Welcome to IU Indianapolis! If you made it to this web page, you probably have a student who is preparing to embark upon their college journey. We have a wealth of resources, opportunities, and a dedicated team of professionals who are here to support your student’s academic and career success. Check out our short "Myths and Facts" video at the bottom of this page to learn the common misconceptions of major and career exploration.
Tips for families and friends
Top six tips to support your student
Check out our team’s Top Six Tips for how YOU can support your student as they navigate their major and career exploration.
1. Ask
Ask your student about their values, interests, personality, and skills and how they align with their major and career choices. Share your own career journey with your student and how you learned more about your values, interests, and skills in the workplace.
2. Encourage
Encourage your student to thoroughly explore their declared major and to research all of their major options. IU Indianapolis has over 200 undergraduate programs! Keep an open mind if they choose an area that you're not familiar with or that's different from their peers; do the research alongside them.
3. Introduce
Introduce your student to friends and family in their desired career field—networking and informational interviewing are powerful ways to expose your student to career information.
4. Expose
Expose your student to careers through encouraging job shadowing, taking a career class, and attending career-related events like Field Trip Fridays, Fall Career Week, Major and Career Information Day, and career fairs.
5. Inspire
Inspire your student to investigate extracurricular opportunities at IU Indianapolis that align with their interests, like getting involved in a student organization, volunteering, doing research, taking advantage of student employment, or studying abroad.
6. Listen
Most important, listen to your student because their journey is unique. If they change their mind about a major or career path, be willing to listen and help them work through their reasons for the change. Give them time and space to learn from their choices!
Career resources
Check out the career resources below that can help your student.