University Partnerships
How do students find what they're looking for when they don't yet know what they're looking for?
Career Compass helps students translate who they are into where they belong and how to get there.
We partner with universities through two distinct programs, each designed for a different student need and a different starting point.
Founded by Sam Glatzer, an ICF-certified coach and former recruiter with 25 years of experience placing talent at Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, Ogilvy, Apple, and Google, Career Compass brings together deep hiring expertise and coaching-based clarity.
That combination recruiter insight plus coaching depth is the foundation of everything Career Compass offers.
Every student is asking one of two questions.
Career Compass Programs meet students where they need support. Chose from the complete M.A.P Framework or the Launch Lab.
Both programs cover the core job search skills — resume, LinkedIn, networking, interviewing, research, and negotiation. The difference is the foundation. Choose based on where your students are starting from.
Best for Students who aren't sure what they want to do or who have a major but can't picture what comes next. Often talented, often stuck.
Values clarification and decision-making filter
Strengths identification — including what they're underselling
Energy mapping: what to move toward, what to move away from
Language to talk about themselves with confidence
A working direction, even if it's still forming
Format: Self-paced digital curriculum — 50 lessons across 12 modules. Moves from self-discovery (Mindset) through exploration (Adventure) to execution (Pathfinding). Live coaching add-on available.
M.A.P. Framework
Who am I?
What do I want?
Identity-first career development for students who need direction before they need tactics.
Launch Lab
I know what I want.
How do I land it?
Hands-on job search strategy for students ready to move from clarity to action.
Best for Students who arrived with a direction and stayed the course — but need help turning that into an actual job.
Networking that doesn't feel awkward
Research strategies that go beyond job boards
Resume and portfolio positioning from a recruiter's lens
Interview prep and offer negotiation
How to tell a clear story across every touchpoint
Format: Self-paced digital curriculum — 33 lessons across 5 phases. Built around how a recruiter actually evaluates candidates from materials audit through offer negotiation. Live coaching add-on available.
Add-on: Live Coaching
Self-paced curriculum builds the foundation. Live coaching builds the momentum.
Networking, informational interviews, and outreach are the hardest parts to do alone — and the parts where accountability makes the biggest difference. Either program can be paired with live coaching sessions led by Sam.
Group workshops + Q&A Open to all students. Topics follow the curriculum: resume and LinkedIn, interviewing, networking, negotiation. A straightforward way to add live support across your full cohort.
Group workshops + 1:1 coaching (Recommended) Everything above, plus individual sessions allocated to students who need the most support — by application or nomination. The structure most likely to produce outcomes your program can measure and share.
Coming soon
M.A.P. AI
An AI-supported version of the M.A.P. framework — personalized guidance and reflection tools that complement the self-paced curriculum and scale support across your student population.
About the Founder
Sam Glatzer is an ICF-certified coach (ACC) and former creative recruiter — co-founder of a boutique firm that placed talent at Wieden+Kennedy, Droga5, Ogilvy, Apple, and Google for 25 years.
Coaches know how to help someone find what they actually want. Recruiters know what the market rewards and how to land it. Most students need both.
The Approach
Identity first.
Career Compass starts with the student.
Because students who understand their values, strengths, motivations, and interests make better decisions, tell stronger stories, and navigate their careers with greater confidence.
Our work is built around the MAP Framework: Mindset, Adventure, and Pathfinding — a progression that moves students from self-discovery to real-world action.
Adventure
The exploration phase.
Students learn how to research industries, connect with professionals, test assumptions, and build career direction through curiosity and experience — not endless scrolling through job boards.
Mindset
The foundation.
Students identify their values, strengths, interests, and energy patterns while developing the language to talk about themselves with confidence and clarity.
Pathfinding
The execution phase.
Resumes, LinkedIn, networking, interviewing, salary negotiation, and job search strategy — all built on the identity work that came first.
When students know who they are, career decisions become clearer, networking becomes more authentic, and job searching becomes more effective.
Trusted by Educators, Career Leaders, and Students
What university partners say
"She's been doing recruiting for 25+ years and she's watching the industry change in real time. Her perspective is something you just can't get anywhere else."
Patrick Ross Faculty,
Academy of Art University
“Super guest speaker! Samantha Zoom chatted with our students during an event co-sponsored by both our communications and business schools. Sharing her insights about careers, processes, and the need to understand oneself before the search was so beneficial for students to hear across a wide variety of majors."
Scott Hamula
Chair, Department of Strategic Communication Ithaca College Professor, Ad/PR/Marketing Communications
"Thank you again for such a wonderful session. The students really benefited from your insight, energy, and practical advice. I look forward to continuing to work together each year and building this into an ongoing opportunity for our students."
Suzanne Snyder
Dean, Pratt Munson College of Art and Design
"I just wanted to thank you for supporting Emerson students and alumni in their career journeys. It means a great deal to our community—and to me personally—to know we can count on your insight."
Jinny Van Deusen
Associate Director of Alumni Professional Development Emerson College
Starting a Partnership. Working together.
1. A Conversation
We start with a conversation about your students, your goals, and the challenges you're seeing. Just a chance to explore whether Career Compass could be a valuable addition to your existing student support ecosystem.
2. A Custom Proposal
Based on our discussion, I'll create a tailored recommendation that aligns with your needs, timeline, budget, and student population.Whether you're looking for a workshop, a cohort experience, curriculum licensing, or ongoing programming, we'll identify the right fit together.
3. A Pilot or Full Partnership
Some universities begin with a single workshop or speaker event. Others launch a pilot program, embed Career Compass into an existing course, or build a broader partnership from the start. There's no required path, only what makes sense for your institution and your students.
Let's Talk
If this resonates with what you're seeing in your students, I'd welcome a conversation. You can contact me at sam@yourcareercompass.com
to schedule a time to connect and explore whether Career Compass is the right fit for your university.
Career Compass partners with a limited number of institutions each year to ensure every program receives thoughtful support and customization.