On June 17, Lundquist College Career Services will debut Backpacks to Briefcases, a pair of workshops designed for brand new grads and their parents.

Attendees of the parent-focused session will learn tips for supporting—but not taking over—their grads’ job searches. Career Services director Jane Evarian will also provide an overview of the current employment landscape. (Spoiler: it's better than you may have heard.)

In their session, new grads will get a step-by-step plan to jumpstart their career search. They’ll also leave with a complete list of the resources the University of Oregon’s Career Center offers all alumni.

Though many members of the class of 2014 have already secured positions, others are still looking—and that's perfectly normal, according to Evarian.

“Very often, students don’t have the time for a job search while they’re still in school because they’re so busy with academics,” Evarian added. “We want to give these students a game plan for putting together a strategic search and we want to give their parents the tools they need to support this effort.”

What’s Evarian’s best advice for parents?

“Be calm. Provide support—but more on an as-needed basis. It’s best for the student to take the lead on the job search and the parent to act in a supportive—and perhaps motivational—role,” said Evarian.

The crucial first step for new grads is to begin networking and making the most of the UO’s strong alumni base.

“New grads should build a list of at least fifty companies for each of their targeted geographical locations, research those companies, and start reaching out—particularly to Ducks who might be at those companies,” said Evarian.

— By Lundquist College of Business