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Your Student’s Career Path

One reason students attend college is to gain the knowledge necessary to establish a successful career after graduation. Parents often have questions about the career development process and the services available at Case to help their students make effective career decisions.

The Career Center will work with your student’s career-related concerns in a variety of ways during the course of his/her college years. There are also a number of things you can do to support your student.

Career Planning/ Choosing a Major
(freshman/sophomore year)

Choosing a major is a cause of anxiety for many first- and second-year students. Many students will change majors and career goals several times before they graduate. While this is generally a normal developmental process, students who haven’t clarified their goals by the end of their sophomore year are likely to take longer to graduate. As a parent, encourage your student to visit the Career Center first or second year (yes, that early) to discuss career development.

Experiential Learning
(sophomore/junior/even early senior year)

Once students have committed to a field of study, it will be important for them to consider ways to supplement their “classroom learning” with hands-on experience. This will allow them to “test drive” their career choice. Internship and/or research experience on their resume will make them more marketable when they hit the job market. According to the First Destination Survey (Class of 2007), 71% reported participating in at least one form of experiential learning.

Job Search
(junior/senior year – starting 3 semesters before graduation)

Finally, your student is approaching graduation! Now it’s time to help him/her find “career employment.” The Career Center has a variety of programs and services to help students with the job-search process. On-Campus Interviewing, Career Fairs and Employer Information Sessions all offer opportunities to connect with employers who are hiring. Workshops are offered regularly on topics such as resume writing, cover letters and interview techniques. And, as with earlier stages, counselors are available to offer individual assistance.

Students should connect with the Career Center at the end of their junior year to get an early start on their job search. Hiring in some fields is cyclical. Students need to be ready to connect with employers at the appropriate time. Many employers who recruit through the Career Center hire on “anticipated graduation” so students can and should start interviewing at the start of their senior year.

Graduate School
(junior/senior year)

If graduate school is in your student’s future, the Career Center can help. The Career Center assists students in identifying graduate schools, walking them through the application process and critiquing their application materials. Advise your student to make early inquiries with programs and schools about assistantships, fellowships and scholarships. 40% of Case students reported pursuing an advanced degree. Students were accepted into a number of impressive graduate and professional schools including Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Loyola, MIT, Temple, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford (First Destination Survey, Class of 2007).


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