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Resources for College Career Counselors and Advisors in Minnesota
Do you help students of all ages and backgrounds explore majors and degree programs, plan for careers, and get jobs after graduation?
These resources help counselors, advisors, admissions representatives, instructors, and other staff at colleges to support students. You can use the information on this page to develop career curriculum and other self-guided tools.
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Incoming Students
Use these resources to help potential students to learn the benefits of education, make connections between their schooling and career goals, and find the types of training that best fit them. Help students to:
Be Prepared for College
- Help students understand the difference between high school and college. College readiness brochures from the Minnesota Association for Developmental Education (MNADE) are available in English (47KB, .pdf), Hmong (103KB, .pdf), Spanish (86KB, .pdf), and Somali (76KB, .pdf). The brochures compare student responsibility, academic environment, and resources and support between high school and college. Classroom and preparation tips are also included.
Make More Money
- Let students know that more education means more money.
Make Good Choices
- Show students the reality check tool so they know how career choices impact lifestyle.
- Research college majors (fields of study) to learn about career options and schools.
- Use a career planning model (117KB, .pdf) to help students get started, set goals, and make post-graduation plans.
- Use assessments to help students discover their skills and interests.
Find College Options
- Provide information on how to explore education options.
- Help students search for short-term programs that are one year or less.
- Help busy students find flexible programs.
- Help students see how online classes and programs can make learning more accessible.
Pay for Education
- Show students how to get scholarships and financial aid and learn about other training funding options (543KB, .pdf).
Transfer Past Credits or Experience
- Help students learn how to transfer their credits.
- Show students how to get credit for prior learning.
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Current Students
Promote career planning throughout college to maximize the student's chances of getting a job after graduation. Help students to:
Plan Their Careers While in School
- Help students learn about the "real world" by exploring work-based learning like internships, job shadowing, and volunteering.
- Encourage informational interviews to learn about careers and potential employers.
Stay in School
- Help students set and achieve their goals.
- Show support for students dealing with personal issues like transportation, child care, and other issues.
- Provide referrals for counseling, health care, or other critical needs.
- Help students maintain personal well-being.
Get Involved on Campus
- Provide students ways to explore campus activities.
- Promote civic engagement.
Deal with Personal Finances
- Let students know that more education means more money.
- Show students the reality check tool so they know how career choices impact lifestyle.
- Help students to learn about budgeting and financial management.
Work While in School
- Send students to your campus career services for jobs and resources tied to their major or career field.
- Find out if your campus offers part-time jobs, work study, or student employment programs.
- Give students resources to plan their job search.
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Graduating Students
Encourage graduating students to not wait until after graduation to start their job search. Help students to:
Visit the Campus Career Center
- Tell students about job search workshops on your campus.
- Show students how to find local employers who might hire graduates.
- Help students search for jobs online.
- Point them toward online job boards for students.
Make Contacts to Find Hidden Jobs
- Help students build a network and learn about online networking.
- Have students contact your school to find alumni associations.
- Encourage students to find and join professional associations (262KB, .pdf).
- Advocate for informational interviews to learn about careers and jobs.
- Help students use social networking tools effectively and wisely.
Research Jobs
- Help students impress potential employers by researching industry and employment trends and company information.
- Show them where to find regional careers in demand.
- Use Minnesota's latest job vacancy survey to give students an idea of where to look for work and in which occupations.
- Help students investigate emerging and in-demand industries such as energy, green, manufacturing, or health care.
Find and Apply for Jobs
- Provide online job search resources like job boards for students and other job websites.
- Provide resources to help them develop resumes and cover letters.
- Help students become informed about the job application process.
- Teach students how to conduct great interviews, follow up afterwards, and negotiate a good salary or benefits package.
- Help students avoid messing up an interview.
Transition from College to Work
- Provide tips for succeeding in the workplace.
- Use this job readiness skills (287KB, .pdf) list to discuss workplace attitudes and behaviors.
- Launch students on their journey of lifelong and ongoing career development.
Resources for Advisers
Use these ISEEK resources to develop career curriculum and other self-guided tools and to find local or regional resources.
