Jennifer Pluta has worked in career services at Syracuse University, including spending the last 10 years providing advice to Syracuse’s veterans and military-connected community.
When Jennifer Pluta G’15 enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on May 19, 1999, she had no grand plans for making a career out of her service to her country. Rather, feeling compelled to give back to her country, Pluta thought she would serve for a few years before embarking on the next chapter of her life.
Today, the military has become the focal point of Pluta’s career, connecting service members to their benefits and resources while providing both mentorship and guidance that enhances the professional development pursuits of soldiers.
Along with commemorating 25 years of military service, Pluta, a first sergeant in the Army Reserve, is celebrating another professional milestone. For nearly 20 years, Pluta has worked in career services at Syracuse University, including spending the last 10 years providing advice to Syracuse’s veterans and military-connected community.
Jennifer Pluta
“I’ve always had a desire to go into the service. I’m so honored to have had this experience and I can’t believe I’m now at 25 years of military service,” says Pluta, director of Veteran Career Services in the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, who also led the University’s Veterans Affinity Group for faculty and staff.
“I just never thought this was the plan when I first enlisted, but here I am. I love serving my country. I love helping and mentoring our soldiers on their journeys. Being a humble servant who gives back to our soldiers is the most honorable thing I can think of.”
By encouraging student veterans to discover more about the potential employment opportunities available to them, Pluta’s passion for career services has led to an impressive 100% placement rate for connecting student veterans to new careers following graduation. She achieves this through customized career coaching, mentoring, networking and her strong connections with potential employers.
Pluta’s commitment to serving veterans led to her being named a scholar for the 2023 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program by the George W. Bush Institute. The initiative supports individuals who not only give back to our nation’s veterans and military families, but are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge and influence to enhance their efforts to support the military-connected communities they serve.
Pluta, who earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the School of Education in 2015, sat down with SU News to discuss her passion for service, the joy she gets from and the role she’s happy to play in making Syracuse University one of the best places for veterans.
Where did your passion for this work come from?
I always had an interest in career services going back to high school, when I would read resume books and wanted to learn how to make someone’s resume standout. When I was in college [at Alfred University] I did an internship with the Alfred University Carer Development Center. When I was first deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, I wound up helping soldiers to access their GI Bill benefits, student loans and other educational assistance programs.
I didn’t know you could make a career doing this. But from the onset of my military career, I wanted to know how the military benefits worked, because, for so many, those benefits are the key reason they chose to enlist in the Army Reserve. I also knew, from conversations on the base [in Kuwait], that there were many soldiers in the military who weren’t aware of the many benefits and educational incentives available to them. I was eager to share my knowledge with as many soldiers as possible because access to education through the Army’s benefits could significantly enhance their career paths and help eliminate many financial barriers.
How satisfying has it been to connect veterans and soldiers to their benefits?
It’s always been so rewarding helping my fellow soldiers. I’m lucky that I can do something I’m passionate about while helping others achieve their goals. It’s my job to help soldiers realize that they have a tremendous skillset to offer to an employer. Too often, veterans have a limited viewpoint on the value of their skills and what opportunities might be available to them. But it’s such a rewarding feeling when they understand that employers are interested in their skills and what they bring to the workforce. That’s the reward, when they realize what’s possible.
Once I came to Syracuse, shortly after my deployment in 2005, I started here as a temporary, part-time employee in the Center for Career Services. It was supposed to be on a limited basis, but it’s going to be 20 years for me with Syracuse University next year. I’m passionate about empowering our veterans and military-connected students with the skills and opportunities they need to succeed with their professional goals. I’ve had the best time and made some of the most amazing connections by helping the people I’ve served with.
How does your role with career services impact the University’s reputation as one of the best places for veterans?
Because I served as an Army Reserve career counselor and am still active in the Army Reserve, I have an understanding of not only what our service members have been through, but how their military experiences and leadership can be leveraged and utilized to help achieve their career goals. I know what resources to use to help translate their military experience into career success. I help those soldiers who want to go back into the service, and I help our faculty and staff who need help navigating their careers in the Army Reserve. I can use my network and my experiences to help connect veterans to the necessary resources, and I’m really happy I’ve been able to contribute.
