document.writeln(' your student is doing. Students discover new things about themselves throughout ');
document.writeln(' the college experience. Your willingness to listen and be a sounding board ');
document.writeln(' will keep you in the loop.
');
document.writeln(' - Don\'t panic if your student ');
document.writeln(' is excited about majoring in something like English, history, or art. These ');
document.writeln(' can be excellent choices, particularly if they are a good match for a student\'s ');
document.writeln(' interests and skills.
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document.writeln(' - Support your son or daughter\'s ');
document.writeln(' responsible involvement in campus activities but urge this to be balanced ');
document.writeln(' with maintaining achievement in the classroom.
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document.writeln(' - Urge your child to seek ');
document.writeln(' assistance in the career center at his/her college or university. Most institutions ');
document.writeln(' have assessment instruments and counselors to help students to define their ');
document.writeln(' skills, interests, and abilities.
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' CAREERS 201 - FOR PARENTS ');
document.writeln(' OF SECOND YEAR STUDENTS
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document.writeln(' Generally, during the second ');
document.writeln(' year of college, a student begins to explore majors and career options more ');
document.writeln(' seriously. Many colleges and universities require that new students take a broad ');
document.writeln(' range of subjects to promote this exploration.
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document.writeln(' What\'s your role in this ');
document.writeln(' step of development?
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Don\'t insist upon a decision ');
document.writeln(' about a major or possible career choice immediately. If you sense that your ');
document.writeln(' student\'s indecision is a barrier to positive progress, urge that he or she ');
document.writeln(' look for assistance in the career center. Students often have difficulty making ');
document.writeln(' a "final" choice because they fear they may close off options and ');
document.writeln(' make a wrong choice.
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document.writeln(' - Suggest that your son ');
document.writeln(' or daughter talk with faculty and career advisers about potential choices.
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document.writeln(' - Don\'t assume that if ');
document.writeln(' your child chooses to major in English, history, philosophy, or some other ');
document.writeln(' "impractical" major that he or she will never get a job. Liberal ');
document.writeln(' arts studies sharpen skills which are critical to the "package" ');
document.writeln(' employers are seeking: strong written and oral communication skills; problem-solving ');
document.writeln(' skills; the ability to synthesize information; and excellent research skills. ');
document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' - Suggest learning a foreign ');
document.writeln(' language and developing computer skills. Both of these skills can be helpful ');
document.writeln(' in today\'s market, no matter what career field he or she chooses!
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document.writeln(' - Direct your child to ');
document.writeln(' family, friends, or colleagues who are in fields in which your student has ');
document.writeln(' an interest. "Informational interviewing" with people can be extremely ');
document.writeln(' helpful at this stage!
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document.writeln(' - Steer your child toward ');
document.writeln(' a source of information. Many campuses have a career consultant or mentoring ');
document.writeln(' network of alumni in various career fields who are willing to share information ');
document.writeln(' with students about their careers. These resources are invaluable both in ');
document.writeln(' this exploratory stage and later as students are seeking internships and jobs!
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' CAREERS 301 - FOR PARENTS ');
document.writeln(' OF THE "MID-CAREER" STUDENT
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' During the sophomore year and throughout the junior year, it is important for ');
document.writeln(' students to experiment with possible career options. They can do this in a variety ');
document.writeln(' of ways: internships, cooperative education programs, summer jobs, campus jobs, ');
document.writeln(' and responsible volunteer experiences both on campus and in the local community. ');
document.writeln(' This is a critical time for your support and understanding.
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document.writeln(' Here\'s what you need ');
document.writeln(' to do:
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Encourage your child ');
document.writeln(' to use the resources available at the campus career center. Experts there ');
document.writeln(' will assist your student in preparing a good resume and finding opportunities ');
document.writeln(' to test their career choices, including internships, cooperative education ');
document.writeln(' programs, and summer job listings. Most career centers are in direct contact ');
document.writeln(' with employers.
');
document.writeln(' - Tell your student that ');
document.writeln(' you understand the importance of their gaining exposure to and experience ');
document.writeln(' in his or her field of career interest. Broadening experience through involvement ');
document.writeln(' outside the classroom is a valuable use of time.
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document.writeln(' - Internships or summer ');
document.writeln(' experiences in some very competitive fields may be non-paying. Also, a good ');
document.writeln(' opportunity may be in a distant location. Discuss your financial expectations ');
document.writeln(' with your student before a commitment is made.
');
document.writeln(' - Don\'t conduct the internship ');
document.writeln(' or summer job search for your child. It\'s a great help to provide networking ');
document.writeln(' contacts or names of people who may be helpful, however, making the contact ');
document.writeln(' and speaking for your child deprives him or her of an important learning experience—and ');
document.writeln(' may make a poor impression on the future employer.
