Pros
UC Merced offers a visually stunning campus and the opportunity to engage in work that supports historically underserved student populations. In several departments, you'll find passionate, committed professionals (some?) who care deeply about student success and equity. If you're driven by purpose and eager to make a difference, there are pockets of genuine impact and collaboration to be found here.
Cons
As a fellow career services professional, I entered the full-day interview at UC Merced with genuine enthusiasm and respect for its mission. Sadly, the experience left much to be desired. Weeks passed with no communication, no constructive feedback, and ultimately a generic rejection—revealing a troubling lack of transparency and regard for candidates. Even more concerning were clear signs of misalignment and dysfunction within the leadership and team dynamics, which strongly suggest weaknesses in the management at the director level. This raises serious questions about the strength and effectiveness of the center’s leadership. For those of us who coach students on professionalism, communication, and equity-minded hiring practices, it's disheartening to encounter institutions that fail to model those same values. The process felt performative—more about checking boxes than cultivating real connection or respect for candidates’ time and expertise. To Career Center Directors and hiring managers in higher education: we must do better. The candidate experience reflects our institutional values. If we expect integrity and transparency in the job market, it must start with us.