Parents & Families

Career Development is available to assist your student in researching different careers and majors. While not always an easy task, it is important for students to make the effort to research occupations and/or college majors they have an interest in.

You can assist this process by encouraging your student to:

• Explore options and make a choice based on their interest in a certain field and their enjoyment of coursework
• Learn about requirements for possible majors by looking through the USA Bulletin, and discussing academic interests with their academic advisor
• Schedule regular career consulting appointments with USA Career Development

Here are a few self-assessment tools offered to all USA students:

Focus2 is a self-paced, online career assessment that allows students to see a variety of careers that match their interests ad values. Our Career Consultants are always ready to help interpret these results and talk about specific areas of interest once Focus2 is completed. 

What Can I Do With This Major? can be used to explore multiple majors or search for information about a chosen field. Students can learn about different career options within a certain field, allowing them to see many different things they can do with the major they choose. 

As a family member, you also have access to these resources! If your student comes to you with questions about what major they should choose or about a career their are interested in, these resources can help you to have this first conversation with them. Then, our Career Consultants can meet with your student to further discuss their interests or any questions they have. 

Encourage your student to seek out professional experiences that can help them feel more prepared for a future career. Students can gain formal work experience through part-time and on-campus jobs, job shadowing, internships, and co-ops.

One of our services is helping students search for internship and co-op programs. Many majors require one of these experiences before graduation, but even if the major your student chooses does not require this, internships and co-ops provide valuable experience and help students “test drive” industries of interest and acquire necessary experiences for a competitive resume.

Another service we offer is Resume Development. If your student has leadership experience from high school, has an employment history, or has participated in summer internship already, we can assist them in creating a resume that highlights their skills. 

Here are a few resources offered to all USA students:

• Accelerate South is the University's platform to connect students, alumni, and employers. This innovative site can be used to discover jobs, internships and co-ops, events, and on-campus interviewing or recruiting opportunities.
• Big Interview allows students to upload their resume and receive real-time feedback based on what our office suggests. This website also allows students to practice their interview skills and rehearse answers to common interview questions if they would like to develop their skills in this area. 

As a family member, referring your student to these resources can help them to take the first step towards making themselves marketable and competitive! Your student can also set up an appointment with any of our Career Consultants to discuss these areas if they prefer.