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EP
22
October 18, 2024
Episode #22: What’s Next for Graduate Student Career Placement and Success?

Graduate Student Career Placement and Success

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About the Episode

About the Episode: In this episode, we're joined by Robina Schepp, Vice President for Enrollment and Placement at Pace University in New York. Our discussion explores the strategies behind successful graduate student career placement and discusses how Pace, a school known for its deep connections with industry and employers, is helping students navigate the evolving job market.  Robina is here to share her insights and strategies to support career success for graduate students.

Key Takeaways

  • Targeted Employer and Enrollment Outreach: Pace University bridges the gap between student aspirations and employer needs by fostering deep industry connections.
  • Career Readiness Program: The university offers a structured career readiness program for graduate students, ensuring career preparation starts from day one.
  • Personalized Career Services: Career support is tailored based on students' individual backgrounds, whether they are new professionals, career switchers, or experienced individuals.
  • Industry-Specific Support: Performing arts students, for instance, are encouraged to work in the industry from day one, with strong faculty connections like Kathleen Turner and Mandy Moore.
  • Success Stories in Career Placement: International students at Pace have found great success with top U.S. employers, often gaining employment offers post-graduation.

Episode Summary

What’s Next for Pace University’s Initiatives in Career Placement?

Pace University continually refines its approach to graduate student career placement, ensuring a strong return on investment for students. One key initiative is the introduction of dedicated career services teams that focus on specific graduate programs. These teams guide students throughout their educational journey, ensuring they integrate career development from the start. Whether through classroom networks or employer recruiting events, students are well-supported throughout their time at Pace.

Pace has also created tracks based on students’ backgrounds, such as new professionals, career switchers, and experienced workers. Each group is funneled through a tailored Career Readiness Program, introduced this year for business students. This program offers personalized LinkedIn support, career track exploration, and ongoing sessions both in person and online.

How Does Pace University’s Enrollment Outreach Relate to Employer Outreach?

Robina emphasizes that both enrollment and employer outreach at Pace are highly targeted. By aligning the recruitment of students with the industries that have the strongest career opportunities, Pace creates a strategic match between students’ aspirations and the job market. Through data-driven gap analysis, the university identifies areas where employer relationships need strengthening and builds strategic roadmaps to foster those connections. Fields like advertising, marketing, entertainment, media, technology, and finance have been the focus of recent efforts.

How Does Pace Tailor Career Services for Diverse Graduate Fields?

Robina discusses how career services are tailored for fields like performing arts and business. In performing arts, students are encouraged to build industry connections early on, with support from prominent faculty members such as Kathleen Turner and Mandy Moore. In other fields like business and computer science, faculty members play a similar role in helping students develop networks through employer outreach and recruitment events. Across all disciplines, Pace fosters connections that are vital to the students’ future success.

How is Pace Helping Graduate Students Leverage Industry Connections?

Pace University’s emphasis on experiential learning helps students transition from education to the workforce. Whether through faculty connections, internships, or employer recruiting events, students have multiple channels for building a professional network. Career placement is a priority at Pace, with every effort geared towards ensuring that students, regardless of background, can secure a great job. This has been a central focus since the university's founding and remains a core part of its mission today.

What Are the Emerging Job Market Trends for Graduate Students?

Robina shares that emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and sustainability are shaping the future job market. Pace is preparing students to meet these demands by offering curriculum and career guidance that integrates these leading-edge topics. The university’s commitment to adapting its programs ensures that graduates are ready for the opportunities and challenges of tomorrow’s job market.

Connect With Our Host:

Dr. Ray Lutzky

About The Enrollify Podcast Network: Mastering the Next is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include The EduData Podcast and Generation AI.

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders,  innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.

Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.

Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.

People in this episode

Host

Dr. Ray Lutzky is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Element451 and the host of Mastering the Next.

Interviewee

Robina Schepp

Robina Schepp is the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Placement at Pace University. Having served Pace for almost 20 years, she leads undergraduate, graduate, and international enrollment, financial services, veterans’ services and career services for the private university with campuses in New York City, and Westchester County, NY. Known for experiential education and its strong connections to employers, Pace educates 13,000 students in its seven schools and colleges.

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