Employer relations professionals are bridge builders, cultivating the partnerships that connect students to internships, jobs, and industries they might never have discovered on their own.
When we think of Career Development, many people jump right to resume workshops and job fairs. For college Career Centers, the employer relations side of that work looks very different. These professionals speak two languages fluently: the language of student potential and the language of workforce need. They do not just fill pipelines - they also help employers understand what a new college graduate brings to the table, while helping students see themselves as professionals ready to step into the world of work. That role requires equal parts relationship management, industry fluency, and a genuine belief that the right opportunity at the right moment can change someone's life.
Tina Finnegan is the Director of Employer Relations at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Check out what she has to say about working in Career Development.
What drew you to higher education specifically, rather than a similar role in another sector?
I loved teaching and valued the difference education can make in one's life early on, but was also always drawn to health and business-related fields. So, higher education with a focus on workforce development and/or niche industry programming became my custom career design!
How have you grown or reinvented yourself professionally? What drove that change?
I formally started coaching individuals and groups in addition to my work in higher education, focused on career and leadership development. At Suffolk University's Career Center, I had the opportunity to receive professional development related to Gallup Clifton Strengths; it gave me newfound language to understand and best leverage people's talents with a forward-thinking approach. This inspired me to become certified myself, thanks again to Suffolk for supporting that professional growth, and eventually coach others from students to staff in related gains.
What's a skill or talent you bring to your role that wasn't in the job description?
A love and talent for languages, speaking 3 fluently and a couple beginner's or intermediate level additionally. Appreciating languages and engaging in them at a young age not only developed my communication skills, but opened me to culture and community in deeper, more authentic and diverse ways. These perspectives directly transfer to the workplace and bring a natural curiosity, adaptability, and attentiveness that I would never want to be without!
What do you wish more people understood about the role staff play in a college or university's success?
Our administrative roles in higher education support and build the infrastructures for program success and the people who run it help welcome and engage students, families, faculty, and industry partners to participate authentically and deeply. Creating a sense of community and belonging is crucial yet it is often not as leveraged or prioritized compared to other performance metrics or outputs as a deliverable upfront.
Tina Finnegan is the Director of Employer Relations at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. She holds a BA in English Literature & Spanish from Simmons University, an MEd in Language and Literacy from Harvard University. She is also a Career and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.
Do you have a colleague who is doing impactful work on a college campus? I’d love to connect and highlight their work!
