Director of Employer and Alumni Relations Jocelyn Coalter to Leave YU

Ms. Jocelyn Coalter, Director of Employer and Alumni Relations at Yeshiva University’s Career Center for a little over four years, announced by email last month that she would be leaving her position on September 25. Her new position will be to serve as the Director of Career Services on the Staten Island Campus of St. John’s University.

When asked about why she decided to leave Yeshiva University, Coalter emphasized that she “wouldn’t necessarily call it a decision to leave so much as taking another opportunity that presented itself to me. I was actually approached regarding this new position. The position is a step up from my current role, and I will be overseeing all aspects of the office.” Mr. Marc Goldman, the current Executive Director of Yeshiva University’s Career Center, expressed similarly that “Jocelyn’s decision was a tough one, and she really did not have any desire to leave YU or the Career Center. It was all about the new opportunity.”

“I do not think her leaving is part of any trend or theme at YU,” said Goldman in response to the suggestion that Ms. Coalter’s departure is part of a trend of faculty leaving YU. “A four-year tenure in a college career office is far from uncommon, especially when someone is successful and still has room to grow and move up the ladder as a professional.” Indeed, Goldman was clear about his positive sentiments toward his colleague as a professional. “I am disappointed to see Jocelyn leave the Career Center team after four years of making a strong contribution to YU,” remarked Goldman, “but I know she is moving on to a better position for her at this point in her career and life. And how can the head of a career services office not be supportive of that?”

During Ms. Coalter’s years at YU, her role involved increasing regular and consistent communication and collaboration with constituents beyond the Career Center team and employers. Coalter also noted that her tenure saw an increase in the number of fairs and on-campus recruiting opportunities for students. “Behind the scenes,” said Coalter, “my role increasingly entailed managing and analyzing information and overseeing the YU CareerLink system.” Coalter added that “in addition, because a large part of my background is in counseling, I think I had increasing student interaction as time went on.”

One of the other potential losses with Coalter’s departure is the impact it will have on the employer relationships that she built over the years. Yet the Career Center is confident that it will be able to manage going forward. “Jocelyn did not build the employer relationships on her own,” noted Goldman. “She was the point person for a team effort that included Career Center staffers as well as YU colleagues and external constituents. And her predecessor, Sarah Rosen, had laid the foundation for our Employer Relations efforts from 2007 until Jocelyn’s arrival in 2011.”

Goldman and YU Human Resources are currently conducting a search to fill Ms. Coalter’s position. Ms. Coalter pointed out that “although YU is in a hiring freeze, due to the fact that the Director of Employer and Alumni Relations is such an integral role within the Career Center, and we are already short staffed as it is (we have a counselor on leave and had lost a position within the office a few years ago), they will be filling this position.” Goldman stressed that he is “confident we will find another great career services professional to be our next Director of Employer and Alumni Relations”.

Since Coalter’s departure, the various members of the Career Center have been managing different roles and aspects of her job. Coalter advised students to “be aware that while the staff will be doing all they can to maintain the level of service we have always been proud to provide, there may be longer wait times for appointments for a few weeks after the [Sukkot] break.” Goldman as well related how currently it is a crazy busy time for the Career Center. “Jocelyn’s departure came at a peak busy time for our office,” said Goldman. “I just ask that the students exercise a bit of patience and understanding with my team, who are working very hard to keep things going smoothly and successfully for them as always.”

While Ms. Coalter is optimistic about her future, she noted that her leaving “was a very difficult decision to make. YU has been a wonderful place to work the last four years. I truly enjoy working with the current students. I am always amazed by the many alumni who want to pay it back and support YU, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with at the Career Center.”

“YU students impress me every day with their ambitions and dreams,” commented Coalter as a final message to students. “I wish all of you success, both for your remaining time at YU and wherever life after graduation takes you.”