Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself to you and share a little bit about the University of Providence Career Services. We (my wife, three children, and I) moved here from Portland, Oregon in the middle of January and were welcomed by the coldest February on record with near record snow amounts. My mother-in-law, who has lived in Great Falls for more than forty years, kept telling me, “I have to tell you something, this is not what it is normally like in Great Falls.” After thirty days of those words I began to be skeptical, but the last few weeks have restored my confidence in her words.
I have been in higher education for almost twenty years. The majority of that time I was the Director of academic success, which included three areas: career services, academic support, and disabilities resources services. I am very excited to be the Career Services Director at the University of Providence because I believe in the leadership, have great colleagues here, and I am confident that our best days are still in front of us.
I want to thank those of you who participated in our senior alumni events and career fairs. We had thirty employers at career fairs this spring, and it was great to meet many of you who came both as employers and job seekers. We are working diligently to grow our programs and to expand our relationship with the Great Falls business community and Providence Saint Joseph’s Health to facilitate more internships, cooperative education, and apprenticeships for non-medical majors.
Career fairs are just one of the resources available for alums, again feel free to join as an employer or job seeker. You can also post jobs on our career platform, get career counseling, help with your job search, receive guidance on your resume or cover letter, or connect with seniors and other alums at one of our partner events with the alumni.
Finally, I would like to tell you about the great team of student workers (emerging professionals) who work in the center with me. They truly pour themselves into supporting students and alum. I am so grateful for an alum who recognized the value of a well-staffed career center and donated designated funds that will allow us to keep one of our seniors on staff for ten hours a week after graduation.
If you have any questions or want to explore partnerships or ways we can support you, feel free to contact me at Rodney.johanson@uprovidence.edu or 406-791-5216.
