Career Everywhere

What if "not knowing" wasn't a problem to fix—but exactly where students are supposed to be?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Dr. Justin Lawhead, Assistant Vice President for Career Readiness and Postgraduate Student Success at the University of South Carolina, to talk about one of the most persistent challenges in career services: the deficit model. Justin is working to replace it with something better—an affirmation model that treats career uncertainty as normal, reframes exploration as the goal, and meets students where they actually are instead of where we think they should be.Justin shares how his team redesigned their University 101 presence, ran a user-centered design exercise that surfaced exactly who students trust for career guidance (hint: it's not the career center—yet), and introduced "exploration" ribbons at career fairs so employers can better support students who are still figuring it out. He also gets into the harder questions: how do you measure what actually matters in career services, how do you bring your staff along through a mindset shift, and how do you communicate real impact to senior leadership?If you're a career services leader thinking about how to build a culture of exploration on your campus—and make the case for it up the institutional ladder—this one's for you. Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

The job market hasn't been this hard for students and recent grads in decades. In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with John Koelliker, co-founder and CEO of Leland—a platform that connects students and professionals with expert coaches and partners directly with career centers to amplify their impact.John works with tens of thousands of students and the employers trying to hire them. He brings a clear-eyed, front-row view of what's actually happening out there—and what career services professionals can do right now to help students navigate it.In this episode:Why this job market is uniquely difficult—and what's really driving itWhere the real pockets of opportunity exist for new grads (hint: it's not where most students are looking)Why the "generalist business" path is struggling and what students should do insteadThe power of being hypothesis-driven early—and how career centers can help without overwhelming studentsWhy in-person still wins in an era of AI-generated applicationsWhat the best career centers are doing differently right nowWhy career services engagement is one of the strongest leading indicators of student outcomes—and how to make that case to leadershipAbout John Koelliker: John Koelliker is the co-founder and CEO of Leland, a platform connecting students, recent grads, and professionals with expert coaches for career navigation and skill-building. Leland also partners with career centers to extend their reach and support for students. Before founding Leland, John worked in venture capital and operations and started his career at LinkedIn. He's based in Utah.Resources from the episode:John's LinkedIn profileJohn's email: john@joinleland.com Leland—platform connecting students and professionals with expert career coaches; also partners directly with career centersDesigning Your Life—referenced indirectly through the "life design" and "prototyping" conversationSandbox—entrepreneurship program mentioned by John that gives college students academic credit to build companies; currently offered at a handful of universities Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

What if your on-campus student job could do more than pay the bills? What if it was actually a career development experience?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Eran Peterson, Associate Director of Work+ at the University of Connecticut, to talk about how UConn is reimagining student employment through the Work+ program.UConn's Work+ program — adapted from a national model pioneered by Arizona State University and the Work+ Collective — is built around a simple but powerful idea: student jobs should be more than transactional. They should be intentional learning experiences where students develop and can articulate real career competencies, and where supervisors feel equipped, supported, and valued for the role they play in student success.Eran walks through how the program works in practice, including the professional development content and tools built for student "working learners," the robust supervisor training and resource ecosystem UConn has developed, and the impressive early results from their pilot year — including a jump in students' sense of belonging from 83% to 98%.He also gets into the challenges of scaling a lean operation, the unexpected ways supervisors are finding out about Work+, and his honest advice for anyone looking to start something similar at their institution.IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:— Why UConn focuses on supervisors first — and why that order of operations matters— How the Work+ team is building scalable, on-demand resources so the program doesn't depend on constant one-on-one support— What peer-led supervisor mini sessions look like and why they've become one of the program's biggest wins— How