Parents and Family
You are a primary participant in your student’s decision-making process when it comes to education and career. Your encouragement and leadership are important to their motivation and future success.
Some students who come to Lipscomb already know what career path they would like to take, while others need more time for exploration. Either way, there are specific things you can do to make your student’s educational experience as beneficial and memorable as possible.
- Encourage exploration of new career fields, ideas and values as well as participation in at least one (but ideally three) internship(s).
- Listen actively when your student comes to you for advice.
- Suggest that your student visit our office early in his/her educational career.
- Provide helpful feedback regarding the endeavors your student pursues.
- Keep your eye out for internship and job opportunities for your student and his/her friends.
- Follow up on your student’s progress in figuring out what career to pursue.
Encourage your student to visit our career development office early and let us help them find an internship, develop a resume, practice interviewing skills and connect with local professionals.
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.