Parents

career advice I career coaching I student I fresh university graduate I alumn I career counseling I first steps towards the labour market I career orientation

You would like to see your son or daughter off to a flying start on the labour market. And you worry a little whether it will work out. For now, finishing their studies comes first but what’s next?

Of course, you only want what’s best for your child. Your son or daughter is already of age and perfectly capable of arranging their own affairs, right? Well, in practice it can be a bit more complicated. For what a shame if a study in the end does not produce this great job. This is what your child has been working for and it will not always happen by itself. And once they have succeed in securing an opening on the labour market, unfortunately, it may not be the job they were hoping for.

To encourage you as caring parent, I am happy to offer you tips on how to best help your son or daughter in their first steps towards the labour market. And in a way in which you’re not seen as a ‘busybody’.

What can I offer you?

If you can’t find common ground with your child, I am happy to support you. You can put your question to me through the contact form. We will look for a solution together. If you eventually need more than these tips and an answer by e-mail, there is also coaching for you. Based on your question we can schedule one or more coaching sessions at an hourly rate of €95 incl. VAT.

In addition, I offer students or recent graduates an individual coaching programme of 4 months in which we will cover all steps of applying for a job in sessions fully focused on the student or alumnus.

Contact me

Information with the education institute

Each education institute offers its students support in the area of wellbeing. This may be organised on the level of the organisation or per faculty or department. Go to the website of the institute for more info. Sometimes it may take a few mouse clicks to reach the page of a department such as Career Service(s) or a Career Centre but the institute will definitely offer support in the area of career and labour market orientation.

You can request information and point this out to the person you want to help.

Departments that you can contact as student or alumnus, include:

Career Services, Career Centre or Career Office
Career Counsellor
Internship Coordinator
Mentor
Student Services or Student Service Desk
Student Affairs
Education Office
Student or Study Advisor
Student Psychologist
Student Counsellor
Study or Student Association
Alumni Officer

For international students and alumni

International Student Affairs
International Office
Housing and Immigration
IND; Immigration and Naturalisation (by the Ministry of Justice and Security)

The do’s and – more importantly – the don’ts

“Cheer up!”; “You can do it!”; “They don’t know what they’re missing!”; “I came across this great vacancy for you”; “Maybe you should just give it a go?”; “And!? How are things?” All remarks and questions with the best intentions students tell me about. Followed by: “I know they mean well but I just can stand it anymore.”

You really want to help but it seems that everything you say or do, does not go down well. I also had my fair share of discussions at home because my parents didn´t understand me. Now, many years later I understand their pain.

In my work with the students I apply the principle of nonviolent communication. Based on the ideas of the American clinical psychologist Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg: “Rosenberg taught us communication techniques geared towards meeting the needs of others, to discern between needs and strategies and to avoid moralistic judgements. Aimed at resolving (potential) conflicts through nonviolent dialogue.”*

Based on this principle, I try to discover in four steps – together with the student – the needs behind their grief or fear for example. In my coaching I try to analyze why somebody acts the way he or she does, what the effect of those actions is and how the person involved may change this for the better.

I know from experience that going through these steps will help to reach the same level. It also means that you don’t have to feel short-changed as you can also walk through the four steps on your own.

*Source: https://vinetraining.nl/

Ouders