What does "career ready" actually mean in the age of AI — and when should students start building toward it? In this live conversation, Laura sits down with Michelle Chessler, Career Advisor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, to answer that question honestly. Michelle brings a rare dual perspective: years as a global marketing leader across gaming, telecom, and construction tech, and now a front-row seat watching 18-year-olds navigate one of the most competitive job markets in history. If your student is in high school, this conversation is for you.

Most families think about career services sometime in junior or senior year of college. Michelle Chessler thinks that's too late — and in this episode, she explains exactly why.

As a Career Advisor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, Michelle works daily with students who are trying to figure out who they are, what they want, and how to compete in a job market that AI is actively reshaping. Before stepping into this role, she spent years as a global marketing leader across the gaming, telecom, and construction tech industries — which means she doesn't just understand career development in theory. She knows what employers are actually looking for when a résumé lands on their desk.

In this conversation, Laura and Michelle dig into the real work of career readiness: what it looks like, when it should start, and what parents can do right now to help their students build the kind of foundation that holds up well after graduation.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why freshman year — not senior year — is the right time to start career exploration
How the rise of AI is changing what employers value on a résumé
Which skills and experiences actually differentiate candidates in a crowded field
What questions families should be asking about career services on every college tour
How values clarification, interest exploration, and personality awareness create real career clarity — not just a job title

About Michelle Chessler

Michelle Chessler is a Career Advisor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, where she helps students build confidence and clarity in their career journeys. Before transitioning into higher education advising, she held global marketing leadership roles across the gaming, telecom, and construction tech industries.

Michelle holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Business from UCLA and an MBA from CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Originally from Southern California, she now lives in Boulder with her husband, their 17-year-old twin boys, and two dogs named Pickles and Pebbles.

If this conversation sparked questions about how to help your student build toward a purposeful career — starting now — we'd love to talk. Visit emergingconsulting.com to learn more about how we work with families.

Resources From Emerging

Download the Free Getting Ready to Launch Guide — includes a College Application Timeline for every grade level
Explore Our College Consulting Services — learn how Emerging guides families through the full process
Academic Services — mentored research projects and internship matching to help students build the experiences that stand out
Work With Us — if this conversation sparked questions, we'd love to learn about your student

Keywords

college career readiness, AI and the job market, college career services, freshman year college prep, high school career planning, what employers want, CU Boulder, Leeds School of Business, college admissions advice, college consulting, Emerging Consulting