The Career Development Office (CDO) at the Harris School is committed to helping students and alumni prepare and position themselves to act upon a wide range of exciting professional opportunities.
Each student is expected to direct their own career development process, and the CDO team is here to help them identify their objectives and the resources necessary to achieving them. The CDO includes two full time professional career counselors who meet individually with students and alumni to provide supportive resume review and career counseling. The Associate Dean for Recruitment and Career Development is also available to meet individually with students.
Our CDO Administrative Coordinator serves as an additional resource person for students and supports employers utilizing the HarrisLink database or offering on-campus information and interview sessions.
Associate Director of Career Development
Leslie has extensive experience in the field of career development and planning. A graduate of Smith College, Leslie holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and she has worked with a wide variety of students and young professionals as a career counselor in both academic and professional settings. Most recently, Leslie has served as the Assistant Director of the Career Management Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and she has previously worked at three other colleges and universities as well as at the Illinois CPA Society and the American Bar Association.
Associate Director of Career Planning and Leadership Development
Jandi joined Chicago Harris from the University's own Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) Office as a Department Coordinator in ARD's Strategic Planning Division. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Jandi worked as a business development manager with an international workforce recruiting firm prior to joining the U of C. In this role, Jandi maintained and established employer relationships in a variety of industries and coached job candidates on their resumes, cover letters, interview preparations, and salary negotiations.
Jandi is a certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practicioner and an active member the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the International Leadership Association (ILA).
Associate Dean for Recruitment and Career Development
Lydia Lazar joined the Chicago Harris senior management team in 2010 with oversight responsibility for the Admissions office and the Career Development office. Prior to coming to the University of Chicacgo, Dean Lazar served as the Assistant Dean for International Law and Policy Development at Chicago-Kent College of Law. She holds an AB degree in international relations from Dartmouth College, a master’s degree in geography from Columbia University, and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Earlier in her career, Dean Lazar was an executive with Waste Management International in London, and she served as chief of staff to the executive director of the Division of Public Structures in the Koch Administration in New York City. A member of the Illinois Bar, Dean Lazar practiced in the corporate and securities group of Sachnoff & Weaver (now Reed Smith LLP) prior to joining Chicago-Kent as assistant dean.
Lydia Lazar is the past president of the Chicago Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America, and has also served on the boards of the Three Arts Club and Gaia Theater. She is a former president of the board of HealthConnect One (formerly the Chicago Health Connection), and has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors of WorldChicago.
Career Development Coordinator
