Leveraging Technology to Leverage the Humans

In 2018 (I think), I had the chance to visit Deloitte’s Greenhouse in Waterloo, and it felt like stepping into a dream. A place dedicated to growing ideas—where innovation meets ideation. It was an inspiring space, buzzing with people who not only talked about cool ideas but were actively bringing them to life. I sat in awe as I learned about an institution in Ireland that created a campus assistant for all of its students. It was called Genie at Deakin University – this was 7 years ago (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsRPuU53E74)  

I turned to my then-boss (shoutout to @AnnaLathrop, who always listened to my wild ideas) and said, “We need this. Every student deserves a career coach or an Alexa-like assistant to answer their questions. This is brilliant!” I even went as far as buying a bunch of Alexas, hoping to track someone down at Amazon who could help make this idea a reality with some one-time grant money we had to spend. Unfortunately, Amazon didn’t answer, and other priorities took over. But that concept has always stayed with me because I truly believe it’s something post-secondary institutions desperately need. 

Here’s the reality: Research consistently shows that the top two reasons students go to post-secondary institutions are to (1) get a job or (2) get a better job. (Shoutout to @GrahamDonald @BrainstormConsulting – in my over 15 years of reading your surveys, this has never changed!). Sure, students study what they enjoy or what they’re good at, but at the end of the day, their education is their pathway to employment. It’s not to say that’s the only reason that higher ed exists – but we can’t pretend that it’s not the primary purpose of today’s education systems. Also, the PhD still needs a job in the end.  

Now here’s the kicker: there’s no way every student can have a one-on-one career coach on campus. It’s just not feasible. Instead, students engage with their career journeys in multiple ways—through internships, co-ops, projects, part-time jobs, career fairs, events, and other intersections in career-integrated education. But the reality is that students increasingly expect curated, personalized experiences. One student recently told us he believes students would give up the autonomy of choosing what jobs to apply for if we could just tell him the ones that make sense for him (terrifying when you think about how much career exploration means in career development).  

In a world where “For You” pages and targeted ads feel like they know us better than we know ourselves, how can we possibly deliver individualized career experiences with limited staffing and resources? How do we ensure every student can practice mock interviews when our offices are open from 9-5 and they want to meet at 10:30 at night after they get home from their part-time job? How do we avoid countless hours manually approving hundreds of resumes for access to a job board? And how do we offer personalized career coaching that tracks each student’s goals, achievements, and competencies—available anytime, anywhere? 

The answer is clear: Generative AI. 

One of my guiding philosophies has always been, “Leverage technology to leverage humans.” This isn’t new. For years, we’ve been integrating more and more technology into our operations to lighten the load, become more efficient, give more data and make our lives “easier” (I know that’s debatable). But the capacity these technologies can offer is today is mind-blowing. 

Of course, just because the technology exists doesn’t mean it’s plug-and-play. Success requires intentionality. To make it work, you need well-thought-out processes, clear policies, seamless workflows, robust operations, comprehensive training, and—most importantly—talent. Some schools are already leading the charge (looking at you, Seneca), while others are still wrestling with critical questions: Which tools should we use? How do we integrate them effectively? What are the risks and rewards? These are all valid questions, and they reflect the thoughtful hesitation that comes with innovation. Meanwhile, students are already using AI tools on their own, often outpacing the resources available to them on campus. Even something as basic as providing a “how-to” guide for using generative AI to write a resume can feel like a stretch for some institutions as a result of lack of human resources – especially in career education departments.  

Then there’s the fear factor: concerns about whether these tools will replace jobs, or if they’ll ever truly measure up to human expertise. But as Voltaire once said, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” This assumes, of course, that our current human-driven interactions are already delivering “perfect” outcomes for every student—which, let’s be honest, they’re not. Effectively leveraging these tools requires strategy and a sharp focus on achieving the best return on investment, and that’s where we’re increasingly finding ourselves stepping in with our clients. 

We’re even collaborating with companies to help them understand the challenges campuses face in these areas, developing tools to bridge the gaps and improve the experience—not just for students, but also for the staff and teams who support them. Because let’s face it: spending countless hours reviewing thousands of resumes or conducting hundreds of mock interviews is not the best use of our human talent. It’s time to refocus that talent on higher-value, more impactful work, and let the technology handle what it does best. 

This week’s job roundup includes a unique position at McMaster University: a Special Advisor to the Provost focused on Generative AI integration. This is a role that acknowledges how critical leveraging AI will be to the future of education. If you’re someone who already knows how to tackle this challenge, check out the posting at McMaster. And for those still figuring it out, let’s keep the conversation going—comment below and share your thoughts! 

Here’s the thing: We’ll always need the humans. (Hence, the incredible roles we’ve included in this week’s roundup). But soon, we’ll start to see job postings that require a blend of human expertise and the ability to leverage these cutting-edge technologies. It’s this combination of skills that will shape the next generation of student engagement, student services, and learning. 

British Columbia 

  • Associate Vice President, Students – BCIT 
    Open Until Filled 
  • Clinical Placement Assistant – UNBC 
    Closes: Nov. 27, 2024 
  • Community-Engaged Learning Coordinator – UVIC 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 
  • Coordinator, Student Engagement – Royal Roads 
    Closes: Nov. 26, 2024 

Alberta 

  • Director, Strategic Projects (Haskayne School of Business) – U of Calgary 
    Closes: Nov. 26, 2024 
  • Business Development Specialist (Schulich School of Engineering) – U of Calgary 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 
  • Manager, Leadership (Haskayne School of Business) – U of Calgary 
    Closes: Nov. 29, 2024 
  • Work Integrated Learning Specialist – McEwan 
    Closes: Nov. 21, 2024 
  • Work Integrated Learning Coordinator (Vermilion Campus) – Lakeland College 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 

Ontario 

  • Work Integrated Learning Coordinator (Faculty of Management) – Laurentian 
    Closes: Dec. 3, 2024 
  • Manager, First Year Engineering Office Operations – TMU 
    Closes: Nov. 27, 2024 
  • Co-op and Internship Officer – Ontario Tech 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 
  • Employer Liaison Officer (2 positions) – Ontario Tech 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 
  • Student Talent Coach (8-month contract) – Brock 
    Closes: Dec. 2, 2024 
  • Career Resource Advisor – Trent 
    Closes: Nov. 25, 2024 
  • Work Integrated Learning Coordinator – UofT Scarborough 
    Closes: Nov. 24, 2024 
  • Industry Liaison Associate – Queens 
    Closes: Nov. 26, 2024 

Quebec 

  • Skills Development Officer – McGill 
    Closes: Dec. 5, 2024 
  • Co-op & Internships Manager – McGill 
    Closes: Nov. 30, 2024