Parents & Families
USA Career Development is committed to providing Jaguars competitive career development opportunities throughout their time at the University of South Alabama and beyond. Our team is dedicated to seeing your student succeed in their education and career. We help students explore careers and majors, gain practical-related experience prior to graduation, and prepare them for their professional careers and graduate or professional school plans. We’re here to help create a path for your student’s future.
How Can You Help Your Student?
As a family member, we know you are invested in your student’s success at the University of South Alabama. There are many ways you can help your student get connected with USA Career Development. As early as their freshman year, students are encouraged to consult with a Career Consultant to begin formulating educational and career plans. Review our Appointments page to learn more about our appointment types and how your student can get scheduled with our office.
Career Development is available to assist your student in the process of researching and exploring careers and majors. While not always an easy task, it is important for students to make the effort to research occupations and/or college majors in which they have an interest. Remember, these interests may change over the next few years and that's OK! Exploring information early in their academic career enables students to gain exposure to the many career opportunities and majors that are available to them.
Encourage your Jaguar student to:
- Explore options and make a choice based on interest and enjoyment of coursework
- Learn about requirements for possible majors by looking through the USA Bulletin, and discussing academic interests with academic advisors or faculty
- Schedule regular career advising appointments with USA Career Development
Below are a few self-assessment tools offered to Jaguars. Feel free to review and share with your student.
Focus2 is a self-paced, on-line career and educational planning tool that students can use to make important decisions like choosing an academic major or career.
What Can I Do With This Major? can be used to explore multiple majors or search for information about a chosen field, connecting majors to careers. Students can learn about the typical career areas and the types of employers that hire people with each major.
Encourage your student to seek out new experiences personally and academically. Diverse experiences will help prepare students for the world of work. Students can gain formal work experience through part-time and on-campus jobs, job shadowing, internships, and co-ops.
Our Internship and Co-op programs provide valuable experience and flexibility for both students and employers. These experiential learning opportunities help students to “test drive” industries of interest and acquire necessary experiences for a competitive, college-level resume. Learn more about program requirements here.
If your company or organization is interested in hosting an intern or co-op, please see our Employer Internships page.
Handshake is the university's platform to connect students, alumni, and employers. This innovative platform can be used to discover information on jobs, internships, co-ops, events, and on-campus recruiting opportunities.
Students and alumni can access the Handshake - Students page for detailed instructions on using this platform.
Whether your student needs a resume to apply for scholarships or full-time employment opportunities, the resources from the Resume Writing page can help them create marketable and competitive career documents.
Support & Partnership Opportunities
USA Career Development offers opportunities for individuals and organizations to demonstrate their commitment to Jaguars through hiring, mentoring, and sponsorship opportunities. Contact our office at (251) 460-6188 or careerdevelopment@smcun.com if you are interested in further supporting USA Career Development.