Exploration, preparation, and a team that understands how it all works.
MIT Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD) empowers students to think big picture about their career interests and goals, then supports them through every part of the journey, from research, resumes, and career fairs, to interviews, job offers, and salaries. Watch the CAPD Orientation to learn how our office can help your student explore careers and prepare for internships, jobs, and graduate school. Learn more about our programs and services and meet CAPD staff.
Parents and supporters are integral navigators
Parents and supporters have a special role in navigating students to resources during their time at MIT that will help as they discover their career interests and gain experience to verify that those are career paths they wish to pursue in the future. Review this video series to hear additional ways that parents and supporters can assist students in career exploration.
Supporting your student during the first year at MIT
At MIT, supporters, families, and parents can help first year students explore and prepare for their future careers by connecting them to Career Advising and Professional Development (CAPD). During the first year, we help with connecting major to career, selecting courses for those interested in prehealth, exploring career fields, and much more. First year students come to CAPD’s first year signature events where content is tailored to first year students or to any of the general events and programs.
Supporting your student beyond the first year
MIT co-curricular and experiential learning provides vast opportunities to explore and discover career paths. We encourage students to start by exploring careers through our Career Exploration Series, perusing our Career Interests page, attending a Infinite Careers event featuring MIT alumni, and exploring a career path through microinterninships or career prototyping. CAPD provides shadowing, short and long term experiences in workplace settings in various fields and students have access to these opportunities through MIT’s Handshake system. Additional MIT experiential learning opportunities are available in MIT’s ELx.
Continuing to support your graduate student's career pursuits
As a parent or supporter of a graduate student at MIT, your role continues to be important. An advanced degree often requires determination, as students are focused on their professional endeavors. CAPD offers career advising for Master’s and PhD students. Also, Graduate Student Professional Development provides a comprehensive collection of professional development opportunities designed to help graduate students develop skills and knowledge within and beyond academe.
Parents and supporters' questions answered by CAPD staff
Wondering how to help your student narrow down their major? Concerned that your student’s lack of internship experience due to the pandemic may impact their chances of getting a job? Want to know what happens if your student gets a job before they find out about graduate school acceptance?
If you have questions about supporting your student, let us know. CAPD experts will be answering family and supporters’ general questions throughout the year, so submit your questions.
The MIT Student Veterans Association and MIT Student Veteran Success invites the entire MIT community to the 2022 Veterans Day Celebration, to honor the institute’s Veteran community, to come together, to build camaraderie, and hear from local civic and military …
By Amanda Cornwall
Amanda CornwallGraduate Student Professional Development
On August 24th, Firsthand will be hosting its second annual Women in STEM Virtual Career Fair. Women who are studying science, technology, engineering, or math or who are already in STEM roles are encouraged to attend. The fair will allow …
By Simona Rosu
Simona RosuSenior Assistant Director, Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development
You’re sitting in the interview for your dream job, and it’s going great. You’ve knocked the hard questions out of the park, and you and the interviewer are really hitting it off. Then, out of the blue, she …
By Simona Rosu
Simona RosuSenior Assistant Director, Postdoctoral Career and Professional Development
