The biggest lesson for me was that trust is what turns a career office into a resource students will actually use — when an advisor connects early and genuinely, students lower their guard and start naming the obstacles standing between them and a job. Alumni strike me as the most powerful and least tapped relationship of all; beyond guest speaking, they can mentor current students, run mock interviews, open doors to employers, and even shape how our programs evolve. I plan to treat relationship-building as a two-way investment, deepening ties with alumni, employers, and the surrounding community so our graduates walk into a marketplace that already recognizes and welcomes them.
