Overwhelmed by Options: Amanda Jeppesen on Student Employment, Career Decisions, and Real-World Learning

In this episode of Z-Rated Success: The Decision Lab for Education Leaders, Nick Zizi sits down with Amanda Jeppesen, Student Employment Specialist in Career and Student Employment Services at Western Michigan University.Amanda works closely with students, supervisors, and campus partners to help student employment become more than just a paycheck. In this conversation, she explains how on-campus jobs can become powerful real-world learning experiences when supervisors build in reflection, transferable skills, professional norms, and opportunities for students to connect what they are learning in class to what they are doing at work.Amanda also discusses why students are often overwhelmed by career decisions, how early they should start working with career services, and why asking questions is not a weakness. It is a sign of intelligence and engagement.This episode is for education leaders, student affairs professionals, career services teams, TRIO and GEAR UP professionals, supervisors of student employees, and anyone helping students turn experience into confidence, clarity, and better decisions.In this episode, we discuss:Why student employment can become a powerful learning experienceHow campus jobs help students build professional skillsWhy student employment is being viewed as experiential educationHow supervisors can design student jobs with learning in mindWhat students learn beyond earning a paycheckWhy many students feel overwhelmed by career decisionsHow career services can help students make better decisions earlierWhy asking clarifying questions matters in the workplaceWhat students often overlook about communication and responsibilityHow educators can connect students with the right people and opportunitiesAmanda’s “knuckleheaded decision” lesson about training supervisors clearlyMemorable quote:“You can do almost anything. But then it’s like, how do I decide?”Connect with Amanda Jeppesen:Amanda Jeppesen serves as the Student Employment Specialist in Career and Student Employment Services at Western Michigan University. She is active on LinkedIn and can be found by searching Amanda Jeppesen Western Michigan University.Learn more about Z-Rated Success:Visit z-ratedsuccess.comBring Nick Zizi’s Decision Lab keynote or training to your campus, district, or conference:Visit nickzizi.comLearn more about Z-Rated Success:Visit zratedsuccess.comBring Nick Zizi’s Decision Lab keynote or training to your campus, district, or conference:Visit nickzizi.com