Career Everywhere

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 takeaways

• Data 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 profile
• Marissa’s LinkedIn profile
• Career 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 profile
• Krysta’s email: [email protected] 
• Shahnaz’s LinkedIn profile
• Shahnaz’s email: [email protected] 
• 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 families
• Ways to scale warm introductions and build a high-impact alumni network
• What advocacy really looks like: Multi-threaded, persistent, and politically savvy
• How to rethink your staffing, services, and story to stay relevant in the future of career services

If 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 profile
• uConnect
• Handshake
• Leland

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.
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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:

1. 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 proactive
2. Institutional 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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 profile
• Rebekah’s website
• Rebekah’s newsletter
• Rebekah’s guest post: The New Rules of Career Services Advocacy in Higher Ed
• uConnect’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

In this episode, James Tarbox and Theanne Thomson share how Stanford’s career education and alumni teams collaborate to support graduates for up to five years post-graduation through the innovative Stanford PlusFive program.

From 1:1 career coaching to alumni-led networking groups, this program offers recent grads a meaningful bridge from college to career—and the data proves it’s working.

Here are a few key themes from episode:

• What the Stanford PlusFive program is and how it works
• The importance of career coaching and alumni connections for recent grads
• How alumni volunteers help scale support through global industry and identity-based groups
• Strategies for fostering a strong partnership between the career center and alumni association
• How the PlusFive program has evolved since launching in 2021
• Tangible outcomes, including a 57% increase in career coaching appointments
• Vision for the future: Expanding support through a potential “Five Plus” model for alumni beyond the five-year mark
• The power of intentional collaboration and clear communication between campus partners

“We need to show people as they graduate that we see them, that we understand their challenges, and that we're here to support them,” James said.

Guest background:

• James Tarbox, the Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Stanford Career Education at Stanford University, has been a career services leader for over 25 years and is a champion of expanding alumni career support beyond the traditional one-year mark.
• Theanne Thomson, the Director of Alumni Career Connections and Interim Director of Student Programs at Stanford University (and a Stanford alum herself), focuses on building scalable alumni connection opportunities, from networking events to industry-specific communities.

Resources from the episode:

• James’ LinkedIn profile
• James’ email: [email protected] 
• Theanne’s LinkedIn profile
• Theanne’s email: [email protected] 
• Stanford PlusFive webpage
• What Color is Your Parachute? book

Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community

Danny Pape, Executive Director of the Center for Career Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis, shares the story of how WashU shifted from a long-standing decentralized career services model to a unified, centralized structure—without losing a single position.

With decades of experience across multiple institutions and roles—from career coach to administrator—Danny brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to leadership. He walks us through the why behind the unification, how his team used data and stakeholder input to guide the process, and how they've reimagined career services around student interests instead of majors.

Here are a few key themes from the episode:

• Why unification was necessary: Confusion and inconsistencies across departments were creating barriers for students, employers, and faculty alike.
• Shifting from major-based to interest-based support: WashU created eight career communities aligned with students’ career goals and industry trends, not their majors.
• Scaling with technology: Tools like uConnect help eliminate access barriers, drive engagement, and provide critical data insights to inform decisions.
• Serving the whole career ecosystem: Dedicated teams for employer engagement and academic partnerships help ensure consistent support across campus.
• Leadership lessons: Transparency, stakeholder buy-in, and peer mentorship were essential to managing such a big change successfully.
• The future of career services: Danny emphasized the need to evolve constantly, tell the story of career services more effectively, and develop the next generation of leaders in the field.

“We as career center leaders and employees need to get comfortable that our role is changing, from that of being a practitioner to being more of a facilitator or an influencer,” Danny said.

Resources from the episode:

• Danny’s LinkedIn profile
• Danny’s email: [email protected] 
• WashU’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

As prospective students and their families become increasingly focused on ROI, post-grad outcomes, and career readiness, collaboration between career services and enrollment management has never been more important.

When these two functions work in tandem, institutions are better positioned to not only recruit and retain students, but to tell a more compelling and authentic story about the value of the college experience.

In this episode, uConnect Founder and CEO David Kozhuk talks with Rebekah Paré and Michael Griffin about how career services and enrollment leaders can collaborate more intentionally—and what happens when they do. 

Rebekah is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Paré Consulting and a former career services executive. And Michael is a former VP for Enrollment Management and a seasoned higher ed executive.

They cover:

• Why a cross-functional partnership is essential in today’s higher ed landscape
• What tangible outcomes are possible when enrollment and career teams align
• How to get started–and what practical tactics drive collaboration that lasts
• And more

Whether you’re leading a career office or steering enrollment strategy, this episode offers the insights and inspiration you need to build stronger, more student-centered partnerships on campus.

