The University of Virginia Career Center (herein Career Center) engages and supports students in the discovery and pursuit of meaningful lives. We do this in a team environment while adhering to our core values and guiding principles.
The Career Center places a high priority on quality individual direct service and exceptional customer service for all key constituents. As a Pre-Health and Law Advisor, this individual will primarily provide direct service to University undergraduate students and alumni who are interested in careers in clinical healthcare and law. Direct service delivery includes individual career counseling with students, small group advising, and large group presentations and workshops. Research on clinical health and law professions, outreach, programming, and communications are also significant parts of the position. The PHLA Advisor will be supervised by and work in conjunction with the Director of Pre-Professional Advising. This individual will perform other office and University duties as assigned. Some evening and weekend work is required.
Job Descriptions & ReponsibilitiesPre-Health and Law Advising Services – 70%
- Provides direct and inclusive advising through individual appointments and office hours, with a specific emphasis on diverse students and alumni interested in clinical health and law career paths. Educates students and alumni about admissions processes and requirements. Individual advising involves extensive counseling, coaching, and advising for students at all stages of career development; uses student, team, and supervisor feedback to improve counseling techniques.
- Conducts individual mock interviews and provides constructive feedback to applicants in, or preparing to enter, the application process to schools for health and law professions.
- Researches, develops, and delivers creative and engaging workshops and presentations on exploration, preparation, and application to health and law programs to a diverse audience; collaborates with Assistant Director to manage logistical details of programs and events.
- Contributes to Pre-Health and Law related classes or other career exploration workshops, as needed, with a particular focus on exploration, planning, and engagement.
- Maintains up-to-date information on clinical health and law careers with special attention to underrepresented populations in each field. Attends relevant conferences and open houses; visits targeted institutions/programs to provide up-to-date and tailored advice for applicants; monitors appropriate listserves.
- Maintains up-to-date knowledge about University academic programs, resources, and calendars, with special attention to the first-generation college experience. Balances academic advising with appropriate referrals to university and/or program contacts.
- Participates in student tracking and evaluation processes designed to assess student/alumni activity, satisfaction, and the achievement of learning objectives.
PHLA Communications and Projects - 20%
- Identifies, collects, and disseminates health and law professions information and opportunities to students and alumni through multiple media including newsletters and online resources. Disseminates relevant information to career center staff, faculty, and UVA advisors. Determines appropriate communication tools to deliver comprehensive and timely information about health and law professions.
- Develops and maintains content of Pre-Health and Law Advising websites and resources for students, parents, alumni and faculty advisors. Works with Career Center team members to continually develop new and edit existing content for website.
- Supports Career Center efforts to develop relevant content and more extensively utilize technology in the delivery of student career-related and industry specific programs and services; implements marketing recommendations to reach students more effectively; in collaboration with other Career Center staff provides benchmarking and recommendations regarding priorities for marketing, student engagement, and technology service delivery.
Career Center/Team Operations – 10%
- Attends and contributes to counselor group, PHLA Team, and UVA Career Center team meetings to share information and grow professionally, and to help develop and improve program offerings.
- Meets regularly with Director and Pre-Health and Law Advising Team to identify strategies, clarify procedures, determine priorities, develop/assess performance plans, and communicate with team.
- Supports PHLA Team goals including planning and visioning goals and training/supervision of Pre-Health Advising Peers, graduate and undergraduate interns, and work study students; collaborates with PHLA team to evaluate and continually enhance programs and services to more effectively address diverse student needs.
- Participates in Career Center career fairs/events such as Graduate/Professional School Fair, Fall and Spring Job & Internship Fairs and other small and large programs by assisting staff with logistics of those events and/or providing additional counseling appointments as needed.
- Serves on career work teams to support new initiatives involving career development and advising, and furthers the development of career center initiatives across the University.
- Maintains membership in appropriate Health Professions Advising Associations (i.e., National Association of Health Professions Advisors (NAAHP), the Southern Association of Health Professions Advisors (SAAHP), the Pre-Law Advisors National Council (PLANC), and the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors (NAPLA).
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in education, higher education, counseling, or related field (May 2019 graduates will be considered)
- Prior experience providing career counseling or advising services in a college/university setting or at least three years related professional experience
- Strong customer service orientation; creativity, ability to assume responsibility, take initiative and work well independently and in teams
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusive advising practice
- Proven ability to design and present creative and innovative programs/workshops
- Well-developed organizational skills; ability to manage multiple projects
- Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills; strong oral and written communication skills
- Microsoft Office
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with academic advising, pre-health advising, and/or pre-law advising
- Demonstrated program development and management experience
- Ability to work effectively with students, alumni, faculty and professional school representatives
- Ability to teach and to instruct in the use of programs, services and resources in a career-related environment
- Knowledgeable about print and on-line career resources
- Proficient computer and web-based skills