Connecting Students to Their Next Chapter: A Writer's Approach to Recruitment
Senior Recruitment Coordinator Jeff Martin brings a unique perspective to the University of Virginia's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. A published fiction writer whose stories have appeared in New England Review, Mississippi Review and The Greensboro Review, among others, Martin has deep roots at UVA that span more than a decade.
Before joining the School of Continuing and Professional Studies in October 2023, Martin spent years shaping young writers as co-director of UVA's Young Writers Workshop and teaching creative writing at institutions including Sweet Briar College and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he earned his master's degree in fiction writing. Now based in Charlottesville, he guides prospective students across the School's diverse programs, drawing on his experience as both an educator and storyteller. In the following interview, Martin discusses his career journey, his approach to recruitment and what drew him to this role.
Give us a little overview of your background.
I’ve been an English teacher for most of my life, having taught literature, composition, and creative writing in private high schools in both Connecticut and Philadelphia, and then in higher education at UNC-Greensboro, Sweet Briar College, and Piedmont Virginia Community College. For over 20 years, I also worked in administration for UVA’s Young Writers Workshop, a residential creative writing program for high school students that was sponsored by UVA's School of Education.
What do you like to do for fun?
I’m a fiction writer, so I spend a lot of time reading and a lot of time writing (or at least sitting at the desk berating myself for not writing). When not doing either of those, I run (if anyone needs to know how to badly overtrain for a half-marathon, I have scores of field-tested ideas), practice yoga, watch movies, and listen to music. I just finished a book about music in 1974 L.A., and it confirmed for me yet again that my tendencies tend to run more towards punk than the chiller California sound. How much Eagles does a person need?
What has your career journey been like so far?
I’m most called to a life in education, so I keep trying to put myself in that space in different ways to keep it interesting. There are great things about being a classroom teacher, and there are great things about not being a classroom teacher. At the moment, I’m more of a coach than a teacher, and that role also has lots of good opportunities for helping people advance their education.
Talk about your role at School of Continuing and Professional Studies. What attracted you to this position? What are you most excited about?
At the School, I’m a recruitment coordinator, which means I talk with a lot of people every day as they try to figure out the next step in their educational trajectory. I’m biased, of course, but I think lifelong learning is so critical not just for the individual but for the entire culture, so I’m excited when I talk to people who are taking the time and effort to do so. Whether you’re 17 or 70 (or younger or older), it’s a vital part of a life.