Skip to main content
For Students
Development
For RSU Employees

Photo: Courtesy of Lelde Kozilāne and the Career Guidance and Wellbeing Centre

The Career Centre at Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU), a longstanding resource for student support, has recently undergone a significant transformation, becoming the Career Guidance and Wellbeing Centre. This change introduces a new approach to how the centre can support students' lives and careers, offering not only practical assistance but also care for their emotional wellbeing. In a conversation with the Head of the Centre Lelde Kozilāne, we explore the new opportunities, the work that has been done, and the future plans.

lelde_kozilane_portrets-lead.jpg

Lelde Kozilāne, Head of the Career Guidance and Wellbeing Centre

The Career Centre has transformed into the Career Guidance and Wellbeing Centre. This change is not just reflected in the name, but also in its substance. How would you characterise these changes?

The Career Centre is now in its eleventh year of operation, having grown and developed significantly over the past decade.

The name change reflects our expanded role, as we now support students not only in their careers but also in maintaining their wellbeing. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we began offering psychological support, which quickly became one of our most sought-after services. We are now expanding our team by adding three new staff members. This will allow us to offer even more support, both psychological and social. The best study experience for students does not only include the academic aspect, but also maintaining a good emotional balance and the skills to cope with stressful situations.

What classes and consultations does the Centre offer?

We offer a wide range of services: coaching and career guidance, psychological support, CV and cover letter workshops, as well as group sessions on stress management, time management and other relevant issues. Two major events – Studentu pirmā pietura (Students’ First Stop) and Career Inspiration Week – have also played an important role. Studentu pirmā pietura focuses on freshers to help them prepare for university life, while Career Inspiration Week helps students get inspiration and information about career development. We also work with the National Library of Latvia to offer career workshops for high school pupils, as well as help students prepare for interviews with the medical residency programme.

What new opportunities are you planning?

As our team grows, we plan to introduce new services, including wellbeing meetings and social support activities.

These activities will assist both international and local students in navigating their daily lives and the university environment—whether it's finding a place to live, making friends, or getting involved in social activities.

We are also working on developing an alumni platform, which will be launched at the end of the spring semester. This platform will mark a significant step forward in strengthening our cooperation with alumni.

Looking back on your work, what are you most pleased with?

Some of our greatest victories are both our day-to-day work and larger projects. The Studentu pirmā pietura initiative is particularly close to my heart, as I developed it in collaboration with my colleagues. It has provided a wonderful opportunity for us to help students feel welcome and prepared. However, small daily successes are equally rewarding, such as when students find solutions to their challenges through coaching or psychological counselling and continue their studies with renewed motivation.

rsu_karjeras_atbalsta_un_labbutibas_centra_darbinieces-horiz.jpgThe Career Guidance and Wellbeing Centre team

What kind of feedback do you typically receive, and do you take it into consideration?

After each consultation and event, we collect students’ feedback to see what could be improved.

The positive feedback we get is most often gratitude for the support and free services we provide. One of the most important forms of feedback is that many students who initially planned to drop out continue their studies thanks to our support. 

At a time when national security has become an important part of our lives, do you plan to work with students who have chosen to dedicate their lives to national defence service? 

This semester, we are planning to create an article about students who dedicate part of their lives to the National Guard or the Youth Guard. It is necessary to highlight the experience and skills they have acquired, which they can use in their studies or professional life. This initiative is one of the ways to inspire other students by showing how the experience gained in the National Guard or the Youth Guard can be useful in every aspect of life.

How are you able to provide psychological support to a large number of students? 

I want to emphasise the importance of providing psychological support to students while they are still studying. This year, we provided more than 800 free consultations, in collaboration with health psychology master’s students who are completing their placements with us. By multiplying this number by the average cost of a psychologist’s consultation in the country, I can confidently say that we have saved approximately 36 thousand euros. This is a significant benefit for both the university and the students themselves.

Our Centre is a place that students can turn to whenever they need support.

We aim to continue growing and developing, providing more comprehensive and high-quality support.

Student feedback

Psychological support

  • ‘I’d been considering seeing a psychologist for a long time, but I never took the step. This service provided a wonderful opportunity to try it out!’
  • ‘I’m very grateful for the support. It helped me learn more about myself, my emotions, and how to manage them.’

Career counselling and coaching sessions

  • ‘I felt very positive and excited after the session. I’m more confident in myself and at peace knowing that the decision I made is likely the right one. The consultation also provided unexpected inspiration, beyond just career issues.’
  • ‘After each consultation, I felt motivated and confident about my choices. I looked forward to the sessions and left feeling happy and energised. I was surprised by how much I learned about myself and the confidence I gained from that insight.’

Studentu pirmā pietura

  • ‘You did an excellent job clearing up the chaos in my mind and presenting the vast amount of information in way that was both structured and easy to understand. I hope the lecture recordings are still available, especially the IT session, as I plan to review it before diving deeper into my studies.’
  • ‘This event was incredibly useful for me as a first-year student. Thanks to the event I now have a better understanding of RSU, and I’ve already applied much of the information I learned within my first few weeks at the University. Thank you for bringing clarity and helping me start organising my life as an RSU student’

Christmas workshops and yoga class

  • ‘It would be great to participate in more events like this. The atmosphere was very pleasant, and it helped me “disconnect” from the everyday rush for a while.’
  • ‘Thank you so much for the event! It was exactly what I needed. This class really helped me reduce tension and reconnect with myself.’