Parent & Student Roles: Year 2 - Sophomore

Student’s Role

Explore his interests, values and skills and how they relate to the work world
Learn about occupations and majors and make tentative choices
Set short-term goals to explore alternatives in which he is interested
Research different career options
Start assessing her skills and knowledge
Start building a Portfolio of skills and knowledge garnered through classes and experiences, using Wildcat eFolio
Conduct informational interviews with professionals who work in the fields in which her interests lie
Become familiar with company/organizational information
Learn to write a resume and interview effectively; use UA Resume Builder and UA Interview Prep
Investigate opportunities for internships and other career-related experiences through campus interviewing, resume referral, Wildcat JobLink, Internships.com, his academic department and the Web
Summer: Obtain an internship or career-related experience in order to "check out" potential career choice

If your son is undecided about his career choice, encourage him to see a counselor in Career Services
Talk with your daughter about the different career and major choices she is considering and listen to her talk about why they are of interest
Encourage your son to follow his dreams and make the choices that fit for him regardless if you think they are "sensible"
Help your daughter come up with a list of your friends or relatives that may work in a field of interest to her who she could contact for informational interviews
Consider making the initial contact with your friends and setting up some informational interviews for your son
Encourage your son to obtain career-related experience over the summer

Offer self-exploration assistance through the use of the Career Development Certificate Program, Strong Interest Inventory, DISCOVER and career counseling
Teach goal setting and decision making skills
Connect the student with information about majors and careers through Web resources and the Career Information Center
Assist the student in assessing her skills and knowledge as they relate to the work world
Assist students in beginning their ePortfolio
Teach the student how to conduct informational interviews and contact professionals in the field
Familiarize the student with company/organizational information through Career Search, Vault, Going Global and the Web
Offer Interviewing Skills, Resume Writing and Internship Search Workshops and individual assistance
Maintain internship and other career related opportunities through campus interviewing, resume referral, Wildcat JobLink and Internships.com
Teach the student how to search for a career-related experience