The Office of Career and Professional Development is looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2022 to HPU. As another school year approaches, we strive to help freshmen students make the most of their time on campus. That’s why we highly recommend students connect with our office inside Cottrell Hall.
This seems like an easy enough task, but we’ve noticed that freshmen often shy away from visiting us because they believe some common misconceptions about our office. This year we endeavor to bust the top 3 myths, so your student understands they don’t have to have it all figured out before they meet with a career advisor. We’ll also provide ideas for how you can help us help your student.
- 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 assist your student. We are not an office meant only for seniors. We encourage students to engage with us early and often.
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 action plans based on their interests, personality and goals.
- I can figure out all of my career goals and questions in one appointment.
Though we have dedicated, hardworking 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 is 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 get out of the meeting. Are they uncertain about their major? Do they have questions about how to find an internship? If they come prepared with a goal, we can focus the appointment. By the way, we love and encourage 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.
- 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, we spend a lot of time helping students explore majors and careers. 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.
No matter where your student is in the career development process, the Office of Career and Professional Development is here to help. Don’t let these common myths stand in your student’s way. Encourage your student to work with us early and often to achieve their career goals.