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For Parents

Three Great Ways You Can Help Your Son Or Daughter

  • See what your student should be thinking about this year on our home page
  • Remind your student that Career Services is here to help
  • When Career Services emails you about events we think your student should know about, pass our reminders along to your student. We are in touch directly with your student, but often hear that students come to an event because their parents reminded them!

What Does Career Services Do?

Career Services offers assistance to students at all stages of their Northeastern University career.

We help students:

  • Make decisions about choosing or changing their majors
  • Conduct an after-graduation job search or apply to graduate/professional school

How Do We Work With Students?

We use a variety of approaches, including:

  • One-on-one appointments for self-assessment, decision making, job search strategy, career research tips and networking advice
  • Resume and job search drop ins
  • Workshops, career information series and special events to provide information and training
  • Interview preparation, including the web-based InterviewStream
  • HuskyCareerLink, an NU on-line system for finding internships and jobs
  • Career Fairs and On-Campus Recruiting for after-graduation jobs

How You Can Help Your Student

Parents of First Year Students:

  • Support your student’s career exploration if he/she is undecided; many students change their majors.
  • Be open to conversations about your own career experience.
  • Be willing to give feedback (if asked!) about your student’s skills and abilities.
  • Encourage your student to find an internship after freshman summer to develop work skills and explore options.
  • Remind your student that Career Services can help with major choice, first college resumes, and job and internship search.

Parents of Sophomores or Middlers:

  • If your student is not participating in co-op, encourage him or her to seek other ways to get skills and experience in a field of interest.
  • Help your student think of possibilities for summer jobs or internships.
  • Assist your student with networking, a lifelong process that is instrumental in finding a job. Suggest any connections you can - friends of the family, family of friends, anyone can lead to a lead.

Parents of Juniors:

  • If your student is interested in grad school, this is the year to learn about the application process, research and explore programs, and start to prepare for entrance exams.
  • The end of junior year is a perfect time for students to begin work with Career Services on planning the after-graduation job search.

Parents of Seniors:

  • Encourage your soon-to-graduate student to attend the Career Services programs designed for seniors; parents will receive email notification of these events.
  • Remind your student that some opportunities are only open in the fall, like highly competitive training programs (most often in the fields of business, engineering and IT management.)
  • Companies recruit at large Career Fairs here in October and February. Ask your student if s/he is aware of these and refer her or him to come to Career Services to help prepare for these events.
  • Seniors in all majors should be encouraged to use the coaching and resources at Career Services to help them find an after-graduation job.

What Other Advice Can You Give Your Student?

(The following tips are adapted from "The Professional Generation Gap" by Margaret Heffernan on fastcompany.com)

  • Remember this is just the beginning: There are not a lot of entry-level CEO jobs. Entry level jobs are just that – everyone has to start somewhere. Students who have three six month co-ops in their fields are extremely well positioned for entry-level positions. Entry-level jobs often include less-than-glamorous elements. A “winner” entry-level job should offer more than just a paycheck. It should provide an opportunity to shine, to pursue an interest or develop desired skills or experience, or to work for a great company or for a great cause.
  • Look inside: Successful careers require knowing what you want and how to get it. But without a lot of experience, how can your child know either of these things? Discuss things he/she’s done -- exams, jobs, projects -- and ask some good questions. What was satisfying about them? Did he/she prefer work that involved other people or independent projects? How competitive is he/she? These conversations can be most rewarding, but remember: your job is just to ask the questions.
  • Experiment: Very few kids really know what they want to do when they graduate, so some spend time trying things. This can be nerve-wracking for parents. One day he’s working in retail and the next day thinking about medical school? Try to be patient; for some, these experiments are the only way to find a true calling.
  • Talk about money: Many kids have unrealistic expectations about money. You can help your child clarify the importance of salary in their career plans. In these conversations, money needs to be neutral: what is important is that expectations and goals match financial tastes.
  • Scrutinize values: Aligning personal values with the values of your workplace may be the single most important component of a satisfying career. If your children want to change the world, don’t let them join a conservative institution. If they love order and routine, steer them away from start ups. It isn’t about good and bad careers; it is about finding the right fit.
  • Make a plan: When your children have a sense of what they want to do, encourage them to make a plan. Who do they know who can help? Where are the key information sources? Do they have the skills they need and, if not, how will they acquire them? Plans can illuminate opportunities as well as providing momentum.