Career Preparation: How Parents Can Help

     I am about to send my fourth child to college this fall.  Although I am a firm believer that a student should take full responsibility for his or her education, including the admission process, there is still a lot of work that requires parental involvement.  In light of the numerous forms we need to complete, deadlines to meet, and appointments to set-up and keep, it is easy for us to believe that the goal of all this craziness is to have our student start college in the fall, but it is not.  Or we may have come to believe that the final goal of this process is to have our student graduate with a degree, but it is not.  These are both good short-term goals, but they should never replace the true goals of a college education: 1) personal and intellectual growth; and 2) career preparation.  A recent survey by the Pew Research Center found that the majority of Americans believe that the main purpose of a college education is to teach work-related skills and knowledge.  Unfortunately, parents and students often mistakenly believe that a college degree is synonymous with career preparation.

     I have seen too many students who have attended college with the goal of graduating with a degree, but with very little thought about how they will translate that degree into a career.  In fact, students will often choose a degree without even investigating the types of jobs, the job market, or the typical job salaries in their field of study. After graduation comes the harsh reality of finding a job.

Here are a few things parents can do to help their college student not only earn a degree, but prepare for a career:

1. Career Advising.  I know you’d expect that advice from me since I am a career advisor, but I truly believe that it is essential for students to have a good understanding of their strengths, interests, and personality before choosing a college major.  Career advising also opens up students’ minds to career fields and opportunities that they may have never known existed.  I met with a senior in high school who had a love for math and critical thinking.  Through our discussions, he was introduced to an actuary career.  He never knew such a career existed, but after some thorough research, he decided that he wanted to pursue this career and chose a college that offered this field.  College is too expensive to spend the first three years fumbling around with majors.
2. Research Potential Careers.   Good career advising will also include researching the details of potential careers.  Students often make career decisions based on their own limited experience. Before committing to a career, learn about it!  My favorite website to do such learning is www.onetonline.org.
3. Networking.  This is an area that I think parents can and should be involved in when helping their children.  Use your vast network to help connect your student to people in various fields of interest.  Help prepare your student for the meeting by discussing possible questions to ask.  Once a person conducts one informational meeting, the rest become much easier.  I had a client who was considering going to law school, but had never even spoken to an attorney.  I challenged him to learn more by talking with professionals in the field before he made the substantial time and financial commitment of law school.  His parents quickly used their network and connected him with an attorney they knew from church.  We are all surrounded by people with a wealth of career experience and information if we would only reach out and use it!
4. Career Services.  Strongly encourage your student to visit the university’s career services department.  I know of a student whose first-time visit to career services was the day before he graduated.   His advice to incoming freshman:  Visit career services right away!  Since this is foreign ground, you can help your student with the verbiage to use at the first visit:  “I am not really sure what you can do for me, but I need help choosing a major, or preparing for a career in this field, etc.”  Reminder:  You have paid for this service; you might as well use it!
5. Start Thinking Internships Early.  Once again, encourage your student to visit career services early to find out about internship opportunities.  I think this is especially important for college majors that are not “applied learning” majors.  If an English student really wants to write or edit, then it would be a big boost to his or her career to get experience in that area before graduation.   
6. Remain Supportive.  Preparing for a career really is a process and is rarely a straight path.  Students need parents who are supportive.  Each one of my college kids has called me in a state of panic, fearing that they had chosen the wrong college major.  I have come to learn that this is a normal part of the process and my main role is to listen.

     Keep in mind that the above items are ways that you can help your young adult, not do the work for them. Students should be responsible for their education, we as parents have the secondary role of helping and supporting them in their journey.