Parents new to the rigor and philosophy of a liberal arts education sometimes worry about what their students will do with their degree.

Data supports that parents can be assured that the skills and resources their students build here at Bates equip them for career success, no matter their field of study. In fact, at graduation, Bates students report overwhelmingly that they are confident in their career skills.

• Bates students in internships around the world
• First destinations:  Where Bates students go after graduation
• Liberal Arts at Work

As a parent, urge your student to take advantage of the many resources we offer for career exploration throughout their four years at Bates:

• Career counseling – individual sessions as well as drop-in advising with our professional advising staff

• Purposeful Work Fellows – meet with individuals who have been selected to partner with the Bates Center for Purposeful Work staff to assist students as they launch the career exploration process

• Career Resources Library – hundreds of online and hard copy career resources

• Workshops – myriad programs on and off campus throughout the academic year
• Employers on campus – More than 50 employers visit campus every year for informational meetings about internships and full-time opportunities. Details can be found in our Annual Report.
• Internships and Jobs – through Handshake, we provide access to a proprietary database of jobs and internships (including the Purposeful Work internship program), as well as other search tools
• Job shadows through the Purposeful Work Job Shadow Program

Details for all of these resources and opportunities are available to your student on Handshake.

Our office also supports students exploring graduate, professional school, and fellowships.

• Fellowships, scholarships & grants – we partner with the Graduate Fellowship Advisor to help students prepare applications for many prestigious programs. Bates is consistently one of the top schools feeding into the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Program.
• Graduate and professional school – the Bates Center for Purposeful Work counselors help students and alumni to prepare for health, law and other graduate studies.

Your role as a Bates parent can have a tremendous impact not only on your own child’s career development but also on those of other Bates students and alumni. Students are often more willing to seek and accept advice from anyone other than their own mom and dad. Here are some ways you can help:

• Sponsor a one or two-day job shadow through the Purposeful Work Job Shadow program
• Become a core employer with the Purposeful Work Internship Program
• Forward job or internship postings to the Bates Center for Purposeful Work (purposefulwork@bates.edu) or invite your HR department to connect with Bates on Handshake, our recruiting platform.
• Encourage your employer to recruit at Bates
• Attend a Bates Network gathering in your city to connect and network professionally
• Join the Bates Alumni and Friends and Bates network groups on LinkedIn

By participating, you offer a great example to your student about opportunities open to them.