5 Ways to Measure Career Center Effectiveness (feat. Rebekah Paré)

Rebekah Paré shares five ways career services leaders can measure career center effectiveness—beyond the standard metrics.--In this episode of the Career Everywhere Podcast, host Meredith Metsker is joined by higher ed career services veteran and Paré Consulting founder, Rebekah Paré, to explore how career centers can measure (and improve) their effectiveness.With a wealth of experience in both academic affairs and career services, Rebekah shares five core strategies that career leaders can use to optimize their centers and clearly demonstrate value to institutional stakeholders.Rebekah’s five-part framework includes:Strategic orientation: Is your center leading or reacting? Do you have defined goals and KPIs? Rebekah outlines how clear goals and alignment with institutional initiatives can transform a career center from reactive to proactiveInstitutional alignment: Are you helping your institution meet its top priorities like enrollment, retention, and workforce readiness? Learn how to connect your work with the university’s strategic plan—even if you weren’t originally included in the process.Academic integration: Are you bridging academics and career? Rebekah highlights the importance of collaborating with faculty across all disciplines to embed career competencies and experiential learning directly into the curriculum. Plus, she shares a few strategies on how to do exactly that!Student reach and service design: Who are you serving, and how? Discover how to use disaggregated data, intentional design, and scalable service models to ensure equitable access and impact, especially for first-gen and non-traditional students.Communications and influence: Can others articulate your value? From one-pagers to speechwriter talking points, Rebekah shares tactical ideas for making career center impact visible and memorable to presidents, provosts, and beyond.Rebekah emphasizes that effectiveness goes beyond the standard metrics. It’s about driving transformation, building buy-in, and aligning your work with campus-wide goals.Whether you're trying to scale services, deepen partnerships with academic departments, or advocate for resources, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you lead more strategically.Bonus: Hear about Rebekah’s swing band side hustle, her unapologetic liberal arts roots, and her answer to the ultimate philosophical question: What kitchen spice are you?Resources from the episode:Rebekah’s LinkedIn profileRebekah’s websiteRebekah’s newsletterRebekah’s guest post: The New Rules of Career Services Advocacy in Higher EduConnect’s Virtual Career Center platform Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community