In an era where job titles, industries, and skills shift rapidly, what does it mean to truly prepare students for work and life—not just their first job?

In this energising episode of What Is Your Working Title?, we speak with Chiew Hoon Jones, a seasoned career development leader whose work spans higher education, venture capital and government. She draws on her recent work as the Director of Career Development and Experiential Learning of Northeastern University in Seattle, USA.

If you’re working in education, HR, or you are a manager, a career coach; this episode is a must-listen.

In a world where today’s graduates may hold 20+ jobs in a 100-year life, we need career development systems that build both capability and adaptability. As Chiew Hoon puts it, career education must now focus on “lifelong learning, interdisciplinary teamwork, and the human skills machines can’t replace; like empathy, active listening, and leadership.”

Chiew Hoon’s approach offers a grounded yet visionary take on:

How career professionals can scale impact by rethinking student engagement and using data
Ways to build university–industry partnerships with purpose
Ideas on how we can equip learners for a future of shifting identities and multiple careers

Career development is no longer a side dish. It’s the strategy.

Listen & Subscribe

🎧 Spotify → [Link]
🎧 Apple Podcasts → [Link]
🎧 YouTube → [Link]

Key Takeaways

🔁 From Career Services to Career Development — a long term view with short term interventions

🌱 Experience Expo: Learning Through Real Work — nothing beats real experience

🍱 Meeting Gen Z Where They Are (Yes, With Snacks) - effective marketing to raise awareness

📊 Using Data to Do Better - structured information to identify patterns for change

🌍 Lifelong Learning is the New Normal - design for the first job and futures in flux

🔁 From Career Services to Career Development

Chiew Hoon challenges outdated models that treat career support as optional or transactional. Instead, she advocates a systemic, strategic integration of career development across the student journey—from classroom conversations to co-curricular collaborations.

The language we use shapes how students engage. Calling it a “service” implies it’s optional and reactive. Chiew Hoon argues for a shift to “career development” as a strategic, developmental, and integrated journey—one that starts before graduation anxiety kicks in.

🌱 Experience Expo: Learning Through Real Work

One of her flagship initiatives, Experience Expo, is an 8-week experiential learning programme where students form interdisciplinary teams to solve live problems from industry partners. With faculty mentors, learning coaches and corporate guides, students grow their communication, collaboration, and leadership skills—all while building the confidence to speak about their value.

The result? Confidence, clarity, and often, internships or job offers.

🍱 Meeting Gen Z Where They Are (Yes, With Snacks)

With short attention spans and high stress levels, Gen Zs aren’t flocking to career centres. So Chiew Hoon goes to them—in classrooms, events, and even with snacks. From bringing career coaching directly into classrooms to hosting pizza-fuelled feedback sessions, Chiew Hoon’s approach is pragmatic and empathetic.

“We bring the human face of career development to their space,” she says, using humour, Q&As, and interactive polls to break the ice. Engagement, especially with Gen Z, starts with relationships, relevance—and sometimes, a chocolate reward for answering “Where’s the Career Centre?”

📊 Using Data to Do Better

With limited resources, scaling matters. Chiew Hoon shares how her team tracks student engagement, placement trends, and qualitative feedback to continuously refine programming.

These insights help her team scale what works, focus where support is needed, and advocate for institutional investment in career development.

🌍 Lifelong Learning is the New Normal

As job volatility grows and careers extend across decades, Chiew Hoon urges educators to design not for first jobs, but for futures in flux.

Preparing students for their first job may be the immediate KPI—but it’s not enough. Chiew Hoon urges us to go further: to equip students with an agile mindset and the ability to design careers that evolve with them.

Tune in for a conversation that invites you to reimagine career development as a lifelong journey—one that connects classrooms to boardrooms, builds human-centred skills, and prepares students not just for their next job, but for a future that keeps changing.

Connect with us:

🔗 Chiew Hoon’s LinkedIn

🔗 My Working Title’s LinkedIn

📩 Subscribe for more episodes!

Tags:
#CareerDevelopment #FutureOfWork #HigherEdInnovation #PodcastLaunch #WorkingTitlePodcast #CareerReinvention #LifelongLearning

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