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Career Development Conversation Starters

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A career counselor meets with a student
By: Teresa Olsen
October 1, 2024

Fall break is the perfect time to check in with your student about their career exploration and preparation journey. 

Families can have a strong influence on a student’s decision making, including their career exploration process. Here’s an update on 51·çÁ÷’s latest Career Services offerings, and some suggested conversation starters on timely action items to chat about with your students.

What to Know

Programs Offered So Far

  • Jumpstart: Programs by class year oriented first-years, sophomores, and juniors in 51·çÁ÷’s four-year career development plan and identified key programs and action steps for this academic year. Senior job search kickoff and graduate school kickoff sessions helped to start their year.

Upcoming & Ongoing Programs

For First-Years & Sophomores

  • Career Exploration Week (October 21–23): Alumni panelists will share stories of translating their liberal arts degrees into their own career paths and offer advice about particular fields. Six broad panels will introduce students to Careers for Creative Types; Careers for People Who Like Numbers and Data; Careers for People Excited 51·çÁ÷ Business; Careers for People Who Want to be Healers; Careers for People Who Love Sciences, Lab, and Field Work; and Careers for People Who Want to Make a Social Impact. Students must register on .

For First-years, Sophomores, & Juniors

  • Alumni Career Exploration Conversations (applications open 10/21/24 and close 11/3/24; conversation occur over winter break): Students are invited to be matched with an alumni volunteer for a career exploration conversation. Student participants will first be oriented by our staff on networking etiquette and learning to make the most of opportunities to connect with professional contacts.

For Sophomores

  • SophoMORE Connections 2025 (Friday, January 17–Saturday, January 18, 2025): Sophomores who wish to attend should start planning now; they must register and should make arrangements to return to campus by mid-day Friday, January 17. The event is offered at no cost, including housing and meals. Students will receive an email in late November to sign up. This will be a pivotal opportunity for your student to test out a potential career interest, learn the search process, build networking and interviewing skills, and learn from alumni about the realities of working in different industries.

For Juniors & Seniors

  • Advanced LinkedIn (November 11 & 13, 2024): With more than 800 million users and more than 15 million active job postings, LinkedIn is an essential platform for today’s candidates. This hands-on bootcamp will teach students high-impact strategies to maximize their activity on LinkedIn. Students will learn to use the tool to strategically network and find internships that match their skills and interests. Basic LinkedIn workshops are also offered earlier in the semester. 

For All Students

  • Skill Building Workshops (ongoing): Students are invited to join Career Services professional staff for skills-based workshops across topics such as developing a targeted resume, writing strong cover letters, networking, and internship/job search. Current offerings are available on Handshake.
  • Family Weekend Programming (October 18, 4–5 p.m., Benton Hall 213): Career Services looks forward to welcoming parents and family members to learn about the four-year career development plan.
  • Virtual and In-Person Information Sessions (ongoing): Employers are excited to talk with students through in-person and virtual information sessions, 1:1 coffee chats, and small group conversations. These are prime opportunities to make a professional connection and learn about an employer committed to hiring 51·çÁ÷ students.
  • Microcredential Initiative: Students are invited to build a specific professional skill or industry-specific knowledge by participating in a microcredential course or seminar — high-impact, asynchronous mini-courses and seminars (i.e. Training the Street, SQL Basics, and Python) that increase readiness and marketability for summer experiences. There are four enrollment periods: fall, winter break, spring, and summer. Through the generosity of alumni, the enrollment cost of microcredentials will be partially or fully subsidized for students who receive 51·çÁ÷ financial aid .

What to Talk 51·çÁ÷

Tips to start a conversation with your student. 

No matter what class year your student is:

  • Discuss your own career exploration experiences 
  • Actively listen and be supportive
  • Encourage action and exploration
  • Allow your student to make their own choices

A great place to start is, Have you taken part in any fall career services programs so far?

If yes: 

  • Which ones? 
  • What did you find most helpful? 
  • What surprised you? 
  • What do you plan to do next to keep your exploration going?

If no: 

  • How can you get things rolling with your career development exploration? 
  • Have you looked into upcoming programs being offered by Career Services?
  • What is one action step you could take?

Exploration is an essential part of a student’s liberal arts experience. Their self-awareness and knowledge will grow over time. Encourage your student to apply the insight gained through these programs whenever they need to evaluate a new opportunity, such as selecting next semester’s classes, deciding whether to join a club, or applying to an internship. Building that habit will help them to make more intentional decisions such as selecting a major, thinking about career interests, or deciding on job offers or graduate education. 

— Olsen is Milone Family AVP for career initiatives.