Information for Parents & Families

The Engineering Career Resources & Employer Relations office serves the career development needs of all Penn State engineering students. In addition to providing general career-related advising, our staff can also help students develop job search strategies to find both full-time positions and short-term opportunities. The Engineering Co-op & Internship Program, one of our office's most successful programs since 1985, connects hundreds of students each year with domestic and international co-op, internship, and research experiences. Real-world experience allows students to develop both technical competence in their field and the kinds of "soft skills"—including a positive attitude, collegiality, and self-awareness—that will be vital to them in any professional environment after graduation.

Parents and family members can provide support and encouragement to student job-seekers in the following ways:

• Suggest that your student take advantage of all available career-related resources and services at Penn State.
• Encourage your student to start working on a résumé and cover letters as early as possible during his or her college career in order to take advantage of all available professional opportunities.
• As you feel able, offer to help your student understand unfamiliar and potentially confusing materials he or she may receive from employers, including information about benefits packages or employer policies.
• Encourage your student to develop lists of questions to ask an employer before accepting an offer, including questions regarding benefits, salary, and relocation assistance.
• Encourage your student to communicate appropriately with prospective employers by following up on employment leads, returning phone calls and e-mail messages promptly, and asking questions about issues that are important to him or her.