Parent's Information


Welcome parents, family and friends from the Center for Calling and Career! Our passion is to help students live their calling daily while helping them to explore their life′s purpose. God reveals to us that “… we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Our message to you would be that you support your family member in exploring options, rather than narrowing them. That you encourage them to get related experience toward their direction. That you partner with them in their preparation for life after graduation. Calling is ‘daily stewardship′ so their direction will unfold daily. Geneva College seeks to engage our students each step in their journey.

Our department serves the students in many ways. We offer two signature programs:

Career Assessments to help students discover their calling, and

Events helps students begin the transition from college to career.

We encourage you to peruse the many services, programs and events on our web site. Drop in or contact us anytime !

 

FAST FACTS

  • Calling and Career facilitates over 600 employer interactions for Geneva College students annually
  • Calling and Career offers a LinkedIn group for students to connect with alumni and employers, Career Development LinkedIn
  • Calling and Career has 500+ appointments a year, seeing as many underclassmen as upperclassmen
  • Calling and Career offers MyPlan career assessments to help students determine how their values, personality and skills match with potential career options
  • In years past, over 70% of our students have completed internships and 88% of our students have secured jobs or graduate school within six months of graduation

 

The Parents' Checklist for Success

(Special thanks to The Career Service Center at the University of Louisville for allowing us to use this information)

Freshman Year: Self-Assessment

Student's Role

  • Visit the Center for Calling and Career and take a career assessment to learn about career interests, abilities, and values
  • Create an account on LinkedIn and join the Callling and Career group to see jobs and internships
  • Learn about majors and occupations that may be of interest
  • Establish relationships with academic advisors and professors
  • Begin a “working copy” of a resume by brainstorming previous experiences
  • Get involved in at least one student organization

Parent's Role

  • Encourage your student to visit the Center for Calling and Career to take a career assessment to learn about career interests, abilities, and values
  • Encourage your student to utilize LinkedIn to find part-time jobs, work study positions, volunteer opportunities, and internships
  • Discuss the value in meeting with professors and academic advisors with your student
  • Talk with your student about getting involved in campus organizations and activities

Center for Calling and Career's Role

  • Have students take career assessments and hold a follow-up appointment with each student to discuss career options based on the student’s career interests, abilities, and values
  • Assist students in registering for LinkedIn to find part-time jobs and internships.
  • Present workshops on choosing a major and career exploration
  • Provide resources and guidance for students to begin a “working copy” of a resume
  • Available for individual appointments to address student questions and concerns
Sophomore Year: Exploration of Interests

Student's Role

  • Learn about majors and occupations of interest through web resources
  • Consider obtaining a leadership position in a student organization
  • Conduct informational interviews with professionals
  • Attend Career fairs
  • Check Handshake for internship possibilities
  • Talk with an academic advisor or faculty member about your ideas
  • Consider studying abroad
  • Attend a resume workshop and write a draft of your summer work experience for your resume

Parent's Role

  • If your student is undecided, encourage your student to see a counselor in the Center for Calling and Career
  • Listen to your student talk about different career options she/he may be considering
  • Help your student come up with a list of friends and relatives that may work in a field of interest to contact for informational interviews
  • Encourage your student to obtain career-related experience via internships

Center for Calling and Career's Role

  • Host Career fairs
  • Encourage students to register for LinkedIn to search for internships
  • Provide web resources to assist students with internship searches
  • Hold resume writing and interviewing workshops
  • Available for individual appointments to address student questions and concerns
Junior Year: Evaluation and Decision Making

Student's Role

  • Obtain internship experience in chosen field
  • Continue to take leadership positions in campus organizations
  • Attend Calling and Career workshops on resume writing, interviewing, and job searching
  • Talk to a career coach about alternative career choices
  • Attend campus career fairs
  • Network with professionals in fields of interest
  • Conduct a mock interview with a career coach
  • If considering graduate school, talk to faculty about graduate school options and do some preliminary research on various programs

Parent's Role

  • Encourage your student to take career oriented classes.
  • Discuss career options with your student
  • Remind your student about the career fairs
  • Provide contacts to help your student network
  • Encourage your student to obtain an experience that relates to their career goals

Center for Calling and Career's Role

  • Hold workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, and how to prepare for Career fairs
  • Show students how to navigate LinkedIn while internship searching
  • Recruit quality employers to attend the career fairs
  • Hold mock interviews for students to practice interviewing skills and provide effective feedback for student improvement
Senior Year: Planning, Preparation, and Implementation for Career Success

Student's Role

  • Speak to a career coach to ensure resume and cover letter are polished
  • Attend Calling and Career's job search presentations and career fairs
  • Discuss career opportunities and plans with faculty, advisors, counselors and professionals in the field
  • Select faculty, administrators and current/former employers to act as references; discuss interests, skills, personal strengths as related to the positions being sought
  • Participate in on-campus information sessions and recruiting
  • Research graduate/professional school information
  • If applicable, take a graduate school or professional school admissions test and apply to graduate school
  • Stay organized; keep a log of your contacts, interview and follow-up activities
  • Network, network, network!

Parent's Role

  • Ask your student how you can help
  • Listen to the concerns and fears your student may express
  • Offer to talk with your student about career goals and how her/his interests and skills relate to those goals
  • Offer professional contacts for your student to network with
  • Encourage your student to attend career fairs
  • Encourage your student to come to the Center for Calling and Career for resume and cover letter critiques, job and graduate school application queries, and interviewing skills
  • Be patient, listen and encourage your student without becoming frustrated

Center for Calling and Career's Role

  • Assist students in finding company and organizational information
  • Host and recruit quality employers to attend the career fairs
  • Hold workshops on resume writing, interviewing skills, and how to prepare for career fairs
  • Show students how to navigate Linked In while job searching
  • Recruit quality employers to attend the career fairs
  • Hold mock interviews for students to practice interviewing skills and provide effective feedback for student improvement

Parent Questions

When should my student begin to utilize Calling and Career?

Calling and Career is available to prospective students, current students, and alumni. We welcome parents into the career advising process with the consent of the student. We recommend that students utilize our services each year. See our annual checklist for students above.

What can my student do with a philosophy, English, or other liberal arts major?

The liberal arts majors are very portable. See www.onetonline.org for starter ideas. We also highly recommend our career assessment to aid the student in determining vocational direction.

What if my student doesn't′t like the major they′ve chosen?

We recommend our career assessment along with an career advising and academic advising appointment. It is important that our students are in majors that are compatible with their academic and vocational interests. They will excel most when studying a major that interests them.

What help is available if my student can′t decide on a major?

Our office offers career assessments, career advising appointments, academic advising appointments, occupational resources, and practice interviews.

What can my student do to enhance their chances of finding a good job?

Ensure the student is doing well academically and is studying a compatible major. We encourage the student to get involved on campus and to consider a part-time job and/or internship to build employment history. We also encourage students to use Calling and Career's programs, services, and resources.