After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Hoffa worked on college campuses such as Syracuse University where she counseled students about their futures and possible career plans. When she first arrived at the College, students had no access to a search engine such as Experience, which allows students to search online for potential internships and job opportunities. Instead, students had to search through piles of books containing the information that is now easily accessible online. “It would take hours to research and find five different companies that were really interesting to you,” said Hoffa.
Under Hoffa’s guidance, the Career Center has flourished. “Technology has changed absolutely the way we work and operate. It’s an ongoing challenge to create a balance between providing the information that everyone needs, but also being available to talk with students individually, because it is so important as we help and guide them,” she commented.
But throughout Hoffa’s career here, she has experienced a change in students’ decisions following graduation. “Twenty years ago, there were more students who went directly into graduate school, straight from Amherst. Nowadays, there’s a tendency to delay that somewhat. To experience some kind of other activity, whether it’s a job, fellowship travel,” she observed. Today, about 20 percent of graduating seniors initially go to graduate school and after about five years, 80 percent of graduated seniors will have pursued some graduate school. In a similar change, 40 percent now work for not-for-profits following graduation and that number continues to climb; the Career Center has had to expand their facilities and services.
Under Hoffa’s guidance, the Center moved from its former location in Converse Hall to College Hall. The Center’s move three years ago demonstrates the large number of students who use the Center’s services to find a job to start their. Seventy-five percent of seniors say they have used the Career Center in their four-year career at the College.
Hoffa hopes students will continue to take advantage of the services the Career Center offers and that the number of students who utilize these services will continue to increase. “We have the goal of being sort of a destination for people to come, not just to ask questions for careers, but we want to encourage people to be here,” she said.