Willamette’s Office of Career Development is gearing up for the next semester with a number of changes — a new director, location and job posting service.
Mandy Devereux started work as director on June 12, filling the position previously held by Jerry Houser, who retired last year.
Devereux joins Willamette from the University of Oregon, where she worked for 10 years in a number of career services positions, most recently as director of the university’s employer partner program. Originally from Missouri and a Salem resident since 2015, Devereux is finishing an MBA in executive leadership at Oregon State University.
Devereux reports to Ruth Feingold, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, who says, “Mandy brings to us both a deep appreciation for the liberal arts and also a strong foothold in the rapidly changing world of work and career preparation. She has a background in and a commitment to working with students from underrepresented backgrounds that will enhance our ability to serve all our students.
“I can already attest to her energy, enthusiasm and the way she marries an appetite for research and data to a strongly personal (and personable) touch.”
Making connections
In her first days at Willamette, Devereux helped colleagues move back into the Putnam University Center, as the Office of Career Development is once again located on the UC’s third floor.
In addition to reestablishing the Career Development Center there, Devereux plans to focus initially on building relationships and making connections. She says, “We want to create collaborative partnerships across campus and within the community to best connect and prepare our students for the world of work.”
She’s also excited to help launch Handshake, a job posting service that is replacing JobCat. (More information about Handshake will be featured in a future Bearcat Bulletin article.) The online service provides students with links to hundreds of on- and off-campus jobs and internships. Used by more than 300 universities across the country, Handshake makes it easier for employers to post — and students to find — career opportunities.
“I’m looking forward to building relationships with students, faculty, staff, employers, parents and alumni,” Devereux says. “I love connecting people and am most excited to build a thriving career development program here at Willamette.”
