Bronco Spotlight: Amanda Jeppesen

Bachelor of Arts, English, Spanish, 2014

Employer Engagement Assistant at Western Michigan University Career and Student Employment Services

I work to bring employers to campus to network with students. I do this through two broad components: 1) organizing smaller events for individual employers, like information sessions or practice interviews, and organizing five large-scale annual job fairs; 2) managing the technology we use in the process, like Handshake, TouchNet (a credit card processing system), and contributing to our department website.

What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is hearing about the connections between employers and students that come directly from events I organize. The most challenging part of my job is managing the volume of employers visiting campus every year and making sure the students are there to meet their needs.

Which of your skills had the biggest impact on your success?

The three skills that contribute most to my success are writing, research, and critical thinking. So much of my job relies on written conversations between me and employers communicating their needs and our solutions. Finding solutions requires research on their company and WMU's programs, and I often have to think critically and creatively to find a solution that meets the needs of the employer as well as the needs of their target population.

What advice would you offer students to help them decide on a career path?

Find something you're passionate about, and find a way to work for that cause. Think about it this way: the thing you're passionate about at the center of a wheel, with unlimited spokes radiating outward. Each spoke is a different job, in a different industry, that directly relates to your passion. Once you find your passion, identify your strongest skills – then work as hard as you can to strengthen them. Follow the combination of your passion and your skills while you seek experiences, and be open to trying a lot of different things. You’ll never know when something will click! My parents always told me, “Find your passion, and the job will follow.” They’ve never been wrong!

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