How Career Services Can Support Students in a Tough Job Market (feat. John Koelliker)

The job market hasn't been this hard for students and recent grads in decades. In this episode, host Meredith Metsker sits down with John Koelliker, co-founder and CEO of Leland—a platform that connects students and professionals with expert coaches and partners directly with career centers to amplify their impact.John works with tens of thousands of students and the employers trying to hire them. He brings a clear-eyed, front-row view of what's actually happening out there—and what career services professionals can do right now to help students navigate it.In this episode:Why this job market is uniquely difficult—and what's really driving itWhere the real pockets of opportunity exist for new grads (hint: it's not where most students are looking)Why the "generalist business" path is struggling and what students should do insteadThe power of being hypothesis-driven early—and how career centers can help without overwhelming studentsWhy in-person still wins in an era of AI-generated applicationsWhat the best career centers are doing differently right nowWhy career services engagement is one of the strongest leading indicators of student outcomes—and how to make that case to leadershipAbout John Koelliker: John Koelliker is the co-founder and CEO of Leland, a platform connecting students, recent grads, and professionals with expert coaches for career navigation and skill-building. Leland also partners with career centers to extend their reach and support for students. Before founding Leland, John worked in venture capital and operations and started his career at LinkedIn. He's based in Utah.Resources from the episode:John's LinkedIn profileJohn's email: [email protected] Leland—platform connecting students and professionals with expert career coaches; also partners directly with career centersDesigning Your Life—referenced indirectly through the "life design" and "prototyping" conversationSandbox—entrepreneurship program mentioned by John that gives college students academic credit to build companies; currently offered at a handful of universities Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community