Things To Do

Listen
»	Provide a non-judgmental listening and feedback.
»	Provide a climate that is conductive to conversations about career plans. Listen, respond and question.
»	Assist your student as needed to clarify goals, priorities and values.
»	Encourage your student to be true to their values, interest and talents.

Networking Resource
»	Help your student develop contacts for advice, information and assistance in career planning, and eventually job searching. Put your student in contact with your friends, colleagues, neighbors, relatives and other community members with experience in his or her field of interest.
»	Encourage your student to develop a rapport with faculty members by taking advantages of professors' office hours. These relationship have many benefits, one being learning about internships, jobs and graduate schools.
»	Encourage your student to become acquainted with the College Career Consultant and the Career Services Office in his or her college.
»	Encourage your student to obtain experience through a part-time job, internship or volunteer experience. An internship is any career-related experience that provides exposure to an occupation, industry or career.

Advocate
»	Encourage your student to take advantage of OSU Career Services during all four years of college. Click HERE to view a check list of roles for each year of college.
»	Be positive in regards to specific talents and abilities to help your student develop a strong sense of self.
»	Support your student's career choice and dreams, even though they may be different from your expectations.
»	Encourage your student to take advantage of many people, events and resources available to them at the university including professors, advisors, college career consultants, career fairs, on-campus interviewing, and the Web site.

Questions to Ask Yourself?

Support
»	Am I allowing my student the freedom to explore new ideas and have new experiences?
»	Do I encourage my student's explorations of new ideas, experiences, and careers without being pushy?
»	Am I tolerant of ideas and values that are different from my own?
»	Do I really listen to my student when he or she talks to me?
»	Am I positive and supportive when my student makes a poor decision or experiences failure?

Information
»	Do I talk freely and honestly about my work experience, including both positive and negative experience?
»	Do I willingly share my career history, including the ups and downs?
»	Do I share what I know about various careers with my student?
»	Do I encourage my student to explore different occupations and make resources available to aid in that process?

Personal
»	Do I help my student look at his or her strengths and interests and help clarify career options that are related to these?
»	Do I make it a point to freely compliment my student on his or her strengths and accomplishments?
»	Do I assist my student in identifying careers that he or she would be good at?
»	Do I encourage my student to participate in career assessments and interest inventories offered on campus or online?

Networking
»	Do I refer my student to colleagues, friends and relatives who have similar career interests?
»	Do I actively assist my student in the search for part-time/summer/volunteer work or internships that will help him or her explore a potential career path?
»	Do I keep my eyes and ears open for any information that might aid my student in his or her search for career information?
»	Would I be willing to let my student use my personal and/or professional contacts to find employment after graduation?

Motivation
»	Am I encouraging when it comes to activities that promote career development?
»	Do I reinforce and support the choices my student makes, even though they might be different from the choices I would make?
»	Do I assist my student in setting reasonable goals without insisting that my expectations be met?
»	Do I ask questions that will motivate my student in his or her career search?