Let Your Student Make His/Her Own Choices
You may be tempted to have your student major in a particular area because it is a "HOT" field. Reality is that there is no such thing as a major that guarantees a job. Your student must develop his/her own career directions based on his/her individual interests, skills, and values. Encourage your student to pursue something that reflects who he/she is; then the success will come.
Encourage Exploration
Encourage your student to try different courses that may be of interest. Through this exploration, he/she may discover previously unknown skills and interests.
Support Involvement in Co-Curricular Activities
Opportunities to demonstrate leadership ability, teamwork, time management, and other career-related skills will help your student prepare for the world of work. These "soft" skills are highly sought after by employers.
Be Patient and Encouraging
Don't ask the dreaded question: "What are you going to do when you graduate? This question is a "biggie" and often causes panic if it cannot be answered. Instead, encourage your student to begin to research his/her options early in their academic program. Offer to help research different areas. Be encouraging if they are getting frustrated.
Recommend Visits to the Career Center
You probably won't know all the answers to the questions your student may have, but we can help. We have an experienced staff that is specifically trained to guide students in these important decisions. We can also help students make decisions about majors. Students are not required to use our services but we are here to serve them all!
Adapted with Permission from Career Services, University of Colorado at Boulder