Self Awareness and Career Planning
...Freshman year is all about self-exploration and discovery. This exploration and discovery can help shape their college experience and uncover some great career opportunities. Encourage your student to have an open mind about experiences.
What can my student do?
- Students can take career tests to discover personality type, interests, values, and work style.
- Students who already have a career goal in mind should conduct in depth research to determine whether their career path is compatible with their personality and life goals.
- Exploring extracurricular activities is important. Joining campus clubs and organizations can help students create friendships, have fun, and develop career skills.
- Freshman students should get to know professors, faculty, counselors, staff, and administrators. This is when students begin to build their network!
- Attending Job and Internship Fairs can aid students in their search for summer jobs or internships.
- Making an appointment with the Career Services Center (located on the Garden Level of Wahlstrom Library) will allow freshmen students to become familiar with the career resources available.
- Check out our Virtual Career Center through MyUB!
What can I do as a parent?
- UB has assessment instruments and counselors to help students define their skills, interests, and abilities.
- Affirm what you know to be areas of skill and ability your student has consistently demonstrated. Sometimes students overlook these and need to be reminded.
- Support your child's exploration of new areas of study and interests.
- Don't panic if your student is excited about majoring in something like English, history, or art. These can be excellent choices, particularly if they are a good match for your student's interests and skills.
- Talk about the courses and activities your student is enjoying and how well your student is doing. Students discover new things about themselves throughout the college experience. Your willingness to listen and be a sounding board will keep you in the loop.
- Support your student’s responsible involvement in campus activities but urge this to be balanced with maintaining achievement in the classroom.
- Urge your child to seek assistance in the Career Center.
*Adapted from