Michael Johnson is the Associate Director of External Programs, Internships and Career Services (EPICS) for the MSC program.  In this role Michael provides career coaching for students and alumni of the MSC program.  He also provides specific programming for students throughout the year including webinars and lunch presentations on a number of different career related topics.  He began working with the MSC program in January of 2016.

What is your favorite aspect of the MSC program?

Each student I work with is unique and that is exciting.  When you work in a specific trade or job function you develop unique skills and the students I work with have a variety of skills.  The students are the ones that drive the conversations, I’m constantly challenged to help find ways to deliver on their career goals and questions.

 A career transition is a very personal decision and many of our students use the program as a bridge – to get them from where they are to where they want to go. My job, and the job of the program, is to empower students to make those choices. In fact, that’s what career coaching is all about. It’s less about advising and more about challenging students.  I ask questions like where they want to go and why, what are their strengths and how they use them, or why (or why not) they are held back by fear.

 Why did you decide to come work for the MSC program?

My previous experience had been with undergraduate students and I was looking for an opportunity to work with students who were more seasoned and focused on what they wanted to do.  I enjoy working with graduate students because not only do they have more experience, but many have specific career goals in mind.  I’ve helped our students do everything from getting a promotion in their current company to switching careers entirely. 

 What makes Northwestern MSC different from other Masters in Communications programs?

We are one of few programs that I am aware of where a position like mine even exists.  Career Services, specifically a dedicated staff, are rare among graduate communication programs.  I am able to host Lunch & Learns and webinars with the students where we gather in smaller groups for workshops or presentations on specific career related content.  It has also become common for alumni to join in these to provide some of their perspective on how the MSC program has helped them in their specific industry.

 The program is also incredibly flexible and interpretive of how it relates to you.  The three learning themes, Managing Complexity, Collaborate Leadership and Elegant Communication are very broad and can be applied in many different ways.  Students in the Custom Leadership Program are also able to customize their classes to help facilitate a career move.

 Any other projects you have been working on that we might like to know about?

We are working to expand the EPICS offerings even further.  We are also working more closely with alumni by getting them to come back to contribute and help create a more vibrant experience.  Finally we are tailoring some of the EPICS programming to integrate with the program courses and learning outcomes so that we are continuing discussions on the concepts students are learning about in class and demonstrating how they can be applied in the professional world.