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Jill Boatright currently serves as the Director of the Career Development Center at Loyola University New Orleans. A Virginia native, she received both her B.A. in Sociology and Foreign Affairs and her M.Ed. in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Affairs Practice from the University of Virginia. She is certified in both the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and currently serves as the co-chair for SoACE’s Employer Relations Knowledge Group. She can be reached via email at boatrigh@loyno.edu or found on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillboatright/.
How did you get into the Career Services profession?
My start in the profession began in the career center at the University of Virginia where I served as a graduate assistant while pursuing my Master’s in Higher Education. I started my graduate program without a clear vision of what I wanted to be doing after I graduated. I knew I wanted to work with and have an impact on students, but I had no idea what functional area to purse. Shortly after starting my graduate assistantship in career services, I knew I had found my “home.” I was excited by the fact that every day was different. I had the opportunity to work with both students and employers and to do everything from one-on-one coaching, to small group work, to large scale programming and events.
Describe your SoACE experience. How did you get involved and what do you do for SoACE?
My first exposure to SoACE was during my first year as a full-time professional when I attended the annual conference in Savannah, GA. It was such a great experience that I knew I wanted to get more involved. I volunteered to serve on the New Member Committee and started working with a great group of SoACE newbies and veterans to plan events for first-time conference attendees. I loved serving on this committee, because I was able plan and participate in events aimed at giving first-time conference attendees the same warm welcome I received at my first conference in Savannah.
From there, I served on the conference committee in 2014 and 2015 for the annual conferences in New Orleans and then Austin. Serving on the conference committee is honestly one of the most fun things I have done as a professional. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a full year of hard work and SOOO many conference calls, but it is also an incredibly rewarding experience. It gives you a great appreciation for what goes into planning a regional conference and provides you with the opportunity to get to know and work alongside other passionate, dedicated professionals you may not have met otherwise.
More recently, I served as the Employer Relations Summit Chair in 2017 for the ER Summit in Nashville, TN. Having gotten my start in career services as a career coach, this event is always incredibly informative for me and adds to my ever-growing understanding of employer relations. Each year, I leave the Summit with unique programming ideas and employer development strategies that I implement on my own campus. Serving as Summit Chair and leading the Summit committee only added to the experience! If you are an employer relations professional and have not attended the ER Summit, I highly suggest you attend this year’s summit in Charlotte, NC later this month.
Today, I serve as the co-chair of the Employer Relations Knowledge Group. I work with a great team to plan and implement virtual professional development opportunities (such as webinars, tweet chats, and Facebook Live events) as well as in-person networking opportunities for employer relations and employer members at the annual conference.
What advice do you have for new professionals who aspire to leadership roles?
Get involved! Join a KG. Respond to calls for volunteers. Attend the annual conference and network with as many people as possible. We work in the business of developing relationships and facilitating connections for our students. Don’t get so bogged down in your everyday work that you forget to do this for yourself! Building and investing in your professional relationships will only help you become a stronger professional for your students.
What is your favorite quote?
“The future depends on what you do today.”
What is your favorite hobby when you’re not working?
Swimming! As a former competitive swimmer, I love spending time in the pool. I swim laps every week. It’s how I relax, de-stress, and disconnect from life outside the pool.
