A Parent’s Guide to PathwayU

You’ve heard that your student’s college or university offers PathwayU as a resource–but what does that mean, and how can you help your student make the most of it? 

What is PathwayU?

PathwayU is an education through career guidance platform that uses patented predictive science.  Through self-discovery, career exploration, and a job connector, PathwayU gives each learner critical insights into their best education to career pathway. 

Why does my student’s college partner with PathwayU?

The fact that your student’s college provides PathwayU as a resource reveals a lot about the attention this institution devotes to guiding students along vocational paths. 

When you send your student to college, you’re both investing time and money in something big. Knowing that your student has chosen a college that’s dedicated to providing vocational guidance using science-backed and meaningful tools can help you put your mind at ease about the nature of that investment.

College is designed to help students discover themselves. And with tools like PathwayU, college can also help students discover their personal paths to success and meaning.

Colleges that partner with PathwayU do so because they are invested in helping students not only succeed in the classroom but in their lives at and beyond college. They want to help students explore their personal interests, values, and goals and identify their pathways to purposeful careers and a meaningful life. 

Is there a fee associated with PathwayU?

PathwayU is completely free for students of partnering colleges and universities. To access this platform, your student creates their personal PathwayU account using the specific college link their school will provide.   

If your student’s school doesn’t offer PathwayU–or if you could benefit from the career guidance this platform offers–you now have the option to purchase an individual account. Just visit PathwayU.com/you to sign up.

That’s right–PathwayU isn’t just for college students. The assessments and tools you’ll find on this platform can be immensely valuable at any stage of life, ages 16 to 65. If you’re looking to find more purpose and meaning in your own career, PathwayU can help.

What will my student get out of it?

PathwayU uses predictive science to guide students in identifying their purpose and planning their path to a successful–and meaningful–career. When your student logs into the platform, they will be prompted to complete an intake questionnaire and several assessments. As they move through the assessments, your student will learn more about how to interpret their own results and reflect on what those results mean for their life and career.

PathwayU will also use your student’s results to provide personalized recommendations for academic programs, jobs, and internships. (Our job board even provides embedded “purpose scores,” which help students identify those jobs most aligned with their own personal values and goals.) 

The result? Your student will gain a better understanding of who they are and where they’re headed–so they can see the path forward more clearly.

This all sounds great! How do I help?

As a parent, the most important thing you can do is be a cheerleader for your student. Remind them of the potential in this platform, and encourage them to complete their assessments and speak with the career development professionals at their school. Their advisers and mentors can help them reflect on their results and plan for their next steps.

After that, take time to listen. Ask your student about what they’ve learned about themselves, and where they see themselves going in the next five years. Try to stay open to your student’s ideas and encourage them to continue to explore their interests.

As your student progresses through college, take time to check in on what’s happening on campus and encourage your student to make the most of the opportunities available to them. Are there student organizations on campus that align with their interests? Is there an internship program or a study abroad opportunity that would fit their goals? Continue to encourage your student to check in with advisers, mentors, and career coaches, and introduce them to people in your own network who work in different jobs and industries.

Ultimately, your student must take control of their own career and life path–but as a parent or family member, you can be an important sounding board for their questions and ideas. By using PathwayU, you and your student can reflect together on what a purposeful career looks like and the steps that are needed to achieve success.

PathwayU contributor Jen Gose is a writer with over eight years of experience working in higher education, including career education.