Parents & Families
November ’26 News
Here come the holidays!
As Thanksgiving and winter break arrive, your student’s priority to unplug, rest and enjoy time with family. Once they have recharged, these weeks off provide a low-pressure opportunity to reflect, build skills and get a jump on spring.
You do not need to have all the answers; being a supportive sounding board makes a huge difference. Here is what matters most right now and how you can guide them.
1. Wake on Break and the Ready 7
Here are some low-stress, high-impact steps to advance their career plans:
- Update friends and family: Family gatherings provide a natural space for students to talk through what they are learning, what interests them and where their career goals are heading. Practicing a professional introduction in informal conversations builds confidence for upcoming interviews. Our Ready 7 framework makes it easy to start casual conversations.
- Upskill for free: Employers value concrete technical and professional skills. Encourage your student to spend a few hours earning certifications via Coursera or LinkedIn Learning. Make sure they check out the University’s Grow with Google license.
- Expand their network: Winter downtime is an ideal window to conduct 15-minute informational interviews with alumni via Wake Network and LinkedIn.
- Explore micro-internships: Students can complete self-paced project simulations through platforms such as Forage or Parker Dewey.
2. Power up Handshake: Do not miss out
Recruiting does not pause in December. Employers post new internships and full-time roles every week. Thousands of companies look specifically for Wake Forest students, but an empty profile means students miss out.
Encourage your student to spend 20-30 minutes completing the Handshake Power-Up:
- Complete the profile: Students with complete profiles are five times more likely to hear directly from recruiters. If skills and experiences are not listed, employers cannot find them. Learn more about Handshake profiles.
- Select career interests: Choosing target roles, industries and cities does two things: 1) personalizes their job feed and 2) lets the OPCD team notify them of events and opportunities that fit their interest. Learn more about Handshake Career Interests.
- Save searches and alerts: Many companies review applications on a rolling basis over break. Setting up automatic alerts delivers roles directly to their inbox without daily scrolling.
Important dates and deadlines
| Date | Event / Deadline | What It Means |
| Mon-Thu (through Dec. 7) | OPCD Drop-In Hours | 1:30-4:30 p.m. in Reynolda Hall, Room 230, for resume help and advice. |
| Nov. 18, Dec. 9, Dec. 16 | “Wake Your Resume” Workshops | Hands-on workshops to get resumes recruiter-ready. |
| Nov. 25-29 | Thanksgiving Break | Campus closed; time to rest and recharge. |
| Dec. 7 | Last Day of Classes | Final day of regular fall instruction and drop-in hours. |
| Dec. 9-15 | Final Exams | Fall exam period. |
| Dec. 13 | Study Abroad Application Deadline | Final day to apply for semester-long study abroad programs. |
| Dec. 19-Jan. 3 | Winter Break | University is closed. |
Hire a Deac
You know firsthand the caliber, character and work ethic of Wake Forest students. If your team is hiring interns or full-time talent, bring a Deac on board! Contact our Employer Relations team at .
Fall 2026 Webinars
Senior Families
Oct. 26, 2026
Sophomore & Junior Families
Nov. 2, 2026
Coming soon!
First-Year Families
Nov. 11, 2026
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.
How can I guide my student through the college-to-career process?
You know the furniture assembly instructions that are impossible to follow especially when you have missing parts? Our Ready 7 process is not like that! We not only provide 7 achievable steps for students to follow, but also the tools and resources to complete them in order to be fully “career and life ready.” As a supporter of your student, we’ve put together a Ready 7 guide just for families which includes language on how to help your Deac navigate the process. Download the Ready 7 guide for parents & families.