Career Everywhere

uConnect
  • 4.9 (18)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

For too long, career services has been an afterthought. Now it's time for career services to be in the driver's seat, leading institutional strategy around career readiness. Join us every other Tuesday for in-depth interviews with today’s most innovative career leaders about how they’re building a campus culture of career readiness… or what we call Career Everywhere.

  1. FEB 3

    Proving the Value of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of AI (feat. Sharon Belden Castonguay)

    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

    50 min

  2. JAN 20

    Crafting Employer Engagement Strategies that Align with Your Institution’s Mission (feat. Gerald Tang)

    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

    51 min

  3. JAN 6

    Small Team, Big Impact: How Career Services Teams of 1-5 Can Drive Outsized Outcomes (feat. Anita DeCianni Brown, Nick Edwards, and Tyler Orr)

    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

    52 min

  4. 12/23/2025

    Funding Unpaid and Underpaid Internships Through Cross-Campus Collaboration (feat. Matt Cowley)

    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

    54 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    Launching an Experiential Learning Center at PennWest (feat. Josh Domitrovich, Rhonda Gifford, and Meaghan Clister)

    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

    52 min

  6. 11/25/2025

    AI’s Impact on the Workforce and What Career Teams Need to Know (feat. Jeremy Schifeling)

    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

    43 min

  7. 11/11/2025

    How to Secure New Funding Streams for Your Career Center (feat. Briana Randall)

    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

    47 min

  8. 10/28/2025

    Scaling Career Support for Nontraditional, Online Students (feat. Anita DeCianni Brown)

    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

    51 min
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4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

For too long, career services has been an afterthought. Now it's time for career services to be in the driver's seat, leading institutional strategy around career readiness. Join us every other Tuesday for in-depth interviews with today’s most innovative career leaders about how they’re building a campus culture of career readiness… or what we call Career Everywhere.

Information

  • Creator
    uConnect
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 uConnect
  • Show Website
    Career Everywhere