Resources from the episode:

• David’s LinkedIn profile
• Rebekah’s LinkedIn profile
• Michael’s LinkedIn profile
• uConnect 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

Lexie Avery and Melissa Lawson of Binghamton University share how career services and admissions collaborate to recruit, retain, and support students with career development—before they even step foot on campus. 

Lexie, the Senior Associate Director of Student Engagement and Career Readiness, and Melissa, the Director of Admissions Communications, have worked closely together for years and built a strong partnership between the career center and admissions.

Here are a few key ways the two offices collaborate:

• The career center participates in admitted student events, exposing students to career services before they even begin classes.
• Career services provides messaging to campus tour guides to equip them to effectively discuss career services offerings—plus the career center is always a stop on tours.
• Speaking of tour guides, the career center also provides professional development to campus tour guides, particularly around interviewing, hiring, and training their peers. 
• When admissions brings high school guidance counselors to campus, career services participates to share information on career outcomes, experiential learning, and what makes Binghamton different.
• Similarly, a career services staff member also occasionally travels with admissions counselors to out-of-state recruitment events to speak on career resources, outcomes, and what Binghamton can provide that other schools can’t.
• Admissions and career services coordinate marketing messaging and programming for incoming students, including a two-credit online summer career exploration course.
• The two offices also regularly share data and insights. For example, career services shares First Destination Survey data and other outcomes and engagement data to help admissions tell a stronger story to prospective students and their families. And admissions shares survey data from incoming students to help the career center understand incoming student interests and expectations around career preparation.

The partnership has contributed to strong enrollment and retention and early career engagement from Binghamton students. Win-win!

Resources from the episode:

• Lexie’s LinkedIn profile
• Melissa’s LinkedIn profile
• Binghamton’s virtual career center

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 the Career Everywhere podcast, host Meredith Metsker welcomes Dylan Houle, Executive Director of the Career Center at Santa Clara University, to discuss the misalignment between the importance of career outcomes for students and the positioning of career services in higher ed.

In short: If career outcomes are a major reason most students choose to go to college, why are career centers so often underfunded, understaffed, and positioned as mid-level offices on campus.

A former teacher, Dylan’s propensity for lifelong learning led him to career services and to start his own podcast called Career Services Leadership, where he talks to senior leaders in career services about their approach to leadership and staff development. Now he’s in the early stages of research for a dissertation centered on career services leadership. 

In this episode, Dylan shares how he plans to investigate the forms of capital that career services leaders possess that may not be widely seen or valued by their institutions—as well as the forms of capital that are valued but career leaders have limited opportunities to accumulate. Dylan’s goal is to identify how career services leaders can leverage their capital to achieve greater organizational impact.

Key themes from the episode include:

• The need to elevate the role of career services
• Developing clear career pathways for professionals in the field
• Better integrating career services throughout the curriculum and the broader campus ecosystem.

Resources from the episode:

• Dylan’s LinkedIn profile
• Dylan’s email: [email protected] 
• Examples of Dylan’s monthly director’s email: May 2025, April 2025, March 2025
• Career Services Leadership podcast

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 the Career Everywhere podcast, host Meredith Metsker welcomes Dr. Erica Kryst, Executive Director of Career Services at Cornell University, to discuss how she leads a decentralized but highly collaborative career services function.

Erica, a first-generation college student with degrees in musical theater and communications, brings a unique perspective to her leadership. She draws on her own experiences growing up in rural Pennsylvania with limited early exposure to career options and emphasizes the importance of collaboration, context, and enthusiasm in her approach to career services.

A major focus of the conversation is Cornell’s decentralized structure, where there’s a central career center (where Erica works) and each college also has its own career center.

Erica explains the strengths of this model, such as providing students with highly personalized and discipline-specific support, while also ensuring broad access to shared resources and tools like uConnect, Handshake, and more. She highlights the systems in place for regular communication and collaboration among career staff across campus, including all-staff meetings, shared committees, and digital tools like Microsoft Teams, which help keep 80+ staff members aligned and working toward common goals.

The episode also dives into a functional review currently underway at Cornell, aimed at reimagining career services to ensure equity, streamline employer relations, and enhance student access to support.

Erica shares insights into the process of gathering input from a wide range of stakeholders, the push towards a more hybrid and unified model, and the need to sustain staff motivation and student-focused innovation. Drawing from her own career journey, Erica encourages other career leaders in decentralized environments to understand the specific context of their institutions, prioritize student needs above all, and foster a culture of curiosity and open partnership.

Resources from the episode:

• Erica’s LinkedIn profile
• Erica’s email: [email protected] 
• Cornell’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