How to Help Your Student with Career Planning
Encourage your student to schedule an appointment at the Smeal Business Career Center (BCC). We provide:
- Resume/cover letter reviews
- Career fair and interview prep
- Information on Nittany Lion Careers (Penn State’s job/internship board)
- Networking/LinkedIn help
Show your student the value of networking.
- Introduce your student to people who have careers/jobs that are of interest
- Suggest your student reach out to contacts in your personal and professional networks for informational interviews
- Encourage “shadowing” experiences to increase awareness of various career fields
Direct your student to career resources on the BCC’s website, careerconnections.smeal. psu.edu. Resources include:
- Resume/cover letting writing tips
- Featured employer job postings
- Networking and career fair tips
- Information on upcoming events (career fairs, employer information sessions, professional development workshops)
- Tips for communicating with employers (email etiquette, thank you notes, etc.)
- Nittany Lion Careers & other internship/job search strategies
- Information on involvement in student organizations and case competitions
Emphasize the importance of internships. With an internship, students can:
- Pursue an opportunity that matches their academic and personal interests
- Develop professional skills such as teamwork, individual responsibility, and industry-specific skills
- Build a professional network
- Increase their chances of a full-time job offer— employers look for related experiences on resumes and often hire from within their own internship programs
- Stand out among job applicants— having a high GPA is not enough
Challenge your student to become “occupationally Iiterate”.
- Discuss ideas about current goals and plans for post-graduation
- Talk about personal qualities you see as talents and strengths
- Encourage them to make an appointment with a career coach in the BCC
Support co-curricular involvement.
Qualities such as interpersonal and leadership skills can be developed through co-curricular activities. Encourage your student to engage with a student club, participate in a case competition, or connect with a faculty member on research opportunities.
Help your student to stay up to date with current events.
Employers will expect students to know what is happening around them and their company. Encourage your student to subscribe to a business specific news source.
Consult the Smeal recruiting employment reports and hiring statistics.
These reports (included in your packet and available on the BCC website) detail full-time, internship, and co-op employment outcomes for Smeal students for the past 5 years.
Review the Smeal Plan for Career Success with your student.
This resource lists suggested activities your student can do each year to prepare for a successful career.
Share your company’s opportunities with the Smeal Business Career Center!
Let the BCC know if your company hires interns— the office can help you get the position posted on Nittany Lion Careers.
