Parents' Frequently Asked Questions
Southeastern’s Career Development program is dedicated to aiding students with developing the skills and vision needed to flourish in the transition to life after graduation. The program will equip students with the tools they need to optimize their time at Southeastern in preparation for life beyond graduation. We work with students to develop individual goals that will serve as valuable stepping stones for future careers and ministry. Various workshops and opportunities are provided for students to develop professional skills. Our desire is that the intentionality with which a student engages this program will generate a clear sense of confidence in their future.
One of the earliest goals of our office is to walk students through a process of self-discovery from which they will have better insight into their aptitudes, personalities and experiences. This insight will provide understanding into what careers the student might be interested. Furthermore, most students are simply unware of the vast amount of career opportunities that exist. So, by combining the discoveries that students make about themselves with the career exploration resources available to us, we can assist students with creating vision and making decisions about their future.
Once students have made decisions about their future, the focus in their college career is on developing into the kind of person who can flourish in their desired career. We work in conjunction with the student’s academic education to keep them active in developing the skills, knowledge and connections that will prove invaluable in both applying for and succeeding in their proposed career and ministry.
Yes! The skills of critical thinking, communication and creativity that liberal arts degrees offer will remain valuable skills that the evolving work force will need and that employers will still desire. In light of this insight, the program emphasizes partnering with students in their liberal arts education to best develop their unique balance of intellectual skills in and out of the classroom. However, do keep in mind that current employers are more concerned with the skills a prospective student has developed more than the particular major the student had.
Throughout their time at Southeastern, students are able to set up individual or group appointments for resume, interview or career coaching sessions. These sessions will give students an opportunity to develop in their professional skills and awareness. Students will be invited to attend multiple job fairs, ministry fairs and internship presentations in order to build both their experience and connections for future career and ministry avenues. In all of these services, we will provide students with career exposure that will assist in their planning and development.
The first issue is that a bachelor’s degree is the starting line for career and ministry preparation due to the number of people receiving one. While a student without a bachelor’s degree will not even be considered for most careers, simply having a degree will not make a student instantly marketable. Secondly, if the student is not optimizing their college years, they will fall victim to what is known as the “skills gap.” The skills gap is the term for the general concern employers have that college graduates simply don’t have the skills needed to succeed in their businesses, thus making these graduates undesirable. These relatively recent developments can be real struggles for many students and are areas of particular focus that our office seeks to prepare students to overcome.
Our biggest suggestion to parents is to push their students to be proactive with the opportunities presented to them. The adjustment period for new college students can be a little overwhelming. As a result, many students simply overlook the opportunities that programs like Career Development have for them. Furthermore, while this program we offer is an incredibly helpful tool, it does require some intentional effort on the student’s part. Students need the support of their parents and other mentors to encourage them to embrace opportunities such as this program, and, ultimately, to remind them that there are people who believe that the student really can be successful in life, career and ministry.