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Career Center, Santa Clara University

Career Guide for Parents of Current Students

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Strategies for How Parents can Support Their Students' Career and Professional Development

 

Overview

This guide contains resources as well as answers to common questions from parents and families about how they can help their student achieve career success during college and beyond!

The Career Center believes in a "Career Everywhere" model, which means that the entire campus community of staff, faculty, alumni and peers all can play a role in supporting students in their career journey. Encourage your student to explore and take advantage of the many different activities offered all throughout campus. 

General Tips for Parents, Families and Trusted Adults:

  • Ask what your student needs
  • Encourage your student to think creatively and holistically about their experiences
  • Reflect with your student on their strengths and qualities
  • Support your student in their networking efforts
  • Help your student zoom out to see the bigger picture

Our staff includes members who are fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish.

The Office of Student Life offers additional resources for parents and families.

Getting Your Student Started with the Basics

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

  • When in the college journey? — Students can start looking for internships as soon as they arrive to Santa Clara, but the reality is that there are limited off-campus internship opportunities for first-year students. Most employers require students to be in their second or third year of college before applying to their internship programs. Most students complete at least one internship in their junior year or the summer between their junior and senior year. For first-year students who are eager to gain work experience, we encourage them to start by exploring on-campus jobs, relevant volunteer opportunities, and work simulations.

  • When in the calendar year? — The application process for competitive internships at top companies usually begins 12-18 months in advance, with many applications opening in the summertime when students are not in school. Students should "Follow" their top companies on Handshake and set up "Saved Search" alerts to be notified immediately when new internships get posted.
  • We strongly recommend students participate in at least one (1) internship during their time at Santa Clara, and more if possible! Research indicates that students who complete at least one (1) internship during college are more likely to receive an offer of full-time employment and a higher salary offer from their employers than students who do not complete an internship.
  • On-campus jobs — Students can search for and apply to on-campus jobs through Workday. While Human Resources manages on-campus jobs, the Career Center can help students by providing resume reviews and interview practice. All on-campus jobs are Federal Work Study eligible.

  • Fellowships and internship opportunities — Various Santa Clara departments and centers host or facilitate fellowship and internship opportunities, including the Ignatian Center, Ciocca Center, Markkula Center, Miller Center, and more.

  • Off-campus opportunities — Santa Clara University is connected to more than 1M companies on Handshake, and there are 30K+ jobs and internships posted on Handshake on any given day. Our Employer Relations team brings between 300-500 companies to campus each year. Our Career Coaches can help students define a strategy for finding and pursuing the opportunities that most interest them.

  • Paid vs Unpaid Internships — Most for-profit companies offer paid internships. Many non-profit organizations also offer paid internships, but it is also common for some of them to offer unpaid internships, particularly smaller organizations. Employers must adhere to the Department of Labor's "primary beneficiary test" to determine whether an unpaid intern is, in fact, an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Santa Clara does offer several different funding opportunities for students participating in unpaid internships.

Yes, the Career Center uses a liaison model where each of our career coaches support students from specific academic majors, and each of our employer relations staff members work with employers interested in recruiting specific academic majors. Meet our team »

  • Handshake — Students can explore and direct message representatives from tens of thousands of companies and organizations on Handshake.

  • Events — The Career Center brings 300-500 employers to campus each year. Attend the many career fairs , industry meet-ups, and employer coffee chats hosted throughout the year.

  • Bronco Exchange — Connect with Santa Clara alumni working at some of the world's top companies through our exclusive virtual network.

Parents and families can support the Career Center in multiple ways.

  • Encourage your student to take advantage of the Career Center's services and resources — Your students are in good hands at Santa Clara and we take seriously our commitment to helping them find a good job, build their social capital, and achieve economic mobility. Cheer them on and give them space to discern.

  • Hire or refer Santa Clara students — If you are in the position of being able to hire or refer Santa Clara students for internships and jobs, please let the Career Center know by emailing scuemployers@scu.edu. We will be happy to help you find great Santa Clara talent. 

  • Donate to support Career Center initiatives — With donor support, the Career Center can hire more student employees, add more resources, expand existing initiatives and pilot new ideas. For more information on Parent Giving or the Parent & Family Leadership Council, please email parentgiving@scu.edu or call (408) 551-6093.

Explore the Santa Clara Network

Bronco Exchange is an exclusive and easy-to-use platform that connects Santa Clara University students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends in a global, virtual community. Whatever your student's goals, there’s a Bronco in their corner ready to help.

Prepare for Life After SCU or Graduate School

Is your student getting ready to graduate? Explore the benefits of being part of the alumni family.

Is your student preparing to continue their education? Look ahead to being a graduate student.

Does your student need help with their job search? Encourage them to book an appointment with a Career Coach.

Note on Student Privacy

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, including records related to the Career Center. Before the Career Center can discuss the specifics of any individual student with third parties (like parents), the student must provide a signed FERPA release. Students who are interested in signing a FERPA release may contact the Office of Student Life for more information.

The Office of Student Life offers additional resources for parents and families.

Job Prep Toolkit

Visit our Job Prep Toolkit for more resources.

Career Fair

Upcoming Career Center Events

View the full Calendar