Career Services for Parents

A Parent's Checklist:  Helping Your Student Find a Career*

Support

• Am I allowing my child the freedom to have new experiences?
• Do I encourage the exploration of new ideas, experiences, or occupations without being pushy?
• Am I willing to tolerate ideas and values which are different than my own?
• Do I really listen to what my daughter/son tells me?
• Am I positive and supportive when my son/daughter makes a poor decision or fails?

Information

• Do I talk openly and honestly about my current job, including both the pros and cons?
• Am I willing to discuss my own career development history?
• Do I tell my daughter/son about various occupations?
• Do I encourage my son/daughter to find out about careers of interest, referring him/her to appropriate resources?

Personal Insights

• Do I help my daughter/son to objectively look at her/his strengths and weaknesses and suggest how they might relate to various career areas?
• Do I compliment my son/daughter on his/her good points and accomplishments?
• Do I help my daughter/son identify careers that she/he would be good at?

Contacts

• Am I willing to refer my son/daughter to friends and acquaintances who might discuss their occupations with him/her?
• Am I willing to actively help my daughter/son find an internship or summer/part-time/volunteer job that will help her/him explore a potential career field?
• Would I be willing to allow my son/daughter to use my personal and professional contacts to find employment after graduation?

Motivation

• Do I encourage activities that promote career development, while not emphasizing what has not been done?
• Am I willing to assist my daughter/son in setting reasonable goals and be consistent in my expectations that these be met?
• Do I ask questions that will encourage my son's/daughter's further career information seeking?

*Checklist by Lenz and O'Neal, Florida State University

Recommended Reading for Parents

• Career Coaching Your Kids by David H. Montross, Theresa E. Kane, and Robert J. Ginn, Jr.
• The Parent's Crash Course in Career Planning: Helping Your College Student Succeed by Marcia B. Harris and Sharon L. Jones