RISD Works Series: Susan Andersen, Associate Director, Career Center

Growing up in the New Jersey and the New York Metro area, Susan Andersen knew by high school that her path would lead to an art- and design-related career. A campus visit at age 16 brought her to RISD for the first time, and although she ultimately ended up receiving her BFA in painting from the Pratt Institute, she never forgot that RISD visit.

What drew you to RISD?
After graduating from Pratt, I received a travel fellowship to study traditional hand papermaking in Japan. I lived in a farmhouse three hours outside of Tokyo, where I learned the process of papermaking and small book publishing. It was an incredible experience. When I returned to New York, it was time to look for a job, and I ended up working for Dieu Donné in Brooklyn. I became an assistant director, helping artists with the production of their artwork. I was also making and showing my own work. These experiences were rewarding, but I felt that I needed my world to expand beyond what I was doing at the time.

Ultimately, that led me to return to school, where I earned a degree in counseling and psychology. After completing my M.Ed. at Columbia University, a position opened up at the RISD Career Center. The day I was offered the position was very memorable because I knew that working in the Career Center at RISD would be the perfect professional home, given my love of art and design, creativity, and counseling. It’s been the perfect mashup, and I have worked here for most of my professional career. There is something extremely special about RISD, thanks in large part to its students, my colleagues, and the larger RISD community.  

What is the RISD Career Center?
The Career Center is where we build the bridge between this incredible RISD world and the professional world outside. In addition to professional advisors and administrators, our staff are creative people with diverse backgrounds and experiences in the art and design world. Two of our staff members are also RISD alums.

In addition to career advising, we offer resources and in-person and online opportunities to help students receive industry feedback, job search, and build their networks. Our annual Design Portfolio Review and Fine Arts Portfolio Review bring professionals (33% of whom are RISD alumni) to meet with students, see their work, provide feedback, and give advice on how to consider their work from an industry perspective. Portfolio reviews are unlike any other experience. That 1:1, supportive but unfiltered, advice provides our students with a deeper understanding of how to consider their work in a marketable way. It gives our students a way to build their network by connecting with people in industries that interest them. There is tremendous gratification in seeing the positive impact that these reviews have. This type of guidance and the networks students can develop are essential to finding mentors and moving forward as emerging professionals. My own mentors brought me to places of immense professional satisfaction.

In addition to these large multi-industry events, we also regularly bring recruiters and hiring managers to campus, host a virtual internship fair (Internship Connect), and work with departments to arrange panels and presentations. As the employer relations manager, one of my priorities is to develop and facilitate these kinds of campus visits.

And, our services are for life. RISD graduates are always welcome to reach out to us for help with their careers. Most often, we meet with alumni who are within five years of graduation; however, we are also here to support alumni at any stage of their professional journey, offering advice on job changes and career transitions.

How would you explain your role to someone unfamiliar? How do students interact with you? 
My job is meeting with students, listening to their questions, and brainstorming with them the “where” and “how” of finding a place for what they do. I work with them to hone in on their aspirations and ideas, and discuss ways to translate them into careers after graduation. My goal is to understand who they are and what matters to them, and how I can help them move in the direction they want to go. I always ask them, “What's your pace, what's your speed?” and then we work on short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.

In addition to working directly with students, my colleagues and I also work as liaisons between the career center and the academic departments. We regularly connect with department heads and faculty to pool resources and check in on the vibe of the students and what they are seeing as student needs and priorities.

We are a very collaborative office, and we promote ourselves as generalists. Advising schedules are posted online in ArtWorks, and students can view all of our schedules and make an appointment that works for them. If a student has questions that are specific to someone's speciality (i.e. entrepreneurship) we might advise making an appointment to speak to someone specific in the office.

Job searching can be challenging.The process can be overwhelming. When a student is ready, we are here to meet with them and support their efforts.

What do you find most rewarding about working with RISD students / working at RISD?
I really love being able to show career possibilities through alumni career journeys and paths. I often start by sharing the alum's LinkedIn profile. I encourage students not only to look at the job they have now, but also to consider their first jobs. Quite a few list their RISD work-study jobs and early internships, and that is because it was important to their career and who they became. I want the students to understand that they need to look at successful careers in context, that it all builds a foundation for the job they are seeking.

Do you have any favorite RISD experiences or standout memories?
I had an illustration student who had been meeting with me pretty regularly. They were a campus leader, an incredible student with amazing work, and had incredible opportunities. They were really torn about making a decision. One day, they arrived at my door with no appointment. What they said really stuck with me. “You are part of my circle of trust; I need you to think through this question with me.” It was such a privilege to be brought into someone’s world in this way.

It is our community that keeps me here, and it extends beyond my colleagues. Our students become alumni, and I am still in touch with many of them. Our alumni want to give back and support our students as they navigate the professional world. They are incredible.

I feel honored to work with my colleagues who care about our students in the way I do. I am so lucky that I can come to work here everyday.

If families want more information about the Career Center, what resources would you direct them to?

FOR FAMILIES 
Also linked on the Career Center website (top navigation bar on the home page)

CAREER CENTER MISSION AND VALUES

CAREER RESOURCES BY MAJOR
For example:
Apparel Design

All these topics are covered in the Career Resources by Major section:
- Career Paths/Job Titles
- Places where students have recently interned
- Internship,Job, and Opportunity Boards
- Professional Directories, Organizations, and Communities
- Grants, Fellowships, and Residencies
- RISD Media Student and Alumni Stories
- Creative Study