Parents

The primary goal of the Office of Career Services is to help transition your student from college to career.  Whether they are planning to go to graduate or professional school to enhance their career prospects or want to find gainful employment in their field of interest after graduation, we certainly have the services and resources to assist them.  What we need, however, is loving encouragement from you to get them started.

Not sure how to help your student succeed in career planning? Check out our four-year career planning guide for students and parents:

• First Year

• Second Year

• Third Year

• Fourth Year

In general, here are some ideas for how you can lend support:

• Suggest that he or she use the Office of Career Services from his or her first year on campus and throughout his/her senior year.  Our office provides assistance in preparation for the job search and graduate school search.

• Offer to assist by sending information you may have found about the career field of your student's choice and/or job listings that may be of interest.  However, listen for indications from your student that you are getting carried away.  Too much parental involvement can sometimes have the reverse effect and turn students away from their job search.

• Don't call potential employers yourself to intervene for your child.  Gather employer information only and pass that on to your student.

• Be prepared to support your student through the ups and downs of the job and graduate school search.  It can be a bumpy road!  Not every desired job or graduate school acceptance will come through.  Your student will need reassurance that for every door that closes, another opens.

For more information, we recommend:  A Parents' Guide to Career Development

Questions that are commonly asked:

• What can my student do to help find a career path and which academic major at Manchester College will take him/her there?

• What kind of services and resources does OCS offer for my son or daughter as he/she is seeking internships, summer jobs, or part or full time positions in his/her chosen career field?

• What are some services and resources offered for students seeking which graduate school to attend in their chosen academic area?

• How and when can I get in touch with Office of Career Services?

• How can my student get résumé and cover letter writing assistance?

Career Assessment                                                                       Back to Top

For students seeking to determine a career path and which academic major at Manchester College will take them there.

 Assessment consists of students taking the:

• Strong Interest Inventory

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Personal Values Assessment

 

Students then sit down with a career counselor to discuss results of these assessments.

Here’s what we offer your student

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Job Search                                                                                      Back to Top

For students seeking full-time, part-time, internships, or summer jobs in their chosen career field.

Services and Resources Offered:

• On-Campus Interviewing

• Job and Résumé Referral Service

• Career Network Program

• Career Resource Library

• NACElink, INjobcentral, MonsterTRAK

• Job Search Workshops

• Mock Interviews

• Off-Campus Job and Grad School Fairs

• Employment Guarantee

• OCS Web Site
   

Here’s what we offer your student

  

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Graduate School                                                                            Back to Top

For students seeking which graduate school to attend in their chosen academic area.

Services and Resources Offered

• Peterson's Guide to Graduate School

• Practice entrance exams

• Graduate School seminars

• Assistance with writing personal essays and graduate school applications

  

Here’s what we offer your student<--click to find out

  

Back to Third Year of the Four Year Plan for Career Development

   

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First Year                                                                                      Back to Top

Students

General

• Get to know faculty, counselors and staff

• Start personal development by participating in campus activities and/or volunteer service

• Learn to work effectively with others

• Talk with professionals to learn about career options

• Secure summer work and establish excellent work habits

Office of Career Services:

• Consider taking the career assessment

• Read academic major profiles to learn about MC majors

• Use resources in the career library and on the OCS website to explore career options
• Develop a list summarizing activities and experiences
• Write your first college résumé

Parents

• Support and urge your student to participate in campus activities and/or volunteer service
• Let your student explore new areas to study
• Remind them about taking the career assessment
• Make sure you talk with your student to see how they are doing.  This will help you keep involved.
• Talk to them about writing their first college résumé
•  Encourage your student to use resources in the career library and on the OCS website to explore career options

Second Year                                                                                 Back to Top

Students

General

• Evaluate work values and current skill levels
• Explore and determine preliminary major/career choice
• Continue talking with professionals to learn about career options
• Seek leadership roles through campus activities or volunteer service
• Secure summer work and continue building a good work reputation
• Develop professional skills such as teamwork, leadership and communication

   

Office of Career Services:

   

• Take the career assessment or talk with a career counselor
• Participate in the Career Network Program to do information interviews
• Explore career options in the career library and on the OCS website
• Update your list of activities and experiences and/or résumé

Parents  

• Do not push your student to declare a major
• If your student is unsure of a major, remind them that they could do a career assessment with OCS for suggested career areas they might want to research
• Just because you think a major is "practical" does not mean they should major in it
• Make sure your student knows that faculty are willing to help him/her out
• Extracurricular involvement is very important, especially ones related to their chosen field
• Start talking to your student about the importance of networking
• It is never to late for them to start their résumé
• Encourage your student to use resources in the career library and on the OCS website to explore career options

Third Year                                                                                     Back to Top

Students

General

  

• Attend a professional conference
• Join campus organizations, activities and professional organizations in your chosen field
• Take electives and special problems courses to enhance qualifications
• Experience internships, practicum and work in your chosen career field
• Network with professionals in your selected career field
• Develop a list of potential employers

    

Visit the Office of Career Services:

   

• Use career resources  in the career library and on the OCS website to explore alternative career plans
• Read job vacancy newsletters and browse websites to heighten awareness of positions
• Attend workshops and seminars
• Update or write a résumé from your list of activities and experiences
• Investigate graduate school options
• Attend job fairs

Parents

• Ask your student if they have updated or written a résumé
• Internships are extremely important-encourage your student to pursue internship opportunities
• Help them find an internship by connecting them with your friends or colleagues in their career field of interest
• Find out if they want to go to graduate school.  If so, help them to investigate options
• Let your student know that OCS workshops are available and they should take advantage of them
•  Encourage your student to use resources in the career library and on the OCS website to explore career plans

Fourth Year                                                                                    Back to Top

Students

General

• Discuss career plans with faculty and counselors
• Collect references from faculty and employers
• Plan and implement job search or graduate school campaign

    

Visit the Office of Career Services:

          

• Register with the Office of Career Services
• Finalize résumé and develop a cover letter
• Complete an mock interview
• Participate in on-campus interviewing (if appropriate)
• Attend job fairs
• Read job vacancy newsletters, including Career Horizons, and search websites
• Research companies which offer the type of work you seek
• Network with friends, family and people employed in your field
• Visit company websites for information about job vacancies
• Email or mail resumes and cover letters to employers for actual openings
• Contact targeted employers, inquiring about possible openings

Parents

• Keep in touch and discuss your student's career plans
• Make suggestions of people with whom they can network inlcuding f riends, family and people employed in your student’s field
• Offer assistance by sending information on jobs in their career field when you come across them
• Do not help too much
• Remind your student to inquire about on-campus interviewing opportunities
• Find out if they have finalized their résumé and developed a cover letter
• Let your student know that workshops are available and they should take advantage of them
•  Encourage your student to register with OCS to establish a credential file with references, and to begin receiving the Career Horizons newsletter for possible job leads
• Support them through everything. This can be a hard time for you as parents and them as job and career seekers!

Résumé and Cover Letter Writing Assistance                      Back to Top

Your student can come into Office of Career Services and make an appointment  to meet with a staff member.  The staff member will be able to help him or her with any questions that he/she has.

Also the is a Resume Writing webpage that can get your student started and maybe even answer some questions.

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Office of Career Services                                                             Back to Top

Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm

Location: Calvin Ulrey,1st Floor

Phone: 260-982-5242

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