As students begin to consider their summer plans, it can feel like a daunting task to navigate professional and career options. As Dr. Katharine Brooks recommends in her article, Parents and the College Student Job Search, parents can both support their students’ career development and their independence. It’s helpful to ask open-ended questions about what options students are considering in order to gain applied experience over the summer.

Here are a few suggestions to offer your student who is discerning their next steps.

Encourage students to engage through spring career programs and events to conduct research and explore opportunities.

The Career Center and other campus partners regularly host employers and alumni on campus. Information sessions, career panels, on-campus interviews, and career fairs are great ways for students to gain exposure to a variety of career paths and build a network of professional contacts.

During the remainder of the semester, there are five on-campus career fairs:

• The SWE STEM Career Fair on Friday, February 22 from 1:00–4:00 p.m.
• The UP Educator’s Fair on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30–7:00 p.m.
• The UP Spring Job Fair on Friday, March 15 from 11:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m.
• The Nursing Career Fair on Thursday, March 21 from 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.
• The Health Professions Graduate School Fair on Wednesday, April 24 from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

There are also many opportunities for students to prepare for career fairs:

• The Career Center hosts several “How to Work a Job Fair” workshops. These workshops teach students best practices for researching employers, how to create a strategic plan for approaching and communicating with employers, what to do at the fair, and how to follow up with industry professionals. Click here to see dates and times.
• Review resumes! The Career Center offers daily Drop-In Hours for students to receive resume feedback from a professional staff member. Drop-In Hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 2:00–4:00 p.m., and Thursday and Friday from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Prior to career fairs, extended Drop-In Hours are available. Click here for dates and times.

Encourage students to gain experience this summer through jobs and internships.

Handshake is the centralized hub for UP students and alumni to find and apply to internships, seasonal jobs and full-time jobs, both in Oregon and throughout the country! Students have access to over 250,000 employers. Encourage your student to activate their account and fill out their profile so that Handshake can customize opportunities and connections based on their interests.

Encourage students to access the Career Center.

For many students, the options may feel overwhelming or they may not be sure of the best way to access the services and resources in the Career Center. Encourage students to schedule a meeting directly with the Career Center staff. Students can set up appointments such as Choosing/Changing a Major, Career Exploration, Career Counseling, and the Senior Game Plan meeting.  As students meet employers and alumni, the Career Center guides students through interview preparation and mock interviews.

Encourage students to keep track of the connections they make.

In the midst of classes and co-curricular activities, there is a lot to balance and manage. As students start to build their own network, a helpful tool is the Target Employer & Application Tracking Sheet. To locate and download the template, students can visit the Job Search section on the Career Center website.

Explore other professional programs.

• Thursday, February 21: The CAS Connect, Alumni-Student Mixer is presented by the College of Arts & Sciences. CAS students can connect and network with CAS alumni in a professional yet casual setting. Alumni from various CAS majors and professions will be in attendance including alumni currently working and studying at OHSU, Nike, non-profits, start-ups, tech firms, and more!
• Thursday, March 21: Why Philosophy? Faculty in the Philosophy department will introduce students to the options for the major and minors and discuss opportunities for college and beyond.
• Thursday, March 28: The Sophomore Event is a new career-discovery program designed to help sophomores gain greater clarity about their career options and the skills they are obtaining through their curricular and co-curricular experiences. The event will support sophomores during a critical time when they are establishing their personal and educational identities.

Does your company have jobs to post?

Is your company looking to hire summer interns, seasonal positions, or full-time positions? Hire a Pilot! For more information on how you can partner with us in sharing your opportunities with the University of Portland community, please contact Julia Mayfield, the Career Center’s Employer Relations & Alumni Outreach Manager.