UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For college students planning for their careers, preparation is everything and having varied experience is vital.
That makes Julie Miller, the manager of internships in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the ideal liaison for communications majors at Penn State. When connecting students to alumni and proven professionals, Miller leans on her own varied industry experience to steer students toward success.
Miller earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State in speech communication and speech science, respectively. She also has previous experience as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Penn State’s women’s volleyball team, and as the director of communications for the State College Area School District.
Miller believes her previous experiences help her in her current role, especially because communication has always been at the core of her work.
“It was kind of a perfect blend of all of the communication I’d been doing over time plus interacting on a day-to-day basis with students, and pulling in some of the motivational things and the coaching side,” Miller said. “It’s been a great mix.”
Because the experiences make her efficient and strong at her job, students benefit as a result. She’s an important member of the Office of Internships and Career Services in the Bellisario College.
While Assistant Dean Bob Martin works mostly with senior students ready to leap into the industry, Miller fosters the growth of younger students, so they’re prepared to see Martin in their final year at Penn State.
“I like helping them develop a plan and empowering them to execute,” Miller said.
Miller brings creativity to the position as well. She’s just getting started on new ideas for the office.
For example, this semester she and two other instructors conducted first-year seminars incorporating a Career Ready Guide partnership that primes students for success from their very first semester. The 10-week course was designed to help students think about eventual careers.
“This is the first time that we’ve been able to roll it out. We are presenting this really valuable, tangible learning guide that’s allowing those students to have manageable chapters,” Miller said. “Each chapter is essentially one of the identified NACE [National Association of Colleges and Employers] career competencies — things that most employers and universities have identified as critical skills for success following graduation.”
She’s determined to help students succeed.
“We try to make sure we see as many of our students as we possibly can over the course of their career so that we have a chance to have that impact because we know we have the resources,” she said.
Still, perhaps the best resource students have is Miller herself.