Author: Samantha Greenberg

Summer break has arrived and your student may be interning, taking class, traveling, or working a summer job. Even though the summer can be filled with downtime, there are a number of things your student can do to plan for the next academic year and get ahead!

Resume Updates
Even if your student is currently interning or working, it is never too soon to be thinking about the next job or internship! Encourage your student to spend some time updating his or her resume this summer and have at least one other person edit the document for content and grammatical errors. Your student can schedule an appointment to meet with University Career Services over the summer to discuss his or her resume with a Career Counselor, or visit http://careers.gmu.edu/students/documents/ for specific resume tips and tools.

Tip: If your student is preparing for a job search next year, encourage him or her to create a master resume with all of his or her professional, extracurricular, and volunteer opportunities. When the time comes for your student to tailor his or her resume for a specific position, this will save time!

Informational Interviews
Is your student interested in a particular industry and wants to learn more about what that job is like? Encourage him or her to schedule an informational interview with someone currently working in that field. This is a great way for your student to network and learn more about career opportunities. For more information on information interviews and for a list of sample outreach emails, visit http://careers.gmu.edu/students/interview.cfm.

Tip: Make sure your student has a list of questions before the informational interview. This will help your student standout and be prepared to make the most of the opportunity.

Volunteer
Volunteering is a tremendous way for your student to give back, learn new skills, and explore future careers. Your student can develop important soft skills that employers are looking for while developing a sense of civic responsibility. If your student is interested in continuing to volunteer when he or she returns to campus there are many opportunities available through Social Action and Integrative Learning!

Tip: Encourage your student to be strategic with his or her volunteering and look for opportunities that are related to a career or field or study he or she wants to learn more about! 

We hope these tips help you provide your student with ideas and resources to make the most of the summer and get a head start on planning for next year.

Kristen Wright
Graduate Assistant
Family Programs and Services

Your feedback is important to us, so we want to remind you to complete our end of the year survey by May 27, 2016. The purpose of the survey is to create a space for family members to share their feedback on the programs and services we offer. We utilize the results of this survey to make changes in order to better serve you, our Mason families, and encourage you to provide your own feedback by participating in the 2016 family survey. Please click here.

If you complete the survey by May 27 at 5 p.m. (ET), your name will be entered for a chance to win $50 of Mason Money to be added to your student’s Mason ID!

Thank you in advance for assisting Orientation and Family Programs and Services as we work to grow and develop our programs and services for Mason families.

Kaitlin Cicchetti
Associate Director
Family Programs and Services

The past year has been a busy one for your student who has been researching and writing papers, working on projects, studying for exams and participating in team meetings.  In addition to attending classes, he or she has been involved in campus organizations, making friends and meeting new people. However, when you ask your student about where he or she is in regard to selecting a major, finding an internship, or setting up a career plan, you may get a blank stare.

If this sounds all too familiar, consider that summer is a perfect time for your student to explore majors and career fields, start the search process for a job or internship, or update a resume.  Oftentimes students think that University Career Services (and other student offices on campus) are closed over the summer, when in fact we are open and ready to help your student create a plan for taking his or her next steps!

Finding a career is not always an easy process, but we are here to partner with your student through each stage.  We offer support through all aspects of finding and securing a job or internship. We meet your student where he or she is. We start by helping your student identify his or her skills and interests and then determining careers that could be an ideal fit.  We can also introduce your student to our job and internship database, HireMason.  We can guide them in writing a targeted resume and cover letter, researching employers, industries, and occupational trends.

For those who are about to graduate and are starting to panic about their career, don’t despair. On May 19 we are hosting our Career Launch. Career Launch is ann all-day event (9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) featuring workshops on: resume writing, LinkedIn, job search strategies, salary negotiation, interviewing, the first 90 days at your new job and our resume clinic.  The next day we are hosting our Just in Time career fair, giving your student another chance to connect with over twenty five employers on campus.

If your student will be in the Fairfax area over the summer months encourage him or her to stop by our office, located in Student Union Building I room 3400, to learn more about the resources and services we offer.  If your student is not in the Fairfax area this summer, no need to worry!  We are available to students by phone or through Skype as well.  Encourage your student to check out careers.gmu.edu for more information on University Career Services or call (703) 993-2370 for an appointment.

Carolyn Kleiman
Career Counselor
University Career Services

As we wrap up spring semester and Commencement celebrations, we begin to gear up for this year’s Family Weekend, which takes place October 14-16, 2016!

Family Weekend is a long-standing tradition here at Mason and is a time for families to come back to campus and experience the same spirit that our students enjoy throughout the year. By participating in this weekend of fun-filled events, you can gain a glimpse into your student’s life at Mason, its academic excellence, and the energy of our vibrant campus.

Schedule Of Events
This year’s schedule of events is filled with opportunities to experience Mason, the Fairfax community, and the destinations in the greater DC area. Our schedule features student performances, Mason Madness, a 5K run/walk, theatre performances, athletic events, and so much more! We will continue adding events to the schedule throughout the summer and encourage you to like the George Mason Family Association on Facebook to see event updates.

Family Of The Year Award
Think your family has what it takes to be this year’s Family of the Year? Be on the look out for an opportunity for your student to nominate your family for the Alan and Sally Merten Family of the Year Award, which will be presented during Family Weekend.

Registration
Registration will open June 1 at masonfamily.gmu.edu and will remain open until October 2 at midnight. You should register early to reserve your space for some of our most popular events that will reach capacity quickly.

We look forward to seeing you at Family Weekend in October!

Kaitlin Cicchetti
Associate Director
Family Programs and Services