Parents & Families

How Can I Help My Student?

Help Your Student Launch a Successful Career!

• Let Your Student Make His/Her Own Choices: You may be tempted to have your student major in a particular area because it is a “HOT” field. Reality is that there is no such thing as a major that guarantees a job. Your student must develop his/her own career directions based on his/her individual interests, skills, and values. Encourage your student to pursue something that reflects who he/she is; then the success will come.
• Encourage Exploration: Encourage your student to try different courses that may be of interest. Through this exploration, he/she may discover areas previously unknown.
• Support Involvement in Co-Curricular Activities: Opportunities to demonstrate leadership ability, teamwork, time management, and other career-related skills will help your student prepare for the world of work. These "soft" skills are highly sought after by employers.
• Be Patient and Encouraging: Don't ask the dreaded question: "What are you going to do when you graduate? This question is a "biggie" and often causes panic if it cannot be answered. Instead, encourage your student to begin to research his/her options early in their academic program. Offer to help research different areas. Be encouraging if they are getting frustrated.
• Recommend Visits to Career Services: You probably won't know all the answers your student may have, but we can help. We have a staff of six career consultants that work with students in every major at UConn. We can also help students make decisions about majors. Students are not required to use our services but we are here to serve them all!

Post Graduate Statistics

Below is a link to information compiled by UConn’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR). Every year post graduates are surveyed on employment information and graduate school attendance.

Post Graduate Statistics

Parents Q & A

What can my student do with a major in Philosophy (or Communications, English, Psychology, etc.)?

The truth is that your student can do whatever it is he/she wants to do...as long as they plan for it. There are a wide variety of majors that do not have a direct link to the world of work. Also, many people do not pursue careers that relate directly to their degree. It is important to realize that the value of your student's education at UConn is the degree he/she earns, not the major. Students should major in what they enjoy; they will be better students and perform better in their classes. As a parent, encourage your student to prepare for the world of work by exploring different career areas, developing skills, and gaining related work experience. Career Services can help your student.

My student came to UConn wanting to pursue Physical Therapy. What if he/she doesn't like it?

Many students come to the university expecting to study or major in a particular area. Many students also change their major at least once while they are here. That's okay. Remember they are 17 and 18 year-olds and are being exposed to many options and choices during their education. Also, they may not have realized how difficult the classes were going to be. We encourage students to make choices based on research, information, and knowledge about themselves. We work with students each day to help them explore different options. Career Services offers assessments, career consultation, and library resources that can help students define their career direction.

What are the Placement Rates for UConn students?

UConn students have been very successful in obtaining employment after graduation. Many of the academic departments maintain "placement" statistics for their graduates. It is important to realize, however, that "placement" rates only identify a graduate's success in obtaining their first job. In this rapidly changing world of work, it is expected that people will have 10-12 different jobs and 3-4 major career shifts in their lifetime. Because of this, Career Services' mission is to assist students in developing life-long career development skills that will enable them to be successful long after they graduate from UConn. Our focus is on education, not placement.

Career Planning at UConn

Your student should make an effort to think about career development issues throughout his/her time at UConn. Here is a year-by-year guide to career development for college students.

• Freshman Year - Getting Started
• Think about a major and explore different classes.
• Visit Career Services to meet a career consultant and learn about the career development process.
• Attend the annual Career Fair to speak to employers about career possibilities.
• Sophomore Year - Explore Your Options
• Explore career options by conducting informational interviews with professionals.
• Visit the Career Resource Library.
• Explore opportunities to gain career-related work experience.
• Get involved with campus organizations.
• Attend the annual Internship Career Fair.
• Junior Year - Get Experience
• Obtain a cooperative education or internship assignment.
  Take classes that expand your skills.
• Accept a leadership position in a campus organization.
• Attend the Fall Annual Career Fair and the Spring Internship Career Fair.
• Take entrance exams for graduate studies.
• Senior Year - Start the Job Search
• Participate in On-Campus Interviewing and Resume Referral.
• Attend Career Services' Workshops and Programs.
• Use the Career Resource Library and CareerSearch.
• Network for job opportunities.
• Attend the annual Career Fair.

Recommended Reading for Parents of UConn Students

As the world of work continues to change, you are naturally concerned about the future that your student is preparing to enter after college. The questions frequently on minds of parents focus on many themes related to “What can my student do to be prepared for his/her future career?”

‘A Whole New Mind,’ by Daniel Pink offers an insightful analysis of the times we live in, and he hones in on key skills that are increasingly in demand regardless of one’s professional choice. As Pink discusses the importance of developing right-brain skills rather than relying on a heavy focus on quantitative/hard skills, he offers practical and manageable advice that will, I believe, be helpful to parents. The concepts covered by Mr. Pink in this engaging publication, will help you as a parent advise your student , as well as instilling reassurance about the future that awaits your future UConn graduate.

Dr. Cynthia F. Jones, Director
Career Services