FloridaACE 2026

Career offices at any-sized school are often challenged by limited staff and resources, many of which we know will not increase in the future. Instead of pushing for outside resources, have we considered looking within our offices and colleges? This session challenges the idea that student employees serve only as front desk support or event staff, and instead positions them as strategic contributors to the work of career services. At Eckerd College, through intensive training and established trust, our student employees are tasked and run programs such as peer advising, industry research, job procurement, marketing and content creation, blog writing, professional headshots, and mentorship program support. This drastically increases the work of 3 full-time staff members to include a team of 10. Reimagining student employment as work-based learning, allows career services staff to develop critical skills for the workforce for their students, as well as letting career centers to expand capacity while empowering students as active partners in career development. This model not only enhances office operations but also creates meaningful professional development opportunities for our student staff.