UConn is evolving Work+ to serve supervisors who manage large teams or service-based roles without regular workstation access— Why belonging matters for supervisors, not just students — and how Work+ is working to change campus culture around that— The surprisingly simple job posting tweak that's driving a flood of new supervisor interestABOUT THE GUEST:Eran Peterson is the Associate Director of Work+ at the University of Connecticut, where he has worked for over 13 years. He started his career at UConn as a career coach before stepping into his current role focused full-time on transforming student employment. Eran is passionate about helping students recognize and articulate the skills they're building on the job — a perspective informed by his own varied work history before landing in career services.RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:— Eran’s LinkedIn profile— Eran’s email: eran.peterson@uconn.edu — UConn’s Work+ program— The Work+ Collective—the national network of institutions building Work+ programs; Eran's top recommendation for anyone looking to get started— Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills—UConn’s virtual career center housing all career development content, resources, tools, and more (powered by UConnect)— Articulate 360/Rise—the e-learning tool UConn uses to build professional development modules for working learners— Suitable—the platform UConn uses to collect evidence of student competency developmentCONNECT WITH US:New episodes every other Tuesday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and visit gouconnect.com/career-everywhere/podcast for full show notes, transcripts, and more. Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

What does it look like when a small career services team thinks big—and builds the systems to back it up?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Amber Goreham, Jess Johnson, and Derrick Gill from the University of Central Missouri's Career and Life Design Center to talk about how their six-person team is scaling career education across a campus of nearly 9,000 students.UCM has spent years building a strategic framework rooted in three pillars—exploration, career readiness, and connection—and those pillars now power three concrete initiatives designed to embed career into the academic experience: a milestone-based student roadmap, a plug-and-play faculty resource hub, and a Career Champions program that's turning faculty into career advocates across campus.Amber, Jess, and Derrick walk through each initiative in detail, share early results, and offer practical advice for other career services leaders who want to take a more integrated, academic-facing approach.KEY TAKEAWAYSHow UCM's three-pillar framework (exploration, career readiness, and connection) became the foundation for all three initiativesWhat UCM's milestone roadmap looks like across all four academic years — and how faculty can adapt it to their own programsHow the faculty resource hub makes it easy for instructors to embed career content into their courses with minimal liftWhat the Career Champions program entails and how UCM got immediate buy-in from department chairsWhy scalability and equity are at the heart of UCM's approach to Career EverywhereAdvice for career services leaders who want to start embedding career into academics at their own institutionsABOUT THE GUESTSAmber Goreham is the Director of the Career and Life Design Center at the University of Central Missouri. She has spent 18 of her 22 years in higher education in career services and leads the team's strategic vision for making career education accessible to all UCM students.Jess Johnson is the Assistant Director of Career and Life Design Education at UCM and a first-generation college student herself. She oversees curriculum and student-facing programming and was the primary architect of UCM's milestone framework and faculty resource hub.Derrick Gill is the Assistant Director of Faculty and Employer Partnerships at UCM. He brings a background in business internship coordination and media to his role and has been instrumental in building UCM's visibility with academic leadership and developing the Career Champions program.RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODEAmber’s LinkedIn profileJess' LinkedIn profileDerrick’s LinkedIn profileUniversity of Central Missouri Career and Life Design Center (powered by uConnect)uConnect—Virtual Career Center platformDesigning Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans (referenced as the foundation of UCM's life design approach)The Career Ecosystem Era in Higher Education by Jeremy Podany (mentioned by Derrick as a team reading the career center used to gather faculty input) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

