Parents and families are invaluable resources when it comes to providing support to students exploring career options. In addition to listening to your student, be open to their ideas and help them find important information related to their career journey. Here are a few ideas on how you can further support their journey:
- Plan to visit the Career Development Center with your student
Next time you are visiting the beautiful Missouri Western State University campus, plan a visit with your student to the Career Development Center. It can be a great way to encourage your student to discover our free resources and develop a connection that will open doors to their future career options. We offer a variety of career development and job-search resources including:
- Mock interviews
- A network of alumni and friends willing to provide mentorship and job search assistance
- Tools to write winning resumes and cover letters
- Career coaching
- Encourage your student to develop a resume
Resumes are often the first impression a potential employer has of a candidate. Suggest your student use a sample resume from our website to develop their own document. Afterwards, review their resume with them and provide suggestions – but encourage them to have the final version critiqued by our office.
- Have your student complete a career personality assessment
If your student seems unsure of their direction, you should consider sharing with them the personality qualities you see as their strongest talents or attributes. You can also encourage your student to:
- Take a career personality test, such as Traitify: https://missouriwestern.traitify.com
- Talk to supervisors or faculty members
- Research potential career fields and employers. O*Net is a great resource provided by the government to help individuals find occupations in multiple industries: https://www.onetonline.org/find/