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Dear Parents and Families:

We want to assure you the Career Development Office is available to all students, first-year through seniors, as well as alumni, and to stress how important career preparation is to the success of your student.

It is never too early for students to take the initiative in preparing themselves for their first professional position, applying to graduate/professional school, or seeking post-graduate service. We regularly publicize our services to students, but we want to make our services known to you as well.

We offer:

One-on-one career advising to develop career goals, assess interests and abilities for possible career applications.

Assessment testing with any of the three free instruments to assist students in making informed career choices (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory, and FOCUS-2).

Weekly e-mail notifications about jobs, internships, summer opportunities and updates on career events through the CDO Newsletter and the Intern Connection Newsletter, as well as access to postings 24/7 through PioneerLink, our online career management center.

On-campus recruiting from graduate schools and nationally recognized employers seeking full-time and intern candidates.

Job fairs in several Iowa locations and throughout the U.S. to expose students to career opportunities nationwide through the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium (SLAC) and the Iowa College Recruiting Network (ICoRN).

Graduate and Professional School Fair to be held Tuesday, October 14, 2008 on the Grinnell College campus.

Use of a mentoring network through the Grinnell College Alumni Online Directory.

Etiquette sessions:
Mix & Mingle: How to Work a Room
Wine, Dine: How to Act Fine


Fourteen informational sessions each month:
Graduate School Planning, Writing Resumes and Cover Letters, Interview Techniques, GRE Basics, Dress to Impress, and much more.

Information and Resources for Parents and Families

Career Development Office Services
An overview of the services available to your student.

4 Year Plan (PDF)
A list of suggested activities for your student to consider as they move forward during their stay at Grinnell College.

Jobweb
An online resource for parents provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Confessions of a Helicopter Parent (PDF)

Articles from the National Association of Colleges and Employers

These articles will help you guide your student in their career development:

A Parent's Guide to Career Development (PDF)

A Career Planning Course for Parents (PDF)

A Career Action Plan (PDF)

How Assessment Can Help You Choose a Major or a Career (PDF)

(Please note the above PDFs were created by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. If you experience any difficulty in trying to view these documents, please visit www.naceweb.org or contact the CDO at career@grinnell.edu.

Suggested Reading for Parents and Families

Empowering Parents of First-Year College Students: A Guide for Success
Richard Mullendore & Leslie Banahan
2007

A Family Guide to Academic Advising
Donald C. Smith & Virginia N. Gordon
2008

The Parent's Crash Course in Career Planning: Helping Your College Student Succeed
Sharon Jones & Marcia Harris
2007

Career Coaching Your Kids: Guiding Your Child Through the Process of Career Discovery
David Montross
Consulting Psychologist Press 2004

When Your Kid Goes to College: A Parent’s Survival Guide
Carol Barkin
Avon Books 1999

Don’t Tell Me What to Do, Just Send Money: The Essential Parenting Guide to the College Years
Helen E. Johnson
Griffin Trade Paperback 2000

Parents' Guide to College Life: 181 Straight Answers on Everything You Can Expect Over the Next Four Years
Robin Raskin
Princeton Review 2006

Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years
Karen Levin Coburn
Harper Perennial 2003

You're On Your Own (But I'm Here if You Need Me):Mentoring Your Child During the College Years
Marjorie Savage
Fireside 2003

The Launching Years : Strategies for Parenting from Senior Year to College Life
Jennifer Wyatt & Laura Kastner
Three Rivers Press 2002

25 Ways to Make College Pay Off: Advice for Anxious Parents from a Professor Who's Seen It All
Bill Coplin
Amacom 2007


Archived CDO Newsletters (PDF) ...more>>

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