What if career services leaders thought more like Chief Marketing Officers?In this episode of the Career Everywhere Podcast, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Ashley Safranski, Chief Marketing Officer at uConnect, to explore why adopting a CMO mindset can help career services leaders elevate their impact across campus.Ashley shares the striking parallels between marketing teams and career centers—from being perceived as cost centers to sitting at the center of institutional strategy. She also outlines five practical marketing strategies career leaders can use to increase student engagement, build campus champions, drive cross-functional alignment, and tie their work directly to top-line goals like enrollment, retention, and outcomes.If you’re ready to strengthen your seat at the table and position career services as a strategic driver on campus, this episode is for you. Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In an era of constant technological change, a liberal arts education builds the adaptability, critical thinking, and career agility students need to stay employable—even as jobs evolve or disappear.In this episode, host Meredith Metsker is joined by Sharon Belden Castonguay, Executive Director of the Gordon Career Center at Wesleyan University, to explore why a liberal arts education may be more valuable than ever in an AI-driven world.Sharon shares why employability matters more than first-job outcomes, how liberal arts graduates are uniquely prepared to navigate uncertainty, and why “major ≠ career” is actually a strength—not a weakness. She also explains how institutions can use data and storytelling to prove ROI, how AI fits into career preparation without fear mongering, and what students really need to thrive in an unpredictable future of work.This episode is a must-listen for career services leaders, higher ed professionals, students, and families navigating the changing landscape of education and work.Resources from the episode:Sharon’s LinkedIn profileSharon’s TEDx Talk (recently hit 1M views!)Sharon’s 2023 Career Everywhere Podcast episodeWesleyan’s virtual career center (powered by uConnect) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this repurposed live session from the Career Everywhere Community, Meredith Metsker sits down with Gerald Tang, Executive Director of Career Services and Internships at Bridgewater State University, to explore how institutions can rethink and strengthen their employer engagement strategies.Gerald shares how his team moved beyond counting career fairs and job postings to develop a tiered, data-informed employer engagement model that aligns with institutional mission, regional workforce needs, and equity goals. From leveraging alumni and labor market data to launching BSU’s Hire Locally campaign, this episode offers practical insights for career services leaders looking to build more meaningful, sustainable employer partnerships.You’ll learn:Why event attendance alone doesn’t equal strong employer relationshipsHow to define and assess employer engagement tiersWhat data sources can inform smarter employer strategyHow regional focus and mission alignment can guide employer outreachResources from the episode:Gerald’s LinkedIn profileGerald’s slide deck (including spreadsheet examples)BSU Elevate campaign and webpageBSU virtual career center (powered by uConnect)BSU Hire Locally pageBSU’s labor market insights module (powered by uConnect)Career Everywhere Community (free and open to any higher ed career services professional) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

What does it really take to scale career services when you’re a team of one—or leading a very small team? In this episode, host Meredith Metsker is joined by Anita DeCianni Brown (SUNY Empire State University), Nick Edwards (Hardin-Simmons University), and Tyler Orr (Southern Virginia University) for a candid conversation about doing more with less.The panel shares practical strategies for expanding reach, leveraging technology, building faculty and campus partnerships, and advocating for resources—all while staying focused on meaningful student impact. Whether you’re building career services from the ground up or rethinking how to scale sustainably, this episode offers real-world insights, lessons learned, and encouragement for career services professionals at any institution size.Resources from the episode:SUNY Empire’s Virtual Career Center (powered by uConnect)HSU’s Virtual Career Center (powered by uConnect)SVU’s Virtual Career Center (powered by uConnect)uConnect (Virtual career center platform)Labor Market Insights module by uConnect HandshakeCareerShift FOCUS 2 Big InterviewSkillsFirstYouScienceLinkedIn LearningForageCareer Everywhere Community (free and open to any higher ed career services professional) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode, Dr. Matt Cowley of Virginia Tech shares how his team united career services, financial aid, procurement, legal, payroll, advancement, and employers to build a creative, compliant solution for funding unpaid and underpaid internships. Matt discusses how simple leadership moves—framing the problem around student impact, asking the right people to the table, and staying open to iteration—turned a complex challenge into a scalable system that gets real dollars into students’ hands.Key Takeaways:Solving unpaid internships required cross-campus collaboration, not just career services leadership.Matt brought together typically siloed teams by clearly articulating the student problem and inviting partners to co-create the solution.The final model routes support funds through employers, allowing students to be paid while staying aligned with institutional and financial aid policies.Data helped define the scope of the issue, but student stories drove urgency and buy-in.Early success shows that building the system matters as much as securing the funding—and that iteration is part of the process.Resources:Matt’s LinkedIn profileMatt’s email: matthewpaulc@vt.eduVirginia Tech’s virtual career center (powered by uConnect) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

