Family members can provide support to their students as they make career decisions.
Family Member Checklist
Support and Encouragement
- Encourage your student to explore new ideas, expereieces, and career fields.
- Show tolerance when your student shares ideas and values which are different from your own.
- Really listen and validate what your student tells you.
- Allow your student to learn from making a poor decision or failing at something.
Motivation
- Encourage participation in career development activities without pressuring about timelines or checklists.
- Help your student to set reasonable career goals without insisting that your expectations be met.
- Ask questions that encourage your student to seek career information.
Information Gathering and Sharing
- Share the pros and cons of your current occupation.
- Openly discuss the history of your own career path.
- Tell your student about various occupations.
- Help your student connect with appropriate resources that will enhance their learning about occupations of interest.
Personal Insights
- Help your student evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and discuss how they might relate to various career options.
- Compliment your student's accomplishments.
- Assist your student with identifying satisfying and well-matched occupations.
Networking
- Refer your student to friends/acquaintances who would be willing to discuss their occupations.
- Assist your student with finding a summer / part-time / volunteer job that will allow them to explore a potential career field.
- Connect your student with your personal / professional contacts to find employment after graduation.
