Advisor Suggestions

Written Exercises
Provide an opportunity to reflect upon their interests, hopes, goals and life expectations is extremely valuable in helping students clarify their decisions.   Writing may also help students understand where they are in the process of deciding. 

Individualized Interpretation of Formal Assessment

• The Strong Interest Inventory.  Refer to Office of Academic Advisement. x7465
• FOCUS and Exploring U.  Refer to: Career Education Services. x7490

Career Information
Advisors should be aware of current resources students can access regarding job and career information.    Refer to: Career Education Services, x7490

• Students get confused between choosing a major and choosing a career. Many of them operate on stereotypical ideas of what work is.
• It is important for the student to understand that a good career decision is based on knowing a lot about oneself and about the world of work.

Modeling Opportunities/Opportunities to Gain Experiences
Includes informational interviews, job shadowing, internships, student activities, community service.  Helping students know where to found these experiences will help. 

• Summer jobs. You can suggest to the student that summer jobs frequently turn out to have career leads.  Refer to: Career and Employment Services. x7490
• Internships.  Refer to: David St. Cyr x7136 or department chairperson.
• Research (such as Undergraduate Research Scholar Program).  Refer to: department chairperson or Lori H. LaPlante, Project Director, URSP, x7163.
• Service learning.  Check the course schedule for courses that have a service learning component.  Refer to: Meelia Center, Dan Forbes, x7018
• Community service or Civic Engagement.  Involvement in campus activities may expose a student to a particular career, discipline or other people who possess different views.
  Refer to: Meelia Center, Dan Forbes (community service, service learning), x7017; Campus Ministry, Sue Gabert (community service), x7130; NHIOP, Civic Engagement, Mica Stark, 222-4101.

Encourage Co-Curricular Involvement

Extra-curricular activities, clubs/organizations, community service 
Involvement in campus activities may expose a student to a particular career, discipline or other people who possess different views.  Refer to: Student Activities and Leadership Programs, (clubs/organizations), x7363; Eric Sabean, Intramural Athletics, x7197; Dan Forbes, Meelia Center, x7017; Campus Ministry, Sue Gabert (community service), x7130.

Co-curricular activities include organizations and clubs, campus publications, student government, intercollegiate or intramural sports.  41% of Saint Anselm College students report spending between one and five hours per week in co-curricular activities.

NSEE Survey data show that the more time a student spends on co-curricular activities, the more likely s/he is to be participating in numerous other educational activities and outcomes that the College aims to cultivate in its students.  Such as:

• Asking questions in class
• Developing a deepened sense of spirituality
• Having a positive view of his/her entire educational experience at the College
• Likelihood of choosing the College over again if given the chance
• Higher quality relationships with faculty members
• Working harder than s/he thought was possible to meet an instructor's standards
• Discussing ideas, grades, and assignments with faculty outside of class
• Including diverse perspectives in class assignments and discussions.

Building Support for Choices
Suggest students talk about their choices with other students in a particular major.

The Department Chairperson or a faculty advisor as a source of information.

• What internships are available?
• What types of jobs have graduates in this major obtained?
• Where can I learn more about career opportunities in this field?