How do you launch a university-wide Experiential Learning Center—in just one year—across three campuses, during budget cuts, staffing challenges, and constant organizational change?In this episode of the Career Everywhere Podcast, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Dr. Josh Domitrovich, Rhonda Gifford, and Meaghan Clister of PennWest to unpack the strategy, persistence, and cross-campus collaboration behind their brand-new Experiential Learning Center (ELC).You’ll hear how the idea evolved from a one-person internship center into a robust, centralized hub designed to promote, track, and assess experiential learning for all PennWest students (across three physical campuses and online). The team shares how they gained buy-in from senior leadership; aligned their work with institutional priorities like enrollment, retention and outcomes; and built a campus-wide culture around experiential learning.They also open up about early wins, lessons learned, and the signals they watched closely to guide their timing and approach—insights that any career services leader can apply on their own campus.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why experiential learning became a strategic priority at PennWestHow the team navigated shifting leadership, limited resources, and campus integrationThe proposal strategies that finally earned a “yes” from senior leadershipHow the ELC is breaking down silos and centralizing data across programsWhat early results show, and where the team is headed nextWhether you’re exploring experiential learning initiatives or looking to make career services indispensable at your institution, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical takeaways. Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode of Career Everywhere, host Meredith Metsker talks with Jeremy Schifeling, Founder of The Job Insiders, AI and ChatGPT expert, keynote speaker, author, and former higher ed career services leader.Jeremy breaks down how AI is actually changing the job market right now, who’s being most affected (including Gen Z and tech talent), and why he believes we’re moving from the “revenge of the nerds” era to the “revenge of the liberal arts.” He explains which skills will matter most in an AI-powered world—like communication, empathy, and relationship-building—and how AI can complement, not replace, the human work of career coaching.Jeremy also shares a practical three-step plan for career services teams to start using AI today, how to help students “AI-proof” their careers, and creative ways to integrate AI into existing programs for career exploration and interview prep. Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of an internal locus of control: we can’t control AI or the economy, but we can control how we respond.If you’re wondering how to prepare students for a rapidly changing world of work—and how to use AI without losing the human heart of your work—this episode is for you.About Jeremy Schifeling:Jeremy Schifeling is the Founder of The Job Insiders, an AI, LinkedIn, and career strategy company dedicated to helping job seekers navigate a rapidly changing world of work. He’s an AI and ChatGPT expert, keynote speaker, top-ranking author, and former higher ed career services leader. Jeremy has worked in K-12, nonprofits, higher education, and big tech (including LinkedIn), giving him a uniquely holistic view of how people build meaningful careers. He’s currently writing a book on AI-proofing for the future, coming in 2026.You can connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn, where he regularly shares insights on AI, career strategy, and the future of work.Resources from the episode:Jeremy’s LinkedIn profileThe Job Insiders websiteJeremy’s first book: Career Coach GPT: The Complete Guide to ChatGPT Resume, Cover Letter, Interview, and Job Search Success Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode, University of Washington Executive Director of the Career and Internship Center Briana Randall shares her team’s four-year journey to expand their budget and find new funding sources for career services.She walks through what worked (and what didn’t) when it came to pursuing new revenue streams—from donor campaigns that fell flat, to creative partnerships across campus, to the major success that changed everything: securing funding through a Student Tech Fee grant.Briana breaks down exactly how she made her case to the student committee that manages the fund, what data and endorsements helped seal the deal, and how those grants now sustain core tools like uConnect, LinkedIn Learning, Interstride, Jobscan, and Yoodli.She also reflects on the realities of working