By: Elizabeth Walker, career advisor
The Office of Career and Professional Development is looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2020 to HPU. As another school year approaches, we strive to help freshman students make the most of their time on campus. That’s why we highly recommend students connect with our office in Cottrell Hall.
However, in recent years we have noticed that freshmen may believe some misconceptions about our office. This year we endeavor to bust the top 3 myths. We’ll also provide ideas for how you can help us help your student.
1. As a freshman, I won’t be ready to meet with a career advisor. I should wait until senior year.
Whether choosing a major, gaining knowledge about careers, or figuring out how to get experience, our career advisors are here to collaborate with your student. We are not an office meant only for seniors. We encourage students to engage with us early and often. In fact, we have two dedicated career advisors that specialize in working with freshman students.
Trust us when we say, we’ve seen everything from “I have no idea” to “I want to become a physical therapist; how do I make myself stand out.” No question is too small, so encourage your student to schedule an appointment with us. We collaborate with students to develop customized next steps based on their interests, personality and goals.
2. I can figure out all my career goals and questions in one appointment.
Though we have hardworking and dedicated career advisors, the truth is we cannot accomplish everything in one appointment. Reviewing a student’s resume, talking about internships and discussing the results of a career self-assessment in one appointment could be a little ambitious.
However, all of those topics are areas we can discuss over time. Career development is not a one-stop shop. It’s a continuous process. As your student grows, we’ll be here to answer questions. As their career goals change, we’ll be here to discuss next steps.
When your student is scheduling an appointment, ask them to contemplate what they want to accomplish. Are they uncertain about their major? Do they have questions about how to gain internship experience? If they come prepared with a goal, we can focus the appointment. By the way, we love follow up appointments. If we don’t accomplish everything in one sitting, we’ll schedule another time to meet with your student. Simple as that.
3. I have to know my major or my career path before I meet with a career advisor.
We’ve heard students mention that they must have an idea of their major or a list of careers they are interested in before meeting with us. In reality, exploring majors and careers is one of our biggest areas of focus. Students can work with us regardless of whether they have declared a major, are undecided or are thinking of switching their major. We also work with students who are considering multiple career paths.
Encourage your student to schedule an appointment with us to explore majors and career fields. We offer a variety of self-assessments to help students understand their personalities, values and interests. We also provide resources students can use to research careers that interest them.