Published: Sept. 26, 2018

career fairCareer Services is the place on campus to help your student develop and strengthen their resume writing and interviewing skills, and define their own unique career path, at any point during their time here at CU Boulder. Here’s how Career Services can help at every stage of your student’s college career.

First year: Discover new interests and explore options

Whether your student is deciding on a major or exploring opportunities to get involved on campus, Career Services can help. Taking assessments, like CliftonStrengths, can help them learn more about their strengths, interests, abilities, personality and values to choose a path that’s right for them.

Second year: Prepare and practice

This year is all about preparation. Getting an on-campus job or part-time employment is a great way for your student to begin developing professional skills like networking, interviewing and creating application materials. Your student can begin doing research on careers that interest them, and attend career fairs and employer panel events to help gain a deeper knowledge of the industry they want to work in. If it fits with their goals, now is also a great time to look into medical school, law school or graduate school programs and figure out how to prepare for them.

Third year: Gain experience

It is most common to obtain an internship related to your student’s career interest during their junior and senior years of college—though they can gain experience at any point in their college career. The first wave of hiring for summer internships begins as early as the Fall Career Fair. Encourage your student to research companies they’d like to work for and see what internships align with their interests early in their third year at CU Boulder. Developing an internship search plan with a career development advisor can help them feel organized and prepared.

Fourth year: Finish strong

Finding employment can take anywhere from six to nine months, which means your student should begin the application and job search process as early as the September before they graduate. Career Services strategically organizes career fairs and networking events that coincide with peak hiring times. Encourage your student to take advantage of these events to talk with employers who hire Buffs! They can schedule a mock interview with a career development advisor prior to any formal interviews and learn how to negotiate a salary.

It takes ongoing effort and time to achieve our goals – encourage your student to avoid waiting until right before they graduate to start using Career Services — we’re here to help you every step of the way!