My son just started his second college semester of freshman year. In the second week of classes, a professor asked him for a copy of his resume for a class assignment.
How ironic.
The ONE thing I told him to work on over winter break was his resume.
I’m sure it’s not easy having a mom that is a career coach that focuses on college student job search. Like many parents I speak with, my son is not interested in taking my advice.
He delayed
He procrastinated
He gave me lots of excuses of why it’s not necessary
But after years of doing this, I knew better.
So, we spent some time reviewing his activities from high school… the same ones that we used to get him into college, and we put them into a resume format. He was a junior camp counselor for a local day camp. He was on the student council in high school. And did volunteer work with senior citizens.
We added a few activities and clubs that he joined in college, along with relevant coursework, and added them into a very basic resume template.
I was not surprised when he called me to say, “Mom. Where is the copy of the resume that we worked on? I need it for a class and it’s due tomorrow.“
I do not have superpowers. Or the ability to see into the future.
But what I have learned from my older son, who is a recent college grad, and the hundreds of students that we work with is that it’s never too early to get started. And as a parent, it’s never too early to ask them to start doing some small things to help them in their career.
I also told him that he should visit career services… just to get familiar with their resources.
I told him that this resume is going to change many times over the next four years. The best thing that he can do is to get involved on campus. Join a club, an intramural sport…anything. The activities from high school evolve into college and eventually into professional experiences.
But for now, I’m just a mom trying to impart some advice. What do I know? I think he mumbled a “thank you”.
If you have a student just starting on the career journey, or a soon-to-be grad trying to figure out their next step we welcome the opportunity to speak with you further. You can schedule a complimentary consultation HERE.
We are also hosting a LinkedIn LIVE event on Wednesday, 2/23 at 7 pm EST. We will be speaking with recent grads to understand what takes to land the job. We will cover:
- Student/grad misconceptions about the job search
- What to do when early job seekers have no idea what to pursue or how to start
- The Next Great Step process and why it’s so effective
And answer your questions. This session is for parents, students, grads, and concerned family members looking for job search guidance. See you there!
