Parents > How Parents can Help CCS?

Parents

Ways You Can Help!

+ Insure that your son or daughter knows what you do for a living. Take them to work. Talk to them objectively about what you like and don't like about what you do and for whom. Doing so will help them develop and articulate their own thoughts on careers, and will help you understand how they are and are not like you.

+ Love your career field? Share it! A recurring part of our online newsletter, The Connection, profiles career fields. We work with colleagues, alumni/ae and others to put together articles on specific careers and would be happy to have you participate. Email Chuck Reutlinger , our Associate Director for Information Resources and Services, and he will help you to cover the things students typically like to know.

+ Be sure your student connects with OrangeLink. This online accessible resource connects students with career research materials, internships, permanent positions, our alumni mentor database, and much more. Make sure your SU student gets registered and uses this system as early as possible.

+ Promote networking and Mentor@SU. Introduce them to other professionals -- your co-workers, friends, et al. People you know through professional, community, and social experiences may themselves know a whole different set of people to whom they would be happy to connect your son or daughter. Networks are grown this way all the time! Make sure they know about Mentor@SU, our database of nearly 1400 alumni who have volunteered to assist students to explore and achieve their career goals.

+ Encourage them to think ahead, especially about majors and the career opportunities that may result. Advising is available along with lots of print and online career information, and it's never too early to start!

+ Encourage your son or daughter to get involved at SU. Possibilities span volunteering, faculty research, internships, student organizations, and more. This broadens their horizons, builds valuable skills and traits, contributes to a well-rounded resume, and promotes good decision-making about post-graduate options.

+ Offer to do some leg work and networking at home while they're here in Syracuse, especially for summer positions. Help them make the most of vacations and breaks.

+ Learn what tomorrow's careers and job markets will be like. Read about today's market and tomorrow's hot fields by clicking those items on the Parents Index.

+ Encourage your employer to offer internships, co-ops, summer jobs, and permanent opportunities to SU students, and to consider attending our career fairs. Refer them to this web site and the area devoted to information for employers. We'll take it from there!

Encourage use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Much career-related information can be found on the Web, and we provide a lot of resources to help currrent students explore and prepare for the future.

+ Lastly, be patient and supportive through the Syracuse years. Your children are encountering a period during which they will undergo some of the greatest changes in their lives. Take an active role in connecting them to resources and services here at SU. We're excited about helping them forge great career futures!

+ Like to help your son or daughter find a permanent position? Read an article from April of 2008 from ABC News that has timeless advice.