Gary Boley recently made his own career move-to become Metro State's new career services director.

"Gary brings over 18 years of experience in the career services area to us," says Interim Vice President for Student Services Karen Raforth. "He has particular expertise in engineering, cooperative education, and in securing donations from corporations. His references tell us that we are hiring a `star,' something our students deserve."

In the position since June 21, Boley comes to Metro from his own consultancy where he worked with Cleveland State University to improve the school's employer recruiter base. Prior to that he served as director of Corporate Relations for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, where he guided the school to its highest rankings ever in the Wall Street Journal MBA corporate recruiter survey. As director of career planning and placement for the University of Michigan College of Engineering, he increased revenue from services 400 percent and managed the college's first-ever award winning office team. And at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University he increased the number of experiential placements by 50 percent and boosted the number of participating students 200 percent.

Though Boley says he will spend his first months on campus "listening" and getting acquainted with the institution before launching major initiatives, he is looking to customize Metro's career services offerings to the individual. "We are operating today in a very different economy," he says, "with entrepreneurial opportunities and temporary work situations. We need to customize services to the students. Students don't care what you know until they realize you care about them."