Parents and Families
The Kevin S. and Sandra E. Delbridge Career Center advises students and provides resources on the types of planning and preparation necessary to help students meet their career goals. This includes internships, job seeking, labor market trends, individual career counseling, workshops, and employer contacts via career fairs, informational sessions, career events, and other on-campus events.
The role of the Career Center is to act as an educational agency, rather than an employment agency. We empower these young adults to obtain the tools, resources, and opportunities to find internships, plan for their career, make sound career decisions, obtain jobs. Ultimately the student is responsible for preparing for his or her career goals and for finding their position.
As a parent or family member, your role can be to encourage your student to work independently to utilize the resources offered by the Career Center to strengthen their qualifications and find gainful employment after graduation.
Finding the perfect fit
Your student’s Career Advisor can work with your student to help him or her explore and pursue an academic major that fits both their goals and abilities. This exploration can be done by assessment testing, elective courses, job shadows, and other means. Visit the Career Exploration page for more information.
Highlight employment experience
Whether your student is pursuing a job or internship, or simply wants to have his or her materials ready for future opportunities, the Career Center can help students craft professional and focused résumés and cover letters.
Students should make an appointment with their career advisor, and arrive at the appointment with a list of work experience and extracurricular activities as well as a description of the tasks performed at each area of employment. More information on resumes can be found on the Job and Internship Resources page.
GET ON-THE-JOB KNOWLEDGE
Western New England University has a network of more than 1,000 internship sites. Whether your student would like to work with an organization in the Springfield area, or intern at a hometown company, the Career Center will help students through the application and interview process. Internships can be for the experience or for academic credit. Once a student secures an internship site, he or she will continue to work with a Career Advisor in order for the experience to count for credit.
Handshake is a great resource for searching for internships and part-time jobs, but is not the only one. Encourage your student to meet with their Career Advisor for more tailored resources to meet their interests.
become a young professional
When your student is ready to start looking for jobs after graduation, the Career Center will help him or her sharpen their cover letters and résumé, hold mock interviews, discuss professional attire, and share other job search resources.
Helpful Articles:
Continue your Education
The Career Center offers students help with writing personal statements, researching graduate programs, informational sessions about testing and admission requirements, and other requirements for graduate schools. The process for preparing for graduate school should start before senior year.
Graduate School Guide
Where WNEU graduates have pursued graduate/professional school
Tips to support your student
- Encourage your student to visit the Career Center, early and often.
- Emphasize the importance of gaining experience through internships, part-time jobs, and other opportunities.
- Encourage extracurricular and community involvement and athletics. These experiences are important in preparing for their future.
- Reinforce the value and importance of networking.
- Support your student through the process, ask questions, and provide encouragement or motivation.
- Connect the Career Center with your company and/or organization for open internships or positions.
Helpful Articles:
What Parents of Prospective College Students Should Know
Career Planning Course for Parents