Meet Colleen Rusnak, the newest member of Student Services at Herron

In mid-January, Herron's student services team grew with the addition of Colleen Rusnak as associate director of student services and career development, a new position at the school. However, Colleen isn't new to IUPUI – she most recently worked at the Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis as assistant director of internships.

We caught up with Colleen to get to know her, to learn more about what she'll be doing, and to hear what she's discovered so far.

HERRON: Tell us about your position and what you plan to build here at Herron in terms of career services?

COLLEEN RUSNAK:In my position, I will provide career services and career development support for all Herron students. This includes job search strategies, resume and cover letter reviews, LinkedIn assistance, networking, experiential learning, and interviewing. Another large component [of my work] will be tracking where Herron students find employment after graduation.

Also, I hope to build a large network of employers focused on hiring Herron students for internships and full-time positions. In the future, I would like to hold a career fair specifically for Herron students in addition to promoting IUPUI's campus career events.

HERRON: You recently joined us from the Kelley School of Business. What about the Herron opportunity made you say "Yes" when you were offered the job?

RUSNAK: I love being in a creative environment with individuals who think outside the box. I was also enticed by the opportunity to build career services for students from the ground up and I'm excited about creating resources for students. Everyone has been very friendly, sincere and genuine – it's an awesome environment to work in.

HERRON: In your brief time here, what have you noticed about Herron students and what they bring to the table in the job market?

RUSNAK: The number one skill that employers report each year that new graduates are lacking is critical thinking. Herron students are continually immersed in a creative process and reworking things to reach their goal. As well, Herron students learn attention to detail and have to endure criticism of their work. These are skills that they will need in the workplace and the skills most students are lacking. This sets the Herron student apart from other graduates and I am here to help them market these skills to employers.

HERRON: We've heard you love to ski! We have to assume you've been soaking up the Winter Olympics coverage. Do you have any favorite events?

RUSNAK: My favorite event is freestyle skiing because of all of the cool jumps and tricks. I like to watch the mogul events, snowboarding, and ski jumping as well. Personally, I love to ski moguls and go on trick parks, so those events are a lot of fun to watch.

HERRON: Anything else you'd like to share with the Herron community?

RUSNAK: I am a fun, energetic person and I love fashion and all things that are innately creative. I like working out and I try to get in a good walk during my lunch. I'm close with my family and I have two nieces and a nephew whom I adore. They live in Colorado so I try to travel there as much as possible to see them (and hit the slopes).

Current students are highly encouraged to make an appointment with Colleen to discuss post-graduation plans and ask any career development questions. For Herron alumni, drop Colleen a note at crusnak@iupui.edu and let her know what you're up to!