As the academic year comes to an end, upcoming graduates begin their focus on a professional career. This time often creates excitement and vulnerability. They have more questions than answers on how to make their goals a reality. The Career Development Center is here to support upcoming graduates as they become professionals. 

Meeting with the Career Development Center helps a graduate fine tune a resume, prepare for interviews, create a job search strategy, and understand how to handle job offers.

Parents can be a helpful resource to recent graduates during the time of transition. Communication with your recent graduate about expectations is a key part of balancing a successful relationship. Be clear about how long they can live at home and if they need to find a part time temporary position to help cover expenses until they land their first career. In addition, parents and families should encourage their graduate to meet professionals in their target industry, attend career transition meetings, utilize the Career Development Center, and apply to as many job opportunities as possible. 

Depending on the experience level of a recent graduate, they need to explore many job opportunities and not set numerous parameters about the type of job they will apply for. Also, assist your graduate in identifying personal champions that can serve as advisors for them. A team of advisors can serve as important role models and discuss real life issues that often children dismiss when parents try to discuss with them. 

Though career transition takes time, graduates who take an active role in their search, have family support and work with the Career Development Center achieve goals successfully.

Graduates may contact Monica Wentworth, Director of Career Development at monica.wentworth@lipscomb.edu or at 615-966-6296.

While you may feel removed from your student's academic experiences in college, there is still a way for you to provide a positive influence. Encouraging them to complete an internship during their time at Lipscomb can be one of the best ways to promote post graduation success. In the Career Development Center we have found that our most successful students (success being defined as securing a job within six months after graduation) have completed three internships while at Lipscomb. These internships can be for academic credit or experience only, both are beneficial for your student to gain critical thinking skills and hands-on training that is not always found in the classroom.

 
So what are the specific ways you can talk to your students about internships?
 

• Ask them if their major requires and internship to graduate. It's important for them to know before senior year if it is required!
• Encourage them as soon as their sophomore year to start their internship search. Let them know to visit the CDC. We are available with lists of where LU students have done internships in the past.
• Tell your story. If you had a positive or a learning experience through an internship or job shadow opportunity, they value that insight.

Please know we value your student and are here to help them navigate their professional journey while at Lipscomb and after. As well as, if you work at an organization that would welcome a Lipscomb intern, we are happy to share the opportunity with our students.

5 Things You Can Do Over Christmas Break to Help Your Student’s Career Development

Josh Roberts, Dean of Student Development
Monica Wentworth, Director of Career Development

As a parent, you can play a crucial role in helping your student prepare to launch their career. Whether your student is keen on attending graduate school or transitioning directly from college life to the workplace, Lipscomb’s Career Development Center is the premier on-campus partner for your student.  

The opportunities that are available to your student on our campus can quickly dominate their schedule. Between all the student organizations and clubs, academic honor societies, social clubs, sports, and the hundreds of other university events, we know that it may be difficult to find time to discuss your student’s career development during the semester. The Christmas break is the perfect time for you to talk with your student about their career development and how they can maximize their Lipscomb experience. Here are five things you can do over the next three weeks to position your student for a lifetime of career success.    
 

Encourage your student to connect with resources.

Our campus has a wealth of resources to support students’ career and professional development. The Career Development Center is a great first place for students to schedule an individual appointment to talk about career options, internships, or networking connections. Ask your student if they have completed a mock-interview with the CDC. Our mock-interviews are designed to prepare students to create moments that matter – moments that fully highlight their unique giftedness and potential.   

Connect your student with friends and family who are professionals in various fields to help your student explore career options.

Many students are not aware of career fields. By interviewing other professionals or participating in a job shadow, they can more effectively discern the best career field for them. These college years are the best time for your student to be exposure to a wide variety of careers and work environments. One of the most influential things you will ever do for your child’s career is to simply connect your student to professionals that you trust and admire. 

Support internships.

Internships offer valuable work experience, but sometimes excellent internships go overlooked because they are unpaid or inconvenient. The Career Development Center receives numerous internship opportunities and posts them on the Bison JobTrax, an electronic job board for students and alumni. We are here to help your student identify the type of internship that will lay the best foundation for their career. Nashville is known worldwide for music, but its reputation providing high quality internships may be equally impressive. Whether your student is interested in government, medicine, law, tech, education, business, or anything in between – there are opportunities available.

Answer the questions your student is afraid to ask you.

You have learned a lot over the years about job searches, resiliency, managing expectations, career satisfaction, and the importance of organizational culture, and yet, lots of students are intimidated about asking their own parents about these lessons. Students often are so concerned about trying not to disappoint their parents that they do not frequently ask for advice. This Christmas is the ideal time for you to share stories about both failed and successful interview experiences, what to look for in a good supervisor, the importance of teamwork as a new employee, and other important lessons that stem from your own experience.    

Strategize with your students how to use social media for good.  

Hiring managers are likely to be a lot closer to your age than your student’s age, so your student will benefit greatly from your perspective on their social media presence. Sometimes, social media can be a great tool for students to showcase their achievements and professionalism. Employers would rather see a college graduate with a positive, professional social media presence than none at all. Talk with your student about what he/she should list on Facebook, share articles with them about their career field that they could post, and show them LinkedIn profiles of professionals that you think leverage networking and communication tools effectively.