Your Student's Success Is Our Business!

The staff members of Career Services consider parents one of our greatest allies when it comes to helping students achieve career planning success. Choosing a major and entering the world of work are significant life transitions. Until now, you may have either made or heavily influenced prior important decisions and accomplishments in your student’s life. Although your student still needs your help, you must empower him or her to take charge of his or her future. So, how can you help? First, understand that career planning is a process involving the following four phases:

Phase 1: Self-Assessment
Students explore their interests, personality type, abilities and values in relation to suitable majors and careers.

Phase 2: Career Exploration
Students research majors, career options, and job market data using various career resources and activities.

Phase 3: Decision-Making
Students learn the necessary skills for information integration and smart, informed decision-making. Potential barriers to decision-making are also identified and discussed.

Phase 4: Career Implementation
Students develop and carry out an action plan for ensuring career planning success (i.e. gaining work experience and building skills and knowledge for resume writing, networking, and job interviewing).

“HELPFUL HINTS” FOR PARENTS…
• Encourage and support your student’s exploration of various majors and career options.
• Don’t worry or panic if your student entertains what you may consider an impractical major. Instead, help your student focus on skills the major will provide and on the connections to viable career options.
• Avoid pressuring your student to choose careers based solely on “what’s hot”, as those careers may not match his or her interests, personality, values and abilities.
• Encourage your student to seek experiential learning opportunities in work settings, to “try out” his or her career interests, build skills and gain valuable work experience.
• Participate in their job search campaign by helping them identify contacts for “networking”.

Parents, you might also consider joining our Career Mentor program to share
knowledge and insight with UNF students about your chosen profession.

Encourage your student to call or visit Career Services (see our complete listing of programs and services in the student section). Career professionals are eager to help your student learn how to progress through the career planning process to make smart choices and secure rewarding jobs upon graduation. Your student’s success is our business!
Career Services