Connecting Education and Industry with Rice University
Nicole Van Den Heuvel on preparing students for the future of work through stronger university-business partnerships
Nicole Van Den Heuvel — Associate Dean of Students, Executive Director, Center for Career Development, Rice University
As companies face growing talent shortages, rapid technological change, and shifting workforce expectations, recruitment is no longer simply about filling positions. Building the workforce of tomorrow requires closer collaboration between employers and universities, stronger career development programs, and a better understanding of the skills that truly matter in today's economy.
Few people observe this transformation from as unique a vantage point as Nicole Van Den Heuvel. Associate Dean of Students and Executive Director of Rice University's Center for Career Development, she has spent more than two decades working across both corporate HR and higher education. After 14 years in human resources and marketing at Chubb, she joined Rice University, where she now works with thousands of students while partnering daily with employers recruiting the next generation of talent. Drawing on both perspectives, she shares how hiring expectations are evolving, why technical expertise is no longer enough, and how universities and businesses can work together to better prepare tomorrow's workforce.
Q. You spent more than a decade in corporate HR before joining Rice University. What motivated that transition, and how has it shaped the way you approach career development today?
A. I loved working in corporate HR and was fortunate that my company highly valued the critical partnership between company profits and talent development and retention. Today, along with the many different names associated with HR (People and Belonging, Talent Acquisition, Culture and Talent, etc.), the function has shifted from a back office administrative role to a proactive, data-driven strategic partner. Having worked first in various business roles in both the U.S. and Canada helped me understand my company's business and talent needs and become a more competent HR partner.
My transition from corporate to academia was intentional but not a given. In between I took a 14-year career break to raise my five children. I was very insecure about my chances of getting back into the workforce, given my employment gap and how I would align my skills with the position. What helped me transition back in was my ability to explain my transferable skills and Rice's openness to seeing beyond the resume and the work gap. Now I have the best of both worlds — I get to work with young talent to help them identify their career interests and help companies build their talent pipeline.
Q. Having worked on both sides of the hiring process, first as an employer and now preparing future graduates, what perspective does that give you that many HR leaders may not have?
A. I have been so impressed by the many HR leaders that I have the opportunity to work with who are at the forefront of managing organizational change. My dual perspective, first as the employer making hiring decisions and now as the educator preparing future talent, gives me a unique view of what ultimately influences those decisions.
Students need to develop their skills and understand that the hiring process is not simply about submitting résumés to job openings; it's about connecting their skills and competencies to a career match. That means helping students develop professional competencies and communication and analytical skills, as well as the confidence, adaptability, and resilience that employers consistently value. It's an intimidating process for students, so we emphasize the importance of professionalism, networking, responding on a timely basis, and business etiquette.
On the employer side, we understand that HR professionals face intense pressure to meet metrics and hiring deadlines while sorting through hundreds of applications. Sometimes checking the boxes feels like the most cost-effective and scalable route. When recruiters filter purely by keyword or a major, they often miss out on brilliant, adaptable candidates. Checking the box might fill a seat today, but it doesn't guarantee the candidate will stay or adapt as the role changes.
We encourage both students and employers to think broadly about career fit. Thankfully many of our skills are transferable across many industries and the best match happens when we look beyond checklists.
Q. AI is transforming nearly every profession. How is it changing the way students prepare for their careers and the way employers evaluate talent?
A. Rice University teaches our students to command AI rather than compete with it. The days of just learning static tech tools are over.
Today, whether a student is studying history or engineering, they have to graduate with true AI fluency. The actual skill we emphasize at Rice is how to manage and optimize technology and to treat it responsibly.
On the flip side, employers now evaluate talent differently. Since AI can handle the routine grunt work like basic data crunching or drafting, the bar for entry-level jobs is much higher now.
Companies are essentially looking for junior talent who can think like seniors, meaning they ask strategic business questions rather than just waiting to execute assigned tasks. Hiring managers want to see how a candidate thinks, solves problems, and interprets data.
Employers don't need grads who act like computers, they want innovators who bring real human judgment to the workplace.
Q. You work closely with both students and recruiters every day. What are employers consistently looking for today beyond technical skills?
A. Every day, we talk to ambitious students looking for work and recruiters under tight deadlines trying to hire them. Lately, what recruiters care about has changed. They already expect students to have the technical skills. We know that tech tools can do a lot of that baseline work now anyway. The things that actually get people hired and promoted are the human elements.
Data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows five big things matter most right now:
- Thinking past the tech: Anyone can type a prompt into an AI tool. Companies want people who can look at the results, spot the mistakes, and fix the biases.
- True collaboration and teamwork: This is more than saying you are a "team player." It means being able to talk to and adapt to different teams, such as explaining a complex technical problem to a sales rep without using confusing jargon. Students need to adapt to different work styles.
