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Families > Help Your Student
Help Your Student
. . . select a major or career
Is your student undecided about his/her major or career plans? Or, has your student selected a career path but worries that he/she might not enjoy it once in the field? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then the actions below are some that you might encourage your student to:
Meet with a career counselor. A counselor can assist your student in increasing his/her self-awareness, gathering relevant occupational information, and using this information in order to make an informed career decision.
Take a career assessment. Students can identify their skills, interests, work values, and personality preferences by taking career assessments. While having their results interpreted by a career counselor, students can learn how to use this information to make an informed career decision.
Gather more occupational information. Students are often confused about or lack confidence in their selection of major/career because of insufficient information. Following are several resources to which you can guide them for further information:
| Major Resources:
| Talking to a faculty member in a potential area of interest is one of the best ways for students to learn about a particular area of student and related career opportunities. To identify faculty members who can help, contact individual departments and ask for the name(s) of their undergraduate faculty advisor. |
| Do you wonder what job opportunities exist for a specific major? The What Can I Do With This Degree? series of resources provides a list of related areas of employment, employers for these areas, and strategies for preparing for entry into the field. |
Occupational Information:
| Occupational Outlook Handbook: Produced by the Department of Labor, this is an excellent source of occupational information. Types of information include descriptions of occupational fields, salaries, training, and education. |
| Occupational Information Network (O*NET): This site can be used to obtain occupational information including tasks common to a specific occupation, related skills and abilities, and wage and employment reports by state. |
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Conduct informational interviews through Tiger Network.A student who is in the process of choosing a career path can learn a great deal from individuals who already work in potential fields of interest. We are fortunate to have a group of alumni and friends who are willing to offer this type of occupational information to students.
. . . find a job
Your student will want to make sure that his or her résumé-writing, cover letter-writing, and interviewing skills are in good shape before beginning a job search. Encourage your student to use our online Job Search tutorials, and to meet with a Job Search consultant, to find the skills development help he or she will need to conduct a successful job search.
Career Services hosts and co-hosts dozens of recruiting events each year, and we are always hoping to see more students at them! Encourage your student to take advantage of these unique opportunities to connect with employers.
Additionally, check with your student to ensure he or she has set up a free TigerTRAK account. Doing so will allow your student to search for job postings and, if qualified, sign up for interviews with employers coming to campus through our On-Campus Interviewing Program.
. . . make a decision about graduate or professional school
People attend graduate school for a variety of reasons. In some cases, entry into a profession requires an advanced degree. In others, a strong interest in a particular discipline leads one to further study of that area. Students and alumni considering graduate school often need information about selecting suitable graduate school programs, registering and preparing for graduate school entrance exams, completing admission applications, etc. In order to help your student, you might suggest that he/she review our online resources for graduate/professional school preparation. Also, your student can meet with one of our staff members to receive personal assistance with this process.
. . . network
Networking is the most effective way to find a job, so encourage your student to develop strong career connections as early as possible.
- Invite your student to use Tiger Network to learn more about specific career paths from alumni and other interested individuals.
- Tell your student about Career Panels, programs that bring together professionals who work in different areas of a broad occupational field; during the a panel, the professionals share their knowledge of the field, methods of preparing for entry into the field, and tips on finding jobs.
- Remind your student to join one or more of LSU's 350+ student organizations, especially those pertaining to his/her major or career field. Through these organizations, students may begin making contacts with professionals in the field, which may prove invaluable later during a job search.
. . . gain work experience
In today’s job market, an undergraduate degree alone is often not enough to guarantee employment upon graduation. What else can students do to make themselves more marketable upon graduation? Gain career-related work experience. Employers prefer hiring students who have already proven their ability to apply classroom knowledge to work situations. Encourage your student to obtain these work experiences in the form of internships, co-ops, summer jobs, part-time jobs and/or volunteer experiences.
. . . increase opportunities for employment
All have the tactics detailed above have the potential to improve your student’s marketability upon graduation. Additionally, encourage your students to explore the following opportunities:
| Service-learning classes: These classes allow students to apply classroom learning in a real world setting. By taking a service-learning course that is related to an intended major or career, students have the chance to verify their major/career choices. For more information on these courses, click here. |
| Academic Programs Abroad: Through Academic Programs Abroad, students can learn about other cultures, enhance their foreign language skills, and develop a broader world view. This type of background is appealing to many employers. |
| Minors: Students may increase their competitive edge in today’s job market by focusing on a secondary area of study. LSU offers more than 100 minors; students should consult with their senior colleges to determine the minors from which they may choose. |
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