within limited budgets, why some fundraising attempts with alumni and corporations didn’t pan out, and how she’s learned to think strategically (and bravely) about asking for support.Key topics:How the University of Washington Career and Internship Center used the Student Tech Fee grant to fund key technology and tools that directly serve studentsThe exact process Briana used to apply for and win multiple rounds of funding—including tips for presenting to student committeesWhat funding approaches didn’t work (like alumni donation drives and corporate sponsorships) and whyHow Briana built partnerships across campus to share costs and resourcesAdvice for other career center leaders seeking sustainable, creative funding modelsAbout Briana Randall:Briana Randall is the Executive Director of the Career and Internship Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. She’s been with the center since 2004 and has served as director for the past five years. A longtime Career Everywhere Champion, Briana is known for her innovative approach to expanding access to career resources—even in the face of tight budgets.Resources from the episode:Briana’s LinkedIn profileBriana’s email: brianakr@uw.edu UW’s Virtual Career Center (powered by uConnect)Find a copy of Briana’s successful Student Tech Fee grant application for uConnect in this articleCareer Everywhere Community (free and open to any higher ed career services professional) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

How do you scale career support for thousands of nontraditional, online students—many of whom are balancing work, school, and family life?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker chats with Anita DeCianni Brown, who has led career services at SUNY Empire State University for over a decade. Anita shares how she built SUNY Empire’s career services function from the ground up, including how she transformed the career center’s digital presence from a single webpage to a full virtual career center that offers 24/7 resources and support to more than 17,000 students across New York and beyond.They discuss how Anita’s team personalizes support for learners at every stage—whether they’re career starters, career transitioners, or career advancers—and how tools like uConnect, Handshake, and Big Interview help her small team of four scale their impact.Anita also shares creative programming ideas (like her Ask5 alumni interview series), the importance of explaining the “how” and “why” behind every resource, and how she fosters collaboration with other departments through a new career liaison program.Key topics:How Anita built and scaled SUNY Empire’s career services function as a team of one for 10+ yearsHow she recently grew her team from one to fourStrategies for supporting nontraditional, online, and adult learnersWhy technology and accessibility are critical for equitable career supportWhat Anita’s tech stack looks likeHow to structure (and schedule) programming for students working full-timeThe power of collaboration across departments through career liaisonsWhy explaining the “how” and “why” of career tools boosts engagementAnd moreAbout Anita DeCianni Brown:Anita DeCianni Brown is the Director of Career and Experiential Learning Services at SUNY Empire State University, where she has led career services since 2014. Over her 35-year career in career services, Anita has built programs from the ground up, developed innovative ways to support adult and online learners, and created strong partnerships across departments to make career education accessible to everyone.A proud SUNY Empire alumna herself, Anita is passionate about helping nontraditional students find meaningful career paths and build confidence at every stage of their professional journeys.Resources from the episode:Anita’s LinkedIn profileAnita’s email: anita.brown@sunyempire.edu SUNY Empire State’s Career Hub (powered by uConnect)Career Everywhere CommunitySUNY Empire State’s Career Kits (coming soon!) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

How can career education become part of every student’s academic journey—not just an optional add-on?In this episode of Career Everywhere, host Meredith Metsker chats with Brenna Gomez, Director of Career Integration at Oregon State University, about how OSU successfully embedded career development into its new general education curriculum (called Core Education).Brenna shares how the Beyond OSU initiative ensures that every student, in every major, has built-in opportunities to explore career paths, develop professional skills, and reflect on their goals. She also breaks down OSU’s four-pillar strategy for career education and offers advice for other institutions looking to weave career learning throughout the academic experience.Key topics:How Oregon State embedded career development into its new general education curriculum (called Core Education)What the Beyond OSU program is and how it worksHow OSU’s career services team collaborated with faculty from the startThe role of OSU’s faculty “community of practice” concept in sustaining career-integrated learningOSU’s four-pillar strategy for comprehensive career education (integrating career into Core