- Strong communication skills: Every job, regardless of technical skills needed, requires strong communication skills. Students will work with multiple generations, conflicting personalities, and different departments. Being able to translate complex problems to different stakeholders is a differentiator in a company.
- Learning agility: The software that students use in class will be outdated in a few years. Recruiters look for people who can teach themselves new tools without waiting around for a training manual or to be told.
- Taking initiative and flexibility: This means noticing when something isn't working, stepping up to fix the problem, and adapting to changes without needing a manager to tell you what to do.
The reality check is that recruiters say communication and critical thinking matter most, but they also report that recent grads still lack these skills. My team helps students and alumni demonstrate these skills using relevant examples from their studies and experiential learning.
Q. Many companies say they struggle to find the right talent, while graduates often struggle to find opportunities. Where do you see the biggest disconnect?
A. The biggest disconnect is that companies and graduates are speaking two different languages. Employers have raised the bar and rely on automated filters to find perfect checklist candidates, which often blocks out great students who just lack formal corporate experience.
At the same time, anxious grads are blasting out hundreds of generic applications, treating the job search like a numbers game.
This divide leaves companies drowning in resumes but they still say they can't find the right person. I've seen this when I'm trying to hire for my own team. The breakdown happens because hiring processes focus too much on rigid credentials instead of adaptable human skills.
To solve this, employers have shifted toward skills-based hiring rather than relying strictly on keyword filters like GPAs and major.
To combat this disconnect, we ensure that our Rice graduates, regardless of major, are taught to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively, making them highly trainable and adaptable hires. We consistently hear from our employers that Rice students are incredibly smart, yet humble and eager to learn.
Q. For international companies, including many French businesses expanding in Texas, how can universities become long-term strategic partners rather than simply recruitment channels?
A. At Rice, we deeply value global perspectives, which is why we opened our Rice Global Paris Center. It serves as a premier gateway for French companies to engage with our talent on their own home turf before expanding into Texas.
For companies already expanding here in the U.S., the best way to kickstart that partnership is through a structured internship program. Building an internship pipeline is the single best way to source talent and convert them into full-time hires, and students seek internships. View it as an extended, low-risk interview to see how a student fits into the company's culture and handles real-world problems. Plus, when interns have a great experience, they go back to campus and become the best brand ambassadors, organically recruiting their peers for the company.
Our team at the Career Center can help international employers bridge cultural nuances. Beyond traditional internships, we have a successful job shadowing program, the Owl Edge Externship Program, that is a low-lift, half-day experience for the students to get hands-on exposure to a company.
Companies can also sponsor a project where a team of students tackles a real business hurdle your company is facing as you navigate the U.S. market.
When a global company embeds itself into our campus fabric through internships and hands-on projects and faculty research projects, they aren't just filling open jobs; they are building the local network and brand loyalty needed to thrive in Texas for the long haul.
Q. Rice works with hundreds of employers every year. What distinguishes the companies that attract the strongest candidates?
A. The companies that attract our strongest students at Rice are the ones that have built a campus brand and focus on transparency and real impact. Rice students are drawn to organizations that align with their values and can clearly articulate what day-to-day work looks like, what the path for growth is, and how their role contributes to the bigger picture.
Another huge differentiator is how early and authentically a company engages. The best employers don't just show up for a career fair and expect a line of resumes. They invest in the campus community by hosting informal coffee chats, participating in our mentoring program, or sponsoring real-world projects. When a company shows they are genuinely invested in a student's professional growth before they even apply, they win the talent every time. We want every company that recruits at Rice to have the top-level service that they are looking for.
Because we are a centralized office, we can help a company craft a recruiting strategy tailored to its recruiting needs for whatever industry.
Q. Looking ahead, what do you think will define successful talent development over the next five years?
A. Agility and adaptability will define the next five years. The shelf life of technical knowledge is shrinking so fast that the old model of learning one specific tool and coasting on it for a decade is officially dead. Moving forward, the most successful professionals will be the ones who possess learning agility, meaning they can rapidly pick up new tech, unlearn outdated methods, and pivot smoothly when their industry shifts.
At the same time, we will see a growing emphasis on emotional intelligence. As automation and AI handle the heavy lifting on data and computational work, the true differentiator for leaders will be how they manage human teams, navigate cross-cultural communication, and lead with empathy.
Ultimately, universities and employers will need to work hand in hand to create continuous learning ecosystems that support workers throughout their careers. The future belongs to organizations that treat people as adaptable problem-solvers, focusing less on what they already know today and much more on how fast they can grow tomorrow.
The Rice University Center for Career Development welcomes working with all companies, large and small, to help them develop and recruit a strong talent pipeline. To connect with me, please reach out directly at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn. Merci beaucoup!
A look back at the previous Rice University Career & Internship Expo. Join the next edition on September 15 & 16, 2026, to connect with top student and alumni talent.