How can parents participate in their students’ career explorations?
It’s important that students know all about what their parents do in their jobs—it helps them develop a sense of career maturity. When parents talk with their students about potential careers, majors, and interests, they can help lay out a road map. Often students think of careers in terms of prestige or money, but often those decisions turn out to be wrong because the students aren’t happy. It’s important for parents to give well-intentioned input, to help students weigh pros and cons. Parents can also help students connect to the Career Center by making sure students know the benefits of coming here during their first year at Iowa, at least to look around and meet with a career adviser. By sophomore year, students should develop their résumés and focus on landing internships or career-relevant jobs. Internships serve as a laboratory of learning, and 25 to 35 percent of students end up working for their internship employers. During sophomore and junior years, it’s a good idea to start
