Career Center employees resign en masse

The center is seeing multiple departures for varied reasons.

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Ryan Smolko's LinkedIn. The team of the Career Center enjoying a meal together.

The Career Center is facing a possible staffing shortage after many of their employees have announced they will be resigning from their posts. For some, it comes down to the convenience of being able to work remotely, something that is not possible due to the nature of the work at the Career Center. As Emma Hamm ‘10 said, “The departures are coincidentally happening simultaneously and those of us who are leaving are doing so for varied reasons. For me, I enjoy working from home and will be working from home full-time for an educational technology company.” 

Sean Schofield, executive director of career services, is proud of those pursuing other opportunities saying, “I am excited that they are practicing what they coach students and alumni to do each day.”

“The departures are coincidentally happening simultaneously and those of us who are leaving are doing so for varied reasons. For me, I enjoy working from home and will be working from home full-time for an educational technology company.” 

Those that are leaving their posts had nothing but positive things to say about their time working at Muhlenberg. Samantha Hof, career center director of employer engagement, said that her “time working at Muhlenberg was the best!” 

 Schofield echoed that sentiment saying, “Quite honestly, Muhlenberg is a family. I have worked at three other institutions, and none rival the feeling of camaraderie and support that I’ve experienced here. This institution has something very special, and I think that it’s reflected throughout the students, faculty, staff and alumni and it’s why so many folks remain connected to Muhlenberg for life.” 

Hamm noted that her experience working at Muhlenberg has made her appreciate her time as a student even more. She said that, “This place is so special to me and I will miss a lot about it. Working here opened my eyes to all the time and effort faculty and staff put into making the student experience as valuable and enjoyable as possible. Seeing this behind the scenes work made me appreciate my four years as a student even more than I did before. I’m grateful that I will remain connected to Muhlenberg as an alumna.”

The College has upheld that the changes in staffing will not change the Career Center’s operations. Ryan Smolko, one of the remaining staff members at the Career Center and director of career coaching and education, said, “Some positions have already been filled and will be starting shortly. Others are posted, and interviews will start soon. We are excited to bring in a new group of professionals that will have a high level of expertise and resources to help Muhlenberg students and continue the high level of work that has been done.” 

Even with the staffing shortage, there is “currently no wait time for students to meet with a staff member in the office,” according to Smolko. He also mentioned that in addition to relaunching the Career Road Trips program, a networking opportunity where students meet with several employers in various cities, a few new initiatives will be launched in the fall, though details about them are not yet finalized. 

Brooke Leon ‘23 is excited for the road trip opportunities saying, “I know that when I was a freshman I really wanted to go on a road trip, but I was in class during that time so I wasn’t able to go.” She is also eager about the new programs that the Career Center is launching. “It is a great way to better support students and I hope they can provide more workshops and have people come in to speak about their respective professions and have hands-on opportunities,” she said. 

“It is a great way to better support students and I hope they can provide more workshops and have people come in to speak about their respective professions and have hands-on opportunities”

The launching of new programs in the fall indicates that the distribution of funds from the Boundless Campaign is not being impacted by the recent staff changes. President Harring provided an update, saying, “The funds being raised for the Career Center through the Boundless campaign directly support student experiences—career road trips, internships, externships, projectships and low- and no-pay internships. These are vital financial resources to ensure all of our students have access to these important experiences and are a priority of the campaign.”

Despite the challenges that come with the changing economy, Schofield is confident in the administration’s ability to help Muhlenberg thrive. As he said at the end of his interview, “All of higher education is experiencing considerable change right now, and I believe that I’m in a fortunate position because rather than try to hide that or gloss over it, our leadership is focused on using a mixture of data and interpersonal feedback to inform decisions and keep this institution grounded in our history yet focused on our future.”

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