Parents & Family

December ’24 News

Wake on Break

Winter break is the perfect time for your student to relax, refocus, and prepare for what’s ahead. With your encouragement, they can make the most of this time. Here are some tips to help them.

Connect with Others

Encourage your student to connect with friends, family, and Wake Forest alumni. Use LinkedIn or WakeNetwork to conduct informational interviews, help them explore career paths, and make meaningful connections.

2. Gain Experience

Your student can pick up practical skills through short-term project opportunities offered Parker Dewey or Forage, volunteer opportunities with Catchafire, or doing winter projects or micro-internships.

3. Learn Something New

This is a great time to gain valuable technical and marketable skills quickly. Free online courses or certifications are available through LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or Hubspot Academy.

4. Plan with a Coach

Encourage your student to schedule a virtual career coaching appointment via Handshake or by calling us at 336-758-5902 before December 20 and after January 6

5. Reset & Reflect

Winter break allows your student to unwind and reconnect with loved ones. It’s also an excellent time for them to think about lessons from the fall semester and how they can improve their personal and career development next semester.

6. Refresh Materials

Guide your student to update their resume with professional templates, refresh their LinkedIn profile, and reconnect with their network. A resume review can be a great step to prepare for new opportunities.

7. Refocus for Spring

Help your student gear up for the new semester. They can plan their schedule, practice interviews, and mark January 22 for the Spring Career Fair.

Partner with us!

As your student prepares for winter break, remind them to check Handshake regularly and ensure their profile is up-to-date! Many employers will keep posting jobs and internships, including some with early January deadlines before classes begin. Virtual, multi-school sessions are also planned to give students even more ways to connect with organizations.

Since July 1, Handshake has posted over 83,200 jobs and internships nationwide in research, finance, marketing, consulting, education, IT, and more. More than 900 employer events have been offered to help students explore their career options.

Looking ahead, there are many exciting events to help students build professional connections this Spring:

Spring Career Fair: Jan. 22, Noon–4 p.m., Sutton Center. Please share this link with hiring managers in your network!
Virtual Marketing Networking Night: Feb. 5, 3:30–6:30 p.m., hosted virtually via Handshake.
Consulting Networking Night: March 20, 6–8 p.m., Benson University Center.
Health Professions Fair: March 25, 6–8 p.m., For students interested in health-related graduate programs.

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 are providing you with a Ready 7 guide which includes language on how to help your scholar navigate the process.

Download the Ready 7 guide for parents & families