Family

Welcome to the IU Family

Students often mention how much family influences their career choices and we know that from talking with family members that you’re not always sure what kind of advice you should be offering. What is too much advice? Is this outdated advice? We understand, and we're here to help!

We often let parents know they should encourage their student to explore career interests early in their college career with a career coach, to get on track fast. We work tirelessly with students to identify their career interests while holistically discussing their skills, values, and personality. Next, we work to identify and prepare materials for part-time jobs, student organizations, leadership opportunities and internships that will help them achieve career goals. 

Don’t be afraid to talk to them about what helped shape your career path—even the “mistakes.” Remind them that the Career Development Center is here to offer one-on-one career coaching and so much more. 

Learn more about career offices at IU

How can I help my student prepare for a successful career?

Overview of Career Services

Exploration

Getting Involved

Building Experience

Active Preparation

Our services for your student

If your student is in not yet officially admitted into a school, they are part of what is referred to as University Division at IU.  Your student will work with us, the CDC, until they are admitted into their major degree-granting school. 

To make things easier, we have assigned a specific career coach to them, so at any time they have a go-to person for their career planning needs.  One of the most common ways to connect with a career coach is through a one-on-one career coaching session.  We most commonly cover the following topics:

  • Career and Major Exploration
  • Career Fair Preparation
  • Resume and Cover Letters
  • Part-time Job and Internship Search Strategies
  • Interview Preparation (includes mock interview)
  • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
  • Networking

During your student's first year at IU, they might consider getting a part-time job to help cover some financial responsibilities and develop relevant skills to market to future employers and graduate school acceptance committees.

Each year the Career Development Center hosts two job fairs. Information for these fairs is below on our Student Employment website:

Summer Jobs & Internships Fair

Fall Part-time Jobs Fair

 

We host events throughout the year on various career topics including resumes and LinkedIn. Your student might see us present in a class or for their student organization. 

Your student's Handshake account gives them access to thousands of part-time job postings (includes work-study positions) and internships. This isn't just another random job board, but rather a place where employers come to recruit IU students. 

Your student can also do the following in Handshake:

  • Post resumes and cover letters
  • View upcoming events
  • Sign up for interview times when employers are visiting campus
  • Browse a database of thousands of industry contacts
  • View lists of employers scheduled to attend upcoming career fairs

Your student can begin researching careers, downloading career handouts, and reviewing industry specific resources in our professionally curated career resource library.  

CDC Resource Library

Our team created 7 career communities, containing 25 career guides that offer resources for career research and ways to get involved on campus and in the Bloomington community.

CDC Career Communities

Mentor students

The Career Development Center can facilitate a variety of avenues for mentoring Indiana University students, from providing a student with an informational interview to hosting an externship program. Students gain valuable experience, knowledge, and skills by working with professionals and organizations early in their college experience.

Mentoring our students freshman year allows for early exposure to your business or organization, playing a part in grooming students for success as a contributing intern and employee in the future. In addition to making the transition to employee an easier and more productive experience for everyone involved, mentoring is fun and very fulfilling.

Contact Jan Nickless to get started at 812-855-9888 or jnickles@indiana.edu

Ways to get involved

Parent's Association

The Parents Association supports Hoosier families by keeping them up to date with University policies, procedures, important calendar dates and by lending a helping hand when needed.

Join the association

Recruit IU students

In addition to sharing your career stories, experiences, and connections with IU students, you may be able to provide a work opportunity that could uniquely influence a student’s career path.

Partner with the CDC

Subscribe to our family newsletter

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Your student's rights

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Release of Student Information Policy

Support the Career Development Center Today

Ensure that students are able to take advantage of summer internships and gain the skills they need to build a strong foundation for career success. 

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