Erin Boswell, \u201907, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½’s newly hired\u00a0director for\u00a0the Office of Career Success and Professional Development, looks forward to helping current students and alumni achieve their career goals.<\/p>\n
“Erin Boswell is a phenomenal addition to the Division of Student Success,\u201d says Jen McCluskey, PhD, vice president for student success. \u201cWith her leadership, I am confident both students and alumni will experience innovative improvements in both career services and engagement opportunities.”<\/p>\n
Boswell will\u00a0implement new technology and expand\u00a0Ä¢¹½´«Ã½’s\u00a0life coach model to\u00a0better assist graduates as they work their way into the professional realm.<\/p>\n
Through a program focused on the whole student, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s life coaches go far beyond career counseling. They develop a personalized learning profile for each student which is instrumental in preparing them for a successful career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s really about bringing services to the student in a personalized way, instead of waiting for the student to reach out to us,\u201d Boswell says.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy end goal is to place each student in a job they want within a year of graduating,\u201d Boswell says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Currently, each Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ traditional first-year and sophomore student works with a life coach. As they move into their junior and senior years, they\u2019ll retain that individual, establishing a model in which every student has a life coach throughout their college experience.<\/p>\n
Office of Career Success and Professional Development<\/h6>\n
The career office comes into play the minute a first-year student steps onto campus. Students begin building r\u00e9sum\u00e9s and LinkedIn profiles, participate in mock interviews and assist with academic decisions such as changing majors. They\u2019re also introduced to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s MyCareer<\/a> online network, which will help them find internships and full- and part-time work.<\/p>\n
Boswell wants to create a more robust alumni website focused on expanding networking and job openings. The site could also link Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ graduates to current students.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would ideally be a place for alumni to be able to connect and recruit current students for internships and careers,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Boswell hopes these changes will result in higher student retention rates as well as better career outcomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy end goal is to place each student in a job they want within a year of graduating,\u201d Boswell says.<\/p>\n
Boswell previously worked as director of Undergraduate Student Services at St. Louis College of Pharmacy and is working on a PhD in educational leadership.<\/p>\n
The Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ graduate is certain she\u2019s found her own ideal job.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing back to Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is like coming home,\u201d Boswell says. \u201cI like being in a place where students come first.\u201d<\/p>\n
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