The way that undergraduate students at the Boston University School of Public Communication receive and utilize career-related information and assistance was evaluated. Based on the view that the level of self-discovery students have achieved determines how they approach career issues, attention was directed to how the institution can serve students who are of different states of development. The cognitive-developmental approach to career education is based on William G. Perry's (1970) developmental scheme, which is outlined. It is suggested that changes taking place in the mind contribute to the individual's increasingly complex manner of interpreting the world and functioning in it. Demands in the student career experience include: undertaking the first communication or journalism courses, selecting a major, undertaking specialized and applied courses, internships, selecting a field of employment, and obtaining a job. Available career services include: providing occupational information; assisting with self-assessment; teaching job search techniques; and providing access to the alumni network. The adopted model of development recognizes that challenges act to bring about growth, but at some stages students are not developmentally ready and need outside support. It's recommended that staff be acquainted with developmental stages and that instruction and counseling be targeted to addressing topics that students are struggling with (e.g., the economy and job market pressures). The student's career decision-making ability and feelings of personal power are addressed, along with specific considerations about student stages and decisions they need to make. A bibliography is appended. (SW)