Career Services - Family Member Links:

Welcome Family Members!

• Message from the Director
• When should my student begin to use the Career Services office?
• How can I help my student in the career decision-making process?
• What if my student is undecided in their major?
• I know that internships and other activities are important, but my student must work to keep up with their college expenses. How are they supposed to do both?
• How can I help my student be a more marketable candidate for jobs or graduate school?
• Which companies recruit at UB?
• What other resources are available for parents and family members?

Career Services offices at universities across the country have reported a unique phenomenon - the increasing involvement of parents/guardians in the career development of their college-bound children. This involvement has significant advantages as well as disadvantages for the student. Students benefit a great deal from the interest parents or guardians show in their career, and from the advice and assistance they receive. The downside occurs when the interest becomes interference, or when assistance gives way to actually conducting the job search for the student. At the University at Buffalo, the office of Career Services has an outstanding record of partnering with family members to provide excellent services to our common interest - the students. This guide will provide you with some insight into the career development process; information on the services we offer, and show some ways that you can help us help your student. Continue reading...

We welcome students as soon as they begin their college experience. We can help students with choosing a major, exploring related career options, and making decisions; we also offer resources to assist with the search for part-time employment or internships. Additionally, we assist students in developing a successful job search strategy and with the graduate school application process. Learn more about our services for students.

Encourage your student to become "occupationally literate." Your student may be interested in taking UBE 202: Career Planning, a 3-credit course that introduces freshmen and sophomores to the process of self-exploration and career development. For students who prefer activities outside of the classroom setting, encourage them to engage in this process through one-on-one counseling appointments, workshops, and web/print resources.

Students need to make their own decisions. You can help by being supportive throughout the decision making process -- even when their career direction may not seem viable to you. Early on in their college experience, students should take an in-depth look at their interests, values, and skills. Career Services offers a number of self-assessment tools, including FOCUS, the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which can be helpful in this task. The next step is exploring potential career paths using various online and print resources. Finally, students should take part in part-time and summer jobs, volunteer experiences, campus activities, and internships that are related to their interests. At Career Services, students will find services and assistance in accomplishing all of the above tasks. For more information, please refer to our "Start from the beginning" page for students.

One very useful resource in career decision-making is our Meet-a-Mentor Program. Students are encouraged to contact our mentor volunteers to increase their knowledge about career fields of interest and to learn about the world of work. Parents are encouraged to volunteer as mentors, too; please click here to learn more.

Though being "undecided" can be stressful, the freshman and sophomore years are a time for career exploration. Students will be on the right track if they use their freshman and sophomore years to take a variety of elective courses (in addition to required general education courses), research majors available at the University, talk to faculty, career counselors, and academic advisors , and interview professionals in career fields of interest. University policies indicate that students should declare a major by the time they have completed 60 credits. This major is not set in stone; in fact, changing majors is more of the norm rather than the exception!

If your student is undecided about their major, encourage them to take FOCUS, a free online career assessment program available through Career Services, and to make a follow-up appointment with one of our career counselors to interpret the results. In addition, they should consider attending workshops and events that will help them to expand their knowledge of their options. For more information, please refer to our "Start from the beginning" page for students.

While internships are usually not required as part of the University curriculum, they are strongly encouraged. With careful planning, students can often have the best of both worlds -- make money for college and get experience for the future. If your student is unable to land a relevant part-time job or paid internship, an alternative is to work at a job that provides them the necessary financial support (for example, waiting tables, lifeguarding, or retail), while also volunteering or working in an unpaid position - even if it's just 10 hours per week. Most employers would welcome an eager, responsible college student to offer their time to an organization in exchange for the opportunity to spend time in a professional work environment. Students are encouraged to check out our many resources for finding part-time employment and internships, and to meet with a career counselor to discuss their search strategy.

No matter how close your student is to graduation, we recommend conducting a "career check-up" at least once a year. The following timeline will assist your student in knowing what career development activities they should focus on in order to stay on track.
Freshman Year: Inquiry and Awareness
Sophomore Year: Assessment and Exploration
Junior Year: Testing Career Decisions
Senior Year: Job Search/Graduate School Applications

Each year, Career Services hosts recruiters from a variety of local and national employers, who come to campus to attend job fairs, host information sessions, or meet with students in our private interview rooms. Students may view the list of companies, submit a resume, and sign up for an interview slot - all online. For a list of companies that recruit at UB, click here.

Check out UB's Resources for Parents , with services and resources including the Anchor newsletter, information on the UB Parent Association, and miscellaneous tips and topics for parents.

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.