Information for Parents/Family Members

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I support my student's career development?
• How can the Career Resource Center help students?
• I am concerned about my student's choice of major. What if he/she can't find a job in his/her major?
• What else can I do to help?

How can I support my student's career development?

There are many ways that you as a parent or family member can support your student as she/he goes through the career development process. During the undergraduate experience, your student will be selecting a major, making decisions about internships, volunteer work, and summer jobs, and thinking about plans after college, including employment and possibly graduate school.

One of the most important ways that you can support your student is to encourage him or her to take advantage of the many resources available at Lesley to help with career decisions. In addition to academic and work experiences, encourage your student to get involved in clubs, student organizations, and leadership opportunities on-campus. These experiences will expand their network, develop their skills, and enhance their resume.

How can the Career Resource Center help students?

Career counselors in the Career Resource Center (CRC) are available to meet with your student throughout their entire undergraduate experience and after graduation. We provide career counseling to help students learn about career opportunities in a variety of fields and consider majors that connect to career interests. Career counselors may utilize self-assessment instruments to help your student understand him/herself better and brainstorm career directions. The Career Resource Library (on the Doble campus) and the Artists' Resource Center (on the AIB campus) include a wide variety of materials on career options, employment outlook, employer directories, and resources on job searching and career decision-making.

Students can access excellent handouts called, "What Can I Do With A Major In …" This series provides useful information on career options for students as they are selecting majors. The CRC also presents a variety of career workshops and job fairs. Students can call the CRC at 617.349.8550 to schedule an appointment to meet with a career counselor or stop by Doble Hall, fourth floor.

Lesley Career Connection (LCC): This is the CRC's online resource that enables students to search for jobs, sign up for CRC workshops, events, and job fairs, learn about internships and volunteer opportunities, and search the Lesley Alumni Career Network. LCC includes part-time jobs off campus, internships, community service, and full time professional jobs. It also includes the Directory of Organizations, which is a list of hundreds of organizations of interest to Lesley/AIB students and alumni. Please ask your student if she/he has registered on LCC, which is accessible through myLesley, the University's online system.

Other Resources
Lesley University provides many opportunities to help your student develop the skills and experience to succeed in the world of work. Visit the websites of the departments below to obtain more information on how they work with students:

• LC Internship Office
• Office of Community Service
• Residence Life
• Student Activities
• Student Clubs and Organizations

Academic Advising: Every student is assigned an academic advisor who is available to support them with decisions about course selection, deciding on a major, and planning their academic program. Please encourage your student to meet with his/her advisor early in the semester and not wait until right before course selection time. For more information about academic advising, Lesley College students should call 617.349.8915 and AIB students should call 617.585.6722.

Lesley Counseling Center: For some students, decisions about selecting a major and/or career can bring up larger questions around decision-making, self-confidence, and future plans. The counseling staff can be very helpful in providing confidential support. For more information, visit the Counseling Center website.

I am concerned about my student's choice of major. What if he/she can't find a job in his/her major?

Over the last five years, an average of 90% of Lesley undergraduates who were seeking work found employment in their field within six months of graduation. For Lesley College graduates, 34% went to graduate school. So, Lesley has a track record of good employment opportunities for our graduates. While the economy may be tight in many fields, our experience has been that students who select a major that is related to their genuine interests, pursue internships that provide an opportunity to get work experience related to those interests, and do a diligent job search, are likely to find employment. The career counselors at the CRC work with alumni, and your student can continue to see a member of our staff after graduation.

What else can I do to help?

One of the most important things you can do to help is to encourage your student to seek out the support of the Career Resource Center, an academic advisor, and faculty members.

While it is natural to want to encourage your student's career development, it is important that you demonstrate that you have confidence that your student can make these decisions himself/herself. Your input is welcome, but remember that sometimes students can sense if their parents don't believe that they (the student) have the ability to make these decisions themselves.

It is also helpful to remember that career decisions are really a series of decisions – not one single choice. Often the first step is selecting a major, but there is not a direct line from major to career. The most important steps are to select courses, a major, and internships that truly are of interest. Career choices typically emerge from these choices. And sometimes students learn what they do not want to do, which is also very important. Majors may direct a student in a career area, but they don't necessarily "require" that a student just go into one area. For example, a student might major in psychology and decide to add a minor in management and work in the business world. Or a student might major in education and decide to go into educational publishing.

Thank you for your support of your student's career development!