Education, tailored career support in each college, alumni and employer networks, embedded co-curriculars)Practical tips for other career leaders who want to start small and build buy-inAbout Brenna Gomez:Brenna Gomez serves as the Director of Career Integration at Oregon State University. With a background in creative writing and teaching, Brenna leads OSU’s efforts to embed career development across the curriculum and throughout the student experience. She also oversees the university’s highly-successful Career Champions program and works closely with faculty and staff to make career learning accessible to all students.Memorable quote:“All disciplines are career disciplines. Every major leads to a career.” – Brenna Gomez Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode, host Meredith Metsker talks with Joretta Nelson, Vice Chairman of Credo (now part of the Carnegie family). With 25 years of experience in higher education—including time as a music faculty member, vice president for enrollment management, and now a national consultant to presidents and cabinets—Joretta brings a unique vantage point on how career services leaders can position themselves as strategic, institutional partners.Drawing on her extensive work with presidents, provosts, enrollment leaders, student affairs leaders, advancement officers, and more, Joretta offers a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like for these senior executives. What keeps them up at night, who they’re accountable to, and what their day-to-day actually looks like.Most importantly, she shares how career leaders can build relationships, align with institutional priorities, and provide the data and stories cabinet members need to be successful.This episode is a practical roadmap for anyone looking to move beyond unit-level advocacy and become a trusted voice at the institutional strategy table.Key takeaways (by cabinet leader):The President:Manages nonstop demands: board relations, fundraising, community representation, finance/budget, parent concerns, etc.Works on a cyclical calendar tied to board meetings, fundraising campaigns, and more.Career services can help by supplying three key data points and ready-to-use student stories each month.The Provost/Chief Academic Officer:Balances faculty governance pressures, budget realities, and program innovation.Faces heavy strain post-COVID, often balancing faculty's “grief” about higher ed’s transformation.Career services can partner by proactively working to integrate career into curriculum design, especially in arts and humanities programs where pathways are less clear.The Chief Enrollment Officer:Lives in a world of numbers: yield, conversion, and net tuition revenue.Works under immense pressure to prove the institution’s value proposition to prospective students and families.Career services can strengthen recruitment efforts by embedding career outcomes and employer partnerships into admissions events, campus visits, marketing materials, and more. Learn more in our previous episode: How Career Services Can Partner with Enrollment to Drive Student SuccessThe Head of Student Affairs:Oversees student life, mental health, onboarding, retention, residence life, and sometimes athletics.Post-COVID, this group experienced the highest leadership turnover in higher ed.Career services can help by embedding career readiness into student affairs learning outcomes, first-year and second-year experiences, and high-impact practices.The Chief Advancement Officer:Focuses on fundraising, donor relations, and institutional reputation.Has a direct line to the president and board.Career services can add value by sharing employer partnership data and student success stories that appeal to donors. Leading with transparency builds trust.Joretta’s advice for career leaders:Lead with empathy, transparency, and how you can help cabinet members succeed in their roles.Always tie career services work back to the overall student success strategy.Provide a steady stream of data and student stories.Don’t be afraid to start small. Sometimes it all starts with a coffee meeting!Resources from the episode:Joretta’s LinkedIn profileCredoCarnegieuConnectPrevious episode: Jonathan Wehner (Carnegie) on the Chief Enrollment Officer perspectiveBrené Brown’s leadership book: Dare to LeadSurviving to Thriving (a book by Credo) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode, host Meredith Metsker is joined by Jonathan Wehner, AVP of Enrollment Strategy at Carnegie and a seasoned higher ed leader with more than 20 years of experience leading enrollment at institutions like Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Case Western Reserve University.Jonathan brings a rare insider’s perspective on what enrollment leaders are juggling today, from declining demographics and shrinking budgets to waning public trust in higher education.He explains what keeps chief enrollment officers up at night (like meeting headcount goals with fewer students, balancing institutional finances with student success, and protecting staff under immense pressure) and why career outcomes are increasingly the core value proposition of higher ed.Together, Jonathan and Meredith dig into how career