Advising Students on Career
Your students see you as a reliable expert on the subject you teach. But they also likely believe you’re a valuable resource when it comes to sharing tips and guidance on navigating their career path. With some simple planning and thoughtful considerations, you can prove your students were right––you are an excellent source of advice.
Below are a few simple ways you can support your class.
Raise Awareness of Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) Resources and Website
- Add Link to Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) Website/Resources on Syllabi and Canvas
- Explore OCPD Website/Resources during Your Classes and/or Advising Sessions: Encourage Students/Advisees to Utilize Key OCPD Resources
- Have Students Book Personalized Individual Sessions with OCPD Experts Annually or As Often as Needed
Promote OCPD Community and Campus Events
- Partner with OCPD to Host Career-Specific Alumni Panels for Students to Attend
- Check OCPD Website Monthly for Events
- Announce Upcoming Events to Students – Emphasize Why They are Useful
- Send Email Flyers & Reminders to Students Prior to Events
- Offer Extra Credit to Students Who Attend Events
Bring OCPD Into Your Classroom
- Consider Spending the First or Last 5 minutes of Your Class Discussing the Issues that are on your Students’ Minds:
- Invite an OCPD Representative to Your Classroom: Email toSchedule a Visit for All or Part of a Class Session
- Invite Outside Experts/Alumni/Current Students to Classroom: Consider In-person or Virtual Visits to Your Classroom from Those who can Share Career and Intern Experiences and Journeys
- Utilize LinkedIn to Find Alumni Interested in Helping U of R Students with Their Career Development Needs
- Build a Career Assignment into Your Course. Examples of these Include: Research of Future Employer or Profession; Informational or Mock Interviews; and Discussions of Transferable Skills
- Explore Career Communities with Students
Here are several ways you can advise your students: Talking About Career & Professional Development
Explore Connections Between Students’ Majors & Potential Careers
- Check out how various majors link to careers
- Gain insight into students’ personal skills & interests and the careers to which they link best using Focus2
- When they ask, “What can I do with this major?”, show them this resource
Help Students Find Jobs/Internships – Foster Student Networking with Professionals and Alumni
- LinkedIn (platform for professional networking; job seekers post CVs; employers post jobs)
- Make Certain Your Students have a Developed Profile on LinkedIn
- Visit the Top 10 LinkedIn Profile Must Haves and How to Create a Powerful LinkedIn Profile
- Handshake (platform where students receive job recommendations based on their personal profiles, along with access to career resources and events)
- CareerShift (platform to maximize job searches, find employer contact information for millions of companies)
Help Students Sharpen Their Job-Getting Skills
- Prepare for Interviews
- Communicate the value of student’s degree and skills gained
Help Students Apply for Grad School
- How to apply for graduate school
