Let’s talk the reality of career resources

[Anonymous]

DD attends a top 10 university and is a math/cs double major. Recently I sat down and asked her about how she’s doing in her internship search, since we never talked about it during the year. She explains that she’s been doing pretty poorly so I tell her to go to the career center; to which, she complains is useless and isn’t helpful. When we toured this school, we were stoked for its career offerings in specific which were highlighted by our guides (both when we first visited and during admitted students week). Apparently the career treks are super competitive and only take 30 students, the advising often comes from students not career counselors (!!!) and students are doing the heavy lifting for everything! This is shocking to me, does anyone else’s college act like this?!

[Anonymous]

Were you expecting the college to give your child a job? Careers require ambition and hard work, not handouts.

[Anonymous]

Most colleges have piss-poor career counseling - often done by recent alum who can’t find other jobs.

[Anonymous]

Would be helpful to many to identify the school.

[Anonymous]

The career center is there to make parents feel good. The students do the work and colleges are practically useless outside of their fellowship databases and profs for Rec letters and de facto grad school advising.

[Anonymous]

My kid at top 20 also said career services there are essentially useless

[Anonymous]

I have intensely helped my kids with resumes and job search. I hire interns regularly and am good at online search (formerly a librarian) so feel in a good position to do that.

Both said the career center wasn't very helpful -- one at VT and the other a regional LAC. However, DS did use the VT center specifically for practice interviews since you really can't do that effectively with Mom. They also have an expert on federal resumes/job search and I encouraged him to meet with them although he never did.

The main things they need are to understand how to write a good resume and how to craft a search strategy using job search sites, finding alumni connections on LinkedIn, identifying companies that have hired from your school, other companies or organizations that hire interns in your field. Serious job search is like a part time job. Last year DS dropped a time consuming class because it left him too little time for job applications. Good move since he had a great internship by winter break and now a job for after graduation.

[Anonymous]

Northeastern has a required course in applying for internships, co-ops, networking, interview skills, resume writing, etc.

I'm not sure why other schools don't do this.

[Anonymous]

DS is at brown and says it’s practically useless if you aren’t interested in consulting. Every time he’s gone to the career office, they’ve obsessed over finance and given him little prep towards a career in his interests (environmental science, sustainability), so he’s stopped going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern has a required course in applying for internships, co-ops, networking, interview skills, resume writing, etc.

I'm not sure why other schools don't do this.

DD goes to a LAC and the intro class for her major had them look at job listings in the field to understand essential skills and write a resume.

I think asking about specific integration of career prep like this is more valuable than seeing a career center

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD attends a top 10 university and is a math/cs double major. Recently I sat down and asked her about how she’s doing in her internship search, since we never talked about it during the year. She explains that she’s been doing pretty poorly so I tell her to go to the career center; to which, she complains is useless and isn’t helpful. When we toured this school, we were stoked for its career offerings in specific which were highlighted by our guides (both when we first visited and during admitted students week). Apparently the career treks are super competitive and only take 30 students, the advising often comes from students not career counselors (!!!) and students are doing the heavy lifting for everything! This is shocking to me, does anyone else’s college act like this?!

Current sophomore CS major at UMD sent out 190 resumes/applications from August-October 2024 to get ONE interview and job offer for summer of 2025. Not sure what they promised, but it would appear you have to be early and persistent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD attends a top 10 university and is a math/cs double major. Recently I sat down and asked her about how she’s doing in her internship search, since we never talked about it during the year. She explains that she’s been doing pretty poorly so I tell her to go to the career center; to which, she complains is useless and isn’t helpful. When we toured this school, we were stoked for its career offerings in specific which were highlighted by our guides (both when we first visited and during admitted students week). Apparently the career treks are super competitive and only take 30 students, the advising often comes from students not career counselors (!!!) and students are doing the heavy lifting for everything! This is shocking to me, does anyone else’s college act like this?!

Current sophomore CS major at UMD sent out 190 resumes/applications from August-October 2024 to get ONE interview and job offer for summer of 2025. Not sure what they promised, but it would appear you have to be early and persistent.

Yep, the application world is insane right now. Currently, summer 2026 internships are already being posted and interviews being filled. Most students start too late

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD attends a top 10 university and is a math/cs double major. Recently I sat down and asked her about how she’s doing in her internship search, since we never talked about it during the year. She explains that she’s been doing pretty poorly so I tell her to go to the career center; to which, she complains is useless and isn’t helpful. When we toured this school, we were stoked for its career offerings in specific which were highlighted by our guides (both when we first visited and during admitted students week). Apparently the career treks are super competitive and only take 30 students, the advising often comes from students not career counselors (!!!) and students are doing the heavy lifting for everything! This is shocking to me, does anyone else’s college act like this?!

Current sophomore CS major at UMD sent out 190 resumes/applications from August-October 2024 to get ONE interview and job offer for summer of 2025. Not sure what they promised, but it would appear you have to be early and persistent.

Yep, the application world is insane right now. Currently, summer 2026 internships are already being posted and interviews being filled. Most students start too late

My son is a sophomore accounting student and I really hope he has the ambition and drive to apply soon for internships.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that every kid that I know that had a good internship either (a) started way early and applied to hundreds of jobs or (b) got it through their parents’ connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD attends a top 10 university and is a math/cs double major. Recently I sat down and asked her about how she’s doing in her internship search, since we never talked about it during the year. She explains that she’s been doing pretty poorly so I tell her to go to the career center; to which, she complains is useless and isn’t helpful. When we toured this school, we were stoked for its career offerings in specific which were highlighted by our guides (both when we first visited and during admitted students week). Apparently the career treks are super competitive and only take 30 students, the advising often comes from students not career counselors (!!!) and students are doing the heavy lifting for everything! This is shocking to me, does anyone else’s college act like this?!

Current sophomore CS major at UMD sent out 190 resumes/applications from August-October 2024 to get ONE interview and job offer for summer of 2025. Not sure what they promised, but it would appear you have to be early and persistent.

Yep, the application world is insane right now. Currently, summer 2026 internships are already being posted and interviews being filled. Most students start too late

My son is a sophomore accounting student and I really hope he has the ambition and drive to apply soon for internships.

Note that some accounting internships are offered during spring semester (tax season), which can be an option if you arrange your classes to allow for this. If summer internships don't work out, take classes over the summer and intern during the following spring semester.