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' CAREERS 401 - FOR PARENTS ');
document.writeln(' OF GRADUATING SENIORS
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document.writeln(' The senior year is when ');
document.writeln(' organizing and conducting a job search or graduate school search begins in earnest. ');
document.writeln(' It is also a time when students are heavily involved in more advanced courses ');
document.writeln(' in their majors and often have more responsible roles in campus and/or volunteer ');
document.writeln(' activities. Balancing these important pursuits and setting priorities is a constant ');
document.writeln(' challenge for seniors!
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document.writeln(' You are probably anxious ');
document.writeln(' for this young adult to make a decision—and yet, he or she may be moving ');
document.writeln(' toward closure more slowly than you would wish.
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document.writeln(' There are a number of ');
document.writeln(' ways you can lend support during this challenging time.
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Suggest that he or she ');
document.writeln(' use the campus career center throughout the senior year. These offices provide ');
document.writeln(' assistance in preparation for the job search offering ');
document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' - workshops and individual ');
document.writeln(' help with resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and other job-search ');
document.writeln(' skills,
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document.writeln(' - individual and group ');
document.writeln(' career advising,
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document.writeln(' - a library of books ');
document.writeln(' and bookmarks to web sites with links to job resources, and,
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document.writeln(' - in many cases, on-campus ');
document.writeln(' interviewing opportunities.
');
document.writeln(' - Alumni career consultant ');
document.writeln(' or mentor programs may also be a part of their services.
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Don\'t nag your child ');
document.writeln(' about not having a job yet! This will often have the reverse effect. Use positive ');
document.writeln(' reinforcement.
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document.writeln(' - Offer to assist by sending ');
document.writeln(' information you may have found about the career field of your student\'s choice ');
document.writeln(' and/or job listings that may be of interest. Listen for indications from the ');
document.writeln(' student that you are getting carried away—and back off!
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document.writeln(' - Don\'t call potential ');
document.writeln(' employers to intervene for your child. Contact with potential employers is ');
document.writeln(' the candidate\'s responsibility!
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document.writeln(' - Be prepared to support ');
document.writeln(' your child through the ups and downs of the job and graduate school search. ');
document.writeln(' It can be a bumpy road! Not every desired job or graduate school acceptance ');
document.writeln(' will come through. Your student will need reassurance that for every door ');
document.writeln(' that closes, another opens.
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' A FEW FINAL THOUGHTS
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document.writeln(' The college years are a ');
document.writeln(' time of exploration, experimentation, and learning on many levels for students ');
document.writeln(' and their parents! Some student challenges may seem more positive than others, ');
document.writeln(' but all contribute to the educational outcomes of the college or university ');
document.writeln(' experience.
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document.writeln(' Throughout these years, ');
document.writeln(' students are developing a "record of achievement" which will be evaluated ');
document.writeln(' by employers and graduate schools as they move beyond college. There are several ');
document.writeln(' pieces of this record:
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Academic Achievement. ');
document.writeln(' Although it is not (and should not be) the primary factor in determining a candidate\'s ');
document.writeln(' success, the grade point average (GPA) is one factor considered by competitive ');
document.writeln(' employers and graduate schools. It is one of the few tangible indications of ');
document.writeln(' a student\'s ability to learn and perform effectively, at least in the academic ');
document.writeln(' environment. Therefore, students need to do as well as possible in the classroom, ');
document.writeln(' especially in courses in their majors.
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Responsible Work Experience. In today\'s competitive employment market, many ');
document.writeln(' employers seek students who have related internship, summer, cooperative education, ');
document.writeln(' or part-time job or volunteer experiences. In fact, employers often look to ');
document.writeln(' their own such programs as primary sources for their new hires. These experiences ');
document.writeln(' are particularly critical for liberal arts students whose majors may not appear ');
document.writeln(' to be directly related to their areas of career interest.
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document.writeln(' ');
document.writeln(' - Responsible Involvement Outside the Classroom Extracurricular activities ');
document.writeln(' provide the opportunity for students to gain many valuable and career-related ');
document.writeln(' skills such as the ability to work effectively with others in a team environment; ');
document.writeln(' leadership; planning and organizational skills; and priority-setting and time ');
document.writeln(' management. These are part of the package of skills employers seek in their ');
document.writeln(' new hires.
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document.writeln('
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document.writeln(' Best of luck to you in navigating ');
document.writeln(' the challenging waters of parenting a college or university student!
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document.writeln('
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