If you are a parent of a college student, now is the time when you are likely in a virtual whirlwind: packing suitcases, investing in the absolute newest technology and stocking up on school supplies. With all the time and energy spent, you likely have high hopes of helping your son or daughter launch a successful year both academically and socially. And the universal parent prayer is that by the end of senior year, their graduate will have a job or at least some career direction.

College students often find it difficult to identify career options because they lack the lessons learned by experience and have not yet developed a firm sense of their talents and skills and how these assets translate in the job market. They also lack knowledge about many realities of the working world especially if they haven’t had much exposure to it.

There’s a large menu of appetizing activities that students can choose from on campus that can lead to a great learning experiences and ideas on viable career option as the suggested main course. What is essential on the student’s part is a willingness to take initiative, be open to challenges and have enthusiasm for exploring new experiences.

To assist students, The University of Pennsylvania’s Career Service Office provides an excellent four-year career development plan..

College offers a myriad of experiences and any one of these can provide an opportunity to gain insight into one’s strengths and abilities, deeper interests and true personality. Whether you are a parent, friend or relative, you can be an important influence in encouraging a college student to make the most of his or her campus experience.

Academic

Course work and major scholarly concentration may not lead directly to a job or a career, but there is no question that academic learning can strengthen research, analytical thinking, writing, oral presentation, language and quantitative skills. Many of these are used on a daily basis to complete important work tasks.  Perhaps even more valuable, is the reality that course work can provide direction on deeply held interests. For example if a student is fascinated by the studying anthropology, it may open the door to working in a museum in the future or becoming a professor in the social sciences. An interest in Math can pave the way to future opportunities in finance, business analysis or statistics.

Performing well academically with a good GPA reflects discipline, focus and time management skills and will serve a student well in the job market and improve his or her chances of gaining acceptance into graduate or professional school in the future.

Campus Organizations

Activities on campus offer unique opportunities for a student to combine interests and skills and discover how he or she stands out in a crowd.  A student can test out his or her leadership skills by spearheading a major event on campus, chairing a key campus initiative, working with faculty and administrators on academic issues. An artistic talent in drama can be enhanced by joining the campus choral group, performing in a production or working behind the scenes, building the set. Debate club or student government can further an interest in law and politics. Even if it turns out that a student discovers that he or she doesn’t enjoy an activity, it is still a valuable learning experience.

Internships/Externships

Many college career offices facilitate relationships with employers and alumni to generate opportunities for students to get real life experience or exposure to career fields. Even if a student ends up with more menial tasks via an internship, he or she can build strong relationships with his or her supervisor and other professionals in the organization and learn more about the field or industry. Practical experience provides excellent information to students on how their interests and skill set match with a career field.

Volunteer

Does your son or daughter worry about the environment or the increasing rate of poverty in the U.S.?  Volunteering for Habit for Humanity or Green Peace provides a laboratory for students to learn more about current social issues and ways he or she can make a difference. By assisting in fund raising, tutoring or delivering food to the elderly, a student can enhance skills while experiencing the rewards of giving back.  And it may turn out that this experience will stimulate a career in education or in the nonprofit world.

In the final balance, the value of the college experience is worth the expense and effort. The highest goal, and richest product of a successful college experience, is a young person who has a stronger feel for his or her unique identity and a firmer sense of self confidence. These qualities form the best foundation for identifying career goals and making a successful transition from academics to the professional world.