Director of the Center for Career Development Retires After 22 Years

Meg Langland, Director of the Center for Career Development, officially retired on Aug. 12, 2020, after more than 20 years at Westminster College.

Langland began her career at Westminster in February 1998, working part-time in the Counseling Office. That summer, the legendary Sally Reynolds retired, creating an opening in the Career Services office. After the College conducted a national search, Langland was hired as Director of Career Services. Equipped with a master’s degree in Educational Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Career Counseling, Langland was eager to begin serving students’ career-related needs.

Always a cheerleader for Westminster, Langland says, “I have absolutely loved working at Westminster, and after all these years, I am still convinced our College is one of the best, if not THE best, liberal arts College in Missouri.”

Working under six different presidents and seven deans, Langland saw many changes throughout her 22 years with the College. “When I first came to Westminster’s Career Services office, jobs openings were posted on bulletin boards in the hallway,” Langland reminisces. “I knew one of my first orders of business was to offer an online career management system so students could access jobs 24/7.”

Today students can access jobs through the Columns CareerLink, Westminster’s platform for internships as well as full- and part-time employment.

Throughout her career at Westminster, Langland strived to provide strong customer service through a client-centered approach that has provided students and recent graduates with a broad spectrum of career-related assistance.

“Whether it is helping a student decide on a major, write a resume, practice interviewing skills, or navigate a job or graduate school search, I have enjoyed being a part of each student’s professional growth,” she says.

For more than 10 years, Langland served as the campus advisor to the Callaway Community Toastmaster’s Club, an international  organization largely comprised of Westminster students that met weekly on campus. She says she is proud of the effort she put into the organization.

“Although it was sometimes a challenge to keep the Club going, due to students graduating or moving on to other activities, I think it did have a positive impact on many students’ lives,” Langland says. “With support from SGA and the mid-Missouri community, we were able to help our members improve their communication skills enough to get hired or receive competitive scholarships.”

Asked what she will miss most about her current role at Westminster, Langland replied, “I will definitely miss the relationships, whether it is an excited student stopping by to say they got the job or into a graduate program, or speaking to a faculty member about how I can partner with their class, or being pleasantly surprised by an alum stopping by to say hello.”

This fall, Langland’s responsibilities will be fulfilled by staff professionals serving in the Student Success Center, located in Reeves Library. Besides providing career-related services and internship assistance, the Student Success Center will help students in other areas, including advising, international services, and study abroad.

Langland says she plans to stay involved with Westminster by continuing to teach online career development classes. She also intends to grow her business as a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and Certified Etiquette Consultant — talents she shared with Westminster for many years.

Finally, Langland looks forward to remaining active during her retirement. She says, “I plan to keep up my 20- to 30-mile weekly bike ride on the Katy Trail, maybe expanding it to twice weekly!”