Her Story
About Mariah
My career journey began during my undergraduate years at Kean University, where I was looking for an on-campus job and stumbled into the career services office. They offered me a position right there, which became my first real touchbase with HR and higher education. I spent all four years working in career services, getting trained on resume writing, cover letters, interview best practices, and the NACE competencies. After graduation, I explored different areas of HR through contract positions to find my niche, testing out admin work, agency recruiting, and eventually landing in corporate talent acquisition. I discovered that in-house recruiting was my passion because it allowed me to build relationships throughout the entire candidate journey, from sourcing the candidate, initial phone screens all the way through extending offers, discussing benefits and compensation, and finally meeting them at orientation. That feeling of seeing the excitement and gratitude from someone you helped bring into an organization is what keeps me going. I've placed over 100 employees into organizations, working with both early career talent and director-level positions. I also did sourcing work, which I loved because sometimes you're putting an opportunity in front of someone who didn't even know they needed a career change. Three months ago, I came full circle back to higher education as the Assistant Director of Industry and Campus Connections at Rutgers University. Now I'm on the other side, bringing employers to campus and personalizing recruiting strategies for companies looking to hire our students and alumni. I connect with organizations, conduct strategy sessions, coordinate information sessions and career fairs, and post opportunities on Handshake. My main areas of expertise are building and maintaining relationships and recruiting. Whether I'm student-facing or employer-facing, my ultimate goal is always the same: helping someone find their next career home.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mariah
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith, discipline, and strong relationship-building. I stay grounded, trust the process, and remain committed to showing up with purpose in everything I do.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to be true to yourself while actively networking. I learned this early from my mentor when I was working in career services as a student assistant. She told me to go out there, brand myself, and network with others, no matter what space they're in, even if it's a space I don't know I want to be in yet. If I hadn't walked into that career services door with my resume in hand and really spoken about myself, I wouldn't have found my role in that position. You never know where life takes you and who you're going to meet again in life. That's something I've taken throughout my career journey, and it's advice I share with students too: just network yourself and put yourself out there, but stay true to yourself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay grounded in who you are and stay true to yourself. Trust God’s timing. Be intentional about building relationships. This industry is very people-driven, and who you learn from and grow with matters. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions—there’s strength in being willing to learn.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges we’re currently facing in higher education is the impact of the broader economic climate. Between a competitive job market and rising costs across industries, many employers are being more cautious with their hiring strategies. As a result, we’re seeing a decrease in engagement compared to previous years, particularly when it comes to long-term partnerships and consistent recruiting efforts.
We’re also noticing a shift in internship availability. While internships are still a key entry point for early talent, opportunities are becoming more limited or more competitive, which makes it harder for students to gain that critical hands-on experience.
At the same time, this presents an opportunity for institutions like ours to be more strategic—strengthening employer relationships, creating more intentional pipelines, and better preparing students to stand out in a more selective market.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Faith, authenticity, and purpose are at the core of everything I do. That foundation guides both my decisions and how I show up for others.
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