Dear Parents and Family Members

Welcome to MSU’s Career Services Network.  We appreciate your interest.  It means you are interested in the success of your student.

The Career Services Network provides a comprehensive array of resources, services, and programs to assist students through all stages of their career development.  More than one fourth of all MSU students interact with our operation every year, whether it’s scheduling a career advising appointment, participating in a workshop, acquiring an internship or part-time job, interviewing with an employer, or attending a career fair.

Our mission is more than just helping students find good jobs.  We also work with them to discover their interests and skills, as well as develop the knowledge and confidence to navigate a successful transition after college.  Through our online resources, events, career classes, and alumni networks, we give students the tools to connect with opportunities and professionals in their chosen fields.  We are committed to preparing them for life-long career advancement.

Because students rely on family members for guidance, you can help your student take advantage of these resources.  Here are some things you may want to keep in mind about the career development process:

It’s overwhelming.  Figuring out what you want to do with your life is no small task.  Throughout their years in school, beginning with kindergarten and continuing into college, students have been rewarded for meeting the expectations of others–teachers, parents, peers–yet few have thought about their own expectations, much less about how they want to apply their talents in the "real world".  When they finally confront the question of a career, students may be overwhelmed by how much work is involved:  How do I decide what I want to do?  How do I know what I’m good at?  How do I find an employer that’s right for me?  Students don’t have to know all the answers in order to get help.  We’ll start with them at whatever stage they’re in, and we understand that every student has to manage the transition at his or her own pace.

Keep sight of the big picture.  College offers unlimited opportunities to develop marketable workplace skills.  Students learn as much from out-of-classroom experiences as from their majors.  These may include involvement in student organizations, part-time jobs and internships, study abroad programs, and independent projects.  For many employers, the major matters less than the competencies a student can demonstrate.  Therefore, we challenge students to think broadly about what they’ve learned and to extract value from everything they do.  Career success comes to those who are engaged, focused, and passionate about their interests.

Start Early.  Nobody lands the job of their dreams overnight.  It’s a long process that requires self assessment, exploration, testing options, and planning.  Sometimes it requires re-thinking and starting over.  Students need time to gather information and make good decisions.  More importantly, the choices they make about which courses to take and which activities to join should be related to their career goals.  Waiting until graduation to deal with career issues can be costly:  students feel panicked, get lured into short cuts that turn into dead ends, and discover that some of the best opportunities have already passed by.

We know you want the best for your student.  Many staff members in the Career Services Network are also parents, so we understand how difficult it can be to find the right balance between involvement and letting go.  Students need guidance and crave approval, but ultimately they have to do the work and chose their own path.  Like you, we’re here to provide encouragement and support.  Consider us a partner.

Sincerely,

Kelley Bishop
Executive Director

Resources

Career Services Network Staff Directory
Counseling Center
Testing Office
Student Life
Learning Resource Center
Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement