Family FAQs
- Encourage your student to visit the CaPD office to simply introduce themselves and to gain insight into the process and steps that they should be planning to take throughout their undergraduate career. There is no time too early to begin. Stetson's employer partners look forward to meeting your students early on and observing their skills develop over time. Many times an employer becomes a personal guide to assist with a student's process, and they always provide relevant insight into their chosen field.
- All students have a HatterJobs account created for them prior to the first day of classes (the HJ login is found on the CaPD website.) Ask your students if they have updated their account profile and/or located any interesting internship opportunities with Stetson's employer partners. Additionally, ask if you may see a current copy of the up-to-date resume they have created with their career advisor. Professional resume and document templates are easily obtained within the My Docs area of all students' Hatter Jobs accounts.
- Familiarize yourself with the upcoming/scheduled career events (located at the bottom of the CaPD website) taking place on your student's campus, and gently nudge them to attend; ask them what companies they spoke with at an event and what was discussed. The CaPD office hosts one major internship/career recruitment/networking event per semester and multiple opportunities to interact with employers throughout the year.
- Stress to your students the importance of utilizing professional communications during their interactions with faculty, employers, the CaPD team, and all professional staff across campus. We don't expect our students to be perfect, but we do request they make all efforts possible through email, telephone, in-person, and of course, social media outlets to represent themselves and the university on a professional level.
- Begin planting the seeds of career exploration by asking if they have visited their career advisor and completed a career interest survey (yes, even if they have already chosen a major.) Ask her/him to share the results of the survey with you. Here is a link to Traitify, a quick, fun assessment they may do at any time while on or off campus. Additionally, ask them if they have registered for an employer site visit trip, mock interviews, or a campus networking event with visiting recruiters.
- Ensure your student has (in their possession on campus) a business, and business casual attire kit, meaning; a full set of clothes kept together in one place for ease of access. Shirt, tie, blouse, slacks, jacket, skirt, belt, shoes, etc.... (Place all of these neatly together on either a hanger or in a sealed, plastic storage bin for safekeeping.) Does your student know how to properly Irion a shirt/blouse for an interview, or will they utilize a Dry Cleaner service? A professional kit makes a great gift for birthdays or holidays, and each student should have one at the beginning of the second semester of their first year. Stress to them the importance of taking care of their clothes; place the receipt for the clothes in the bin so they are aware of the costs involved. Check out our infographic to assist in your student's preparations for interview and networking opportunities
- Consider introducing your student to professionals within and outside of your current field and place of business. Networking and experiencing others' points of view is a crucial piece of the career exploration process for young adults and their career decision-making processes, and will likely open doors to information and career fields previously not known or considered. Additionally, connect your company/organization's College Recruiter and/or HR team to the CaPD team. Doing so may not only your student but also others seeking opportunities your organization may have to offer. Feel free to share our team member's page with those in your organization as you deem appropriate.
- Be open to discussions and support in regard to a change in academic major and/or career paths that you may not have previously considered for your student. The choice to change such paths should be made based on multiple topics and open dialogue between students and their faculty, parents/guardians, and career advisors. Working together as a team for your student's overall success will greatly assist in achieving an overall positive outcome.
- The career development process is just that, a process. If your student waits until their senior year to begin, they will be at a significant disadvantage to others who may have started long before them. Ensure they understand that the CaPD office is not a “job placement agency.” We teach students how to properly utilize career resources while providing backing, support, and guidance.
- Your student is an adult, and per the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) must be treated as such. What does this mean to a parent/guardian? It means if they are over the age of eighteen, all professional staff members on their campus must maintain strict confidentiality practices. Yes, this means that by law, we may not share the content of our interactions and conversations with anyone, including the parents/guardians of students. A student may sign a confidentiality waiver stating whom we are allowed to share such information with, as they deem appropriate. Click here to review the FERPA Law as provided by the US Government.
- The time your student spends on campus is one that includes multiple experiences and interactions with individuals from across the world. The Stetson experience is structured to be educational, inviting, inclusive, and of course, fun and enjoyable. There are times of the year when your student will become stressed and anxious, and during those times, being supportive is the most positive thing you, as a role model, can do to assist them in overcoming difficult situations. Additionally, by familiarizing yourself with available resources across campus, you will be able to assist in guiding them to the appropriate professional office for assistance. These resources include the Student Success Center, Health and Wellness, Student Accessibility Office, Deans of their school, Dean of Students, Career and Professional Development and much more. The full list of student support offices within Campus Life can be found on the Student Life page.