Name: Jeff Jenkins
Title: Senior Assistant Director/Training Director
Department: Northwestern Career Advancement
Where are you from? I’m originally from Michigan, However I’ve lived in the Chicagoland area since attending graduate school.
What brought you to Student Affairs? A friend of my wife worked at career services on campus. At the time, I was working as a mental health counselor and I started to meet with more college aged students who had mental health concerns. I realized I liked working with college students and I was looking to transition from mental health counseling into career counseling. When I heard a position was opening in career services, I conducted informational interviews, applied and got the job. This was a natural transition for me. A portion of my counselor training in graduate school focused on career and vocational counseling.
How many years have you worked in Student Affairs at Northwestern? 16
What’s your favorite part about working in Student Affairs? One of my favorite parts of working in Student affairs is the students. Every day I get to work with students helping them explore career options. It is great to see those moments when students make connections from the classroom to applying those passions to a career outside of Northwestern. Another favorite part of working in Student Affairs are the staff. Whether that is in pursuit of an internship/job, exploring career or academic options, or connecting NU students to alumni and employers, I work with a very talented and driven group of individuals dedicated to helping students become their best selves.
What recommendation(s) do you have for someone new to Student Affairs? Get to know colleagues around the division. Build relationships here at Northwestern and cultivate those connections with other professionals at peer institutions through professional development. One of the many perks of working in Student Affairs are our managers dedication to help staff develop professionally and grow your own skill sets.
Who or what has had the greatest influence on your career? I am fortunate to have good mentors to help guide me. Being part of the Big Ten as well as National career organizations has helped me connect with other career professionals who are willing to serve as mentors.
What inspires you? Seeing a great piece of theater. When you are moved by a play or musical and talk about it days after the performance. When theatre provokes change this is an awesome thing.
What can’t you live without? The Chicago/Chicagoland restaurant scene. I love exploring Chicago neighborhoods . Discovering new places to eat and visiting favorite restaurants is a fortunate advantage of living in a large metropolitan area.
How do you like to spend your free time? Spending time with my family, exploring Chicago neighborhoods, and traveling. Coaching my son’s hockey team. Writing plays and seeing theatre.
What’s your favorite spot on campus? I enjoy visiting the lakefront. I grew up spending time on the lake and have always enjoyed it’s calming quality.
Each week a different staff member in the division of Student Affairs will be featured. Staff can opt in to be featured, by filling out the Staff Spotlight Submission form. Student Affairs Marketing staff reach out to staff from across the division asking for participation. The spotlights will be featured in the Student Affairs Snapshot e-newsletter.