services leaders can seize this moment to become mission-critical partners in enrollment and student success. Key takeaways:Career services must reframe their role. Jonathan emphasizes the need for career leaders to pivot from thinking of themselves as a “student services function” to becoming an institutional mission function that drives enrollment, retention, and institutional reputation.Career is higher ed’s core value proposition. With skepticism about the ROI of a degree at an all-time high, prospective students and families want to see clear, specific outcomes—especially program-level data on internships, employment, and salaries. Institutions that don’t differentiate on outcomes are “missing the boat.”Enrollment leaders face immense pressure. Chief enrollment officers are responsible for both revenue (tuition dollars) and large expenditures (financial aid), often with sprawling portfolios that include admissions, financial aid, advising, research, and sometimes even career services. Their daily decisions affect institutional finances and the livelihoods of staff and faculty, creating enormous stress and sleepless nights.Partnership requires proactive outreach. Career leaders should initiate regular meetings with their chief enrollment officer and come prepared with something of value—such as early access to outcomes data, stories from students, or trends from employer engagement—to earn trust and build collaboration.Joint metrics strengthen collaboration. Beyond the First Destination Survey, Jonathan recommends tracking metrics like internship participation, employment outcomes tied to academic programs, and the impact of experiential learning. These insights can power admissions conversations and marketing.Visibility in recruitment is key. Career services should be highlighted on campus tours, open houses, and admissions events—not tucked away. Families and students want to know about outcomes upfront, making career offices central to recruitment.Pair data with stories. Numbers alone aren’t enough. Admissions teams need both hard evidence (employment rates, salary ranges, top employers) and human stories (how an internship shaped a student’s path) to persuade both data-driven and emotion-driven decision makers.Resources from the episode:Jonathan’s LinkedIn profileCarnegieuConnectOutcomes Data Visualization module (by uConnect)Illinois Institute of Technology example of filtering outcomes by internship vs. no internship Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with Julia Vollrath (Director of Career Data, Technologies, and Engagement) and Marissa Altenburg (Integrative Career Solutions Manager) from the University of Florida.Julia and Marissa share how UF’s career center has woven data into the fabric of its operations—transforming data from a scary, four-letter word into a common language that empowers staff, drives decisions, and builds credibility across campus. They discuss how to create a true data culture within career services teams, where every staff member feels confident using data for storytelling, decision-making, and cross-campus collaboration.You’ll hear practical strategies for making data accessible, consistent, and action-oriented—plus some fun commentary about why Professor McGonagall would make an excellent university president.Key takeawaysData is a common language: It builds credibility with provosts, presidents, and external partners, showing career services’ direct connection to student success and institutional goals.A true data culture is shared: Data shouldn’t sit with just one assessment lead. Every staff member should be confident using it in their daily work.Accessibility matters: Tools like Excel dashboards, user-friendly reporting, and regular training make data feel approachable and useful.Consistency builds trust: Quarterly trainings, monthly reporting, and standardized definitions ensure data becomes part of the culture rather than an occasional add-on.Context is key: Data without explanation is dangerous. Pairing numbers with stories makes the information actionable and compelling.Resources from the episode:Julia’s LinkedIn profileMarissa’s LinkedIn profileCareer Everywhere Community (free digital community for all higher ed career services leaders)University of Florida’s Career Hub (powered by uConnect) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

How can career services and faculty partner to embed career exploration directly into the classroom—so every student has access, no matter their background or schedule?