While it is not unusual for students to be a bit anxious about finding an internship or full-time job, the economic impact of COVID-19 has introduced an additional element of uncertainty to this process. This is understandable, even predictable, and we at the Career Center have expanded our outreach to students to encourage them to work with us to gain some clarity and perspective about their next steps.
Good things happen when students speak to a career coach at the Career Center. Better things happen when students view their parents and families as partners with the Career Center in their career education. You do not need to be a career expert to be helpful to your students. But your guidance and encouragement can go a long way to pointing them in the right direction.
Some information and tips to help you get started:
Maintain Perspective
The pandemic has disrupted some of the normal recruiting cycles, and that can be unsettling for some students. And while it is true that the pandemic has had an impact on hiring, reassure your student that swings in economic cycles are nothing new; employers continue to hire. It may take a bit longer to find an internship or full-time job, but there are plenty of opportunities out there.
In the 2021 Job Report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 52.5% of employer respondents said they expect to maintain their hiring levels, and 16.5% of respondents said they expect to increase their hiring. Although the job climate can change quickly, Boston College students continue to attract considerable interest from employers. We hosted a virtual career fair in September that attracted 120 employers and 1400 students. Campus recruiting continues in a virtual format and more jobs have been posted to our job board in 2020 than in most recent years.
Foster Resilience
Before March 2020, many students had several options when deciding between jobs and internships because of the strong economy. Their job search will now require more time, more grit, more resilience, and a bit of creativity too (we can help with that).
Students will need to start their processes early, be organized, stay persistent, and keep their minds open—especially if they are interested in industries that have been hard hit by the pandemic, including hospitality, entertainment, and consulting. Their search will be competitive and they will face rejection. This is part of the process, but they shouldn’t be alarmed. Help your student see the bigger picture and not let small setbacks keep them from obtaining their goal. Sharing some of your own job search stories can help them understand how normal setbacks can be. The resilient, highly motivated students are the ones who succeed in these types of markets.
Support Parallel Planning
It would be wonderful if all of our students obtained their dream internship or job. Unfortunately, this is not realistic, even in a great job market. Students need a plan B, and maybe a plan C and plan D.
It’s essential that they keep their minds open, and embrace change in order to be successful in the longterm. While traditional internships are very helpful, recruiting strategies have evolved a lot in the last decade and employers now recognize many different ways for students to gain experience and build skills. Project-based work, research, job-shadowing experiences, and service-learning and volunteer opportunities have become increasingly popular ways for students to explore careers, build experience, gain skills, and boost their resumes. The Career Center can help students identify alternatives to internships for which they’re well suited.
Have a discussion with your student about his or her summer or post-graduate plans. Help them organize what those plans might be. For example, if their plan A is to get a marketing internship at an agency, their plan B could be a marketing internship at a company where you have connections, and their plan C could be to work part time to earn money and take skills-building courses over the summer through platforms like Coursera.
Sorting this out early and showing your support will go a long way. Many students feel intense pressure to achieve plan A and they end up in stressful situations if it doesn’t work out. These parallel plans will help you and your student take control and feel less anxious.
Encourage Meaningful Connections (Networking)
Networking is one of the most effective job search strategies,but it also happens to be one of the most intimidating too, especially if you are new to it, like most college students are. Helping your student reframe networking as an opportunity to make meaningful connections can go a long way. Share examples of networking from your own experience. Help your student prepare a few simple open-ended questions to start conversations. Make introductions to a few individuals (e.g., friends, family) you know want to be helpful for those first conversations to make the process less daunting.
When your student is ready, encourage them to take advantage of the members in our incredible Boston College alumni network, who are excited to speak with them. Eagle Exchange is an online platform that fosters connections between BC students and alumni. More than 7,000 Boston College graduates joined because they want to help BC students. Your student just needs to take the first step and reach out.
No matter where your student is in their career journey, they should begin networking early. Encourage your student to use time over winter break to meet with alumni and others in your community. Networking will help them learn about different career paths, obtain valuable information to prepare for their search, and build professional connections that can possibly open doors in the future.
Champion the Career Center
Our team’s entire focus is to help your student incorporate their career goals into a broader sense of living a life of meaning and impact. We work with students at every stage of their career journey, but sometimes they just need a gentle nudge to help them access all we have to offer.
Encourage your student to schedule an appointment with a career coach, attend our events, and take advantage of our extensive digital resources for students, including Handshake, the top job platform for college students. We send a weekly Sunday newsletter with a digest of everything your student needs to know during the coming week. If they read the newsletter and take action on a few items, they will be in a terrific position to achieve their goals.
Families are often our strongest partners, so please know how much we appreciate your willingness to work with us to support your student.
—Joseph Du Pont, J.D.
Associate Vice President, Career Services