Parents & Family

With the semester wrapping up, here’s how you can help your student maintain momentum.

Please remind them to schedule a career coaching check-in before the Winter break. Over Thanksgiving, you can also support them by initiating casual conversations about their favorite classes or new interests, and by sharing insights from your own career path, while ensuring they have crucial rest.

Learn specific information for your student below:

• Recruiting (all students)
• School of Business
• College

Help your student stay productive and engaged during the break! See our “Wake on Break” tips and guidance.

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Recruiting

As the semester nears its end, please encourage your student to maintain their career momentum by regularly checking Handshake! Organizations are continually listing new jobs, internships, and career events, with over 75,000 opportunities available right now!

To help them use Handshake efficiently without feeling overwhelmed, here are three simple steps you can suggest to your student:

• Update Career Preferences: This is the quickest way to ensure Handshake automatically feeds them opportunities that genuinely match what they’re looking for.
• Use Search Filters: Applying filters to select specific criteria is crucial for quickly reducing the listings down to their desired function or industry matches.
• Follow Key Organizations: Following organizations they’re most interested in guarantees they get immediate alerts when a new opening or event is posted.

A small, dedicated investment of time now can truly make a huge difference in securing their next great opportunity!

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For Your School of Business Student

The semester is winding down, making it the perfect moment for students to pause, reflect on their learning, and start shaping their next career steps. Please know that the Market Readiness and Employment team is here and ready to help with coaching, career navigation, and networking strategies.

Here are three simple ways you can offer support to your student this month:

• Encourage Career Coaching Check-ins: Suggest they proactively schedule a coaching appointment before the semester ends to review their goals and action steps.
• Talk About Networking Follow-up: Remind them to dedicate time to following up with any professionals or alumni they connected with this fall. This is crucial for building lasting relationships!
• Suggest Company Engagement: Many companies are currently on campus to meet and connect with students. All these opportunities are discoverable on Handshake. To ensure they don’t miss out, please encourage your student to update their career interests in Handshake.

Bonus Tip: Celebrate Small Wins: Whether it’s perfecting a résumé or attending one career event, every little step counts! Celebrating these achievements builds their confidence and moves them closer to landing that ideal next opportunity.

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For Your College Student

Thanksgiving break is a fantastic time to support your student’s career development through casual, open-ended conversations. 

Here are a few friendly tips:

• Be a Great Listener: Start by asking about their favorite classes, new interests, or any experiences that have sparked curiosity. The key here is to listen more than you advise—your student will appreciate the space.
• Share Career Insights: Tell some stories from your own professional path, including any surprising turns or hard-won lessons. This helps normalize the fact that exploration and uncertainty are perfectly normal parts of finding one’s direction.
• Prioritize Rest and Reflection: Give your student plenty of space to relax and recharge. Time away from the daily campus grind will help them reflect and come back with fresh motivation to tackle their goals.

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What can you do as a parent?

Parents play a critical role in their child’s college experience and their decisions for the future. However, the world of work is quite different than 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. In order to give your student sound advice, it is essential for you to understand the environment, resources and opportunities available for your student. You can play an integral role as your student navigates through their time at Wake Forest and makes plans for their future.