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker chats with Krysta Foster, Associate Director of Career Services at Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College, and Dr. Shahnaz Masani, Assistant Professor in Lyman Briggs College and MSU’s Physiology Department.Together, they’ve built a unique, fully integrated career curriculum called the In Real Life Lab (IRL) that weaves career exploration and skill development into the core science curriculum.Krysta and Shahnaz share how their partnership began, why they see career work as equity work, and how they’ve designed IRL to help students articulate their purpose, plan parallel career paths, build self-efficacy, and connect their academic work to real-world impact.They also discuss what it takes to create strong, collaborative relationships between faculty and career staff, the powerful outcomes they’ve seen so far, and their vision for scaling the program both at Michigan State and beyond.If you’ve ever wondered how to break down silos between faculty and career services—or how to make career education more equitable, accessible, and purpose-driven—this is an episode you don’t want to miss.Key takeaways:Why embedding career into curriculum makes career exploration more equitable and accessible for all students.How Michigan State’s In Real Life Lab helps students connect classroom learning with purpose-driven career planning.What makes faculty/career services partnerships work—and how to start building them on your campus.The powerful outcomes students experience when they reflect on their skills, practice career readiness in class, and build confidence through low-stakes experiences.Resources from the episode:Krysta’s LinkedIn profileKrysta’s email: krysta@msu.edu Shahnaz’s LinkedIn profileShahnaz’s email: masanish@msu.edu Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education article about the IRL curriculum Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

With public trust in higher ed at an all-time low, and ROI under the microscope, career services is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s central to proving the value of a college degree.In this episode, Christine Cruzvergara of Handshake joins host Meredith Metsker to discuss how career services leaders can meet this moment with clarity, courage, and strategy. Christine shares how leaders can redefine their value proposition, position their teams as essential partners on campus, and scale their work through tech and human connection—even as a one-person office.You'll learn:Why getting students hired should be your North Star (not just “being innovative”)How to reframe your value for senior leaders, admissions, and prospective familiesWays to scale warm introductions and build a high-impact alumni networkWhat advocacy really looks like: Multi-threaded, persistent, and politically savvyHow to rethink your staffing, services, and story to stay relevant in the future of career servicesIf you're a career services leader ready to step into the spotlight and lead in this ROI era, this episode is your playbook.Resources from the episode:Christine’s LinkedIn profileuConnectHandshakeLeland Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

Rebekah Paré shares five ways career services leaders can measure career center effectiveness—beyond the standard metrics.--In this episode of the Career Everywhere Podcast, host Meredith Metsker is joined by higher ed career services veteran and Paré Consulting founder, Rebekah Paré, to explore how career centers can measure (and improve) their effectiveness.With a wealth of experience in both academic affairs and career services, Rebekah shares five core strategies that career leaders can use to optimize their centers and clearly demonstrate value to institutional stakeholders.Rebekah’s five-part framework includes:Strategic orientation: Is your center leading or reacting? Do you have defined goals and KPIs? Rebekah outlines how clear goals and alignment with institutional initiatives can transform a career center from reactive to proactiveInstitutional alignment: Are you helping your institution meet its top priorities like enrollment, retention, and workforce readiness? Learn how to connect your work with the university’s strategic plan—even if you weren’t originally included in the process.Academic integration: Are you bridging academics and career? Rebekah highlights the importance of collaborating with faculty across all disciplines to embed career competencies and experiential learning directly into the curriculum. Plus, she shares a few strategies on how to do exactly that!Student reach and service design: Who are you serving, and how? Discover how to use disaggregated data, intentional design, and scalable service models to ensure equitable access and impact, especially for first-gen and non-traditional students.Communications and influence: Can others articulate your value? From one-pagers to speechwriter talking points, Rebekah shares tactical ideas for making career center impact visible and memorable to presidents, provosts, and beyond.Rebekah emphasizes that effectiveness goes beyond the standard metrics. It’s about driving transformation, building buy-in, and aligning your work with campus-wide goals.Whether you're trying to scale services, deepen partnerships with academic departments, or advocate for resources, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you lead more strategically.Bonus: Hear about Rebekah’s swing band side hustle, her unapologetic liberal arts roots, and her answer to the ultimate philosophical question: What kitchen spice are you?Resources from the episode:Rebekah’s LinkedIn profileRebekah’s websiteRebekah’s newsletterRebekah’s guest post: The New Rules of Career Services Advocacy in Higher EduConnect’s Virtual Career Center platform Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community