Job Description: VCU has an exciting opportunity for a Career Advisor!
Career Advisors provide career advising services to students and alumni up to one year after graduation. Career Advisors educate students and eligible alumni on all aspects of the career development process by providing one-on-one advising appointments, drop-ins, as well as group programs in collaboration with campus partners, employers, and students. The primary responsibilities of this role include career advising, program development, and delivery (including teaching 1-credit career development courses), relationship development and management, and program management, along with administrative duties.
This Career Advisor role has a specialized focus on Science, Technology, Environment, Math, and Health-related careers (STEM-H). Experience working in, advising, on, and/or supporting students interested in these areas is highly desirable. The Career Advisor will advise students/eligible alumni on resources, strategies, and relevant opportunities that would set one up for success when pursuing related career options and experiential opportunities. They will conceptualize and implement programming and create resources to address individuals’ career development and exploration needs. Additionally, they will enhance the knowledge of the career advising team on these specialization areas for effective cross-training and general advising services. All career advisors have a specialty area and also serve as generalists.
This position will report to the Associate Director for Health Sciences Career Advising within VCU Career Services, and serve as a member of the advising team. They will collaborate closely with the Assistant Director, Health & STEM.
All members of the VCU Career Services team regularly engage in professional development, including in-house and external training and conference opportunities, to stay current with industry standards and changes and to increase office and campus visibility.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master’s degree with emphasis on counseling, student affairs, education, science, technology, environment, math, healthcare, or related field.
- At least one year of experience in higher education, recruitment, or related field; relevant graduate assistantships and internships would be considered.
- Experience advising college students and/or young professionals on career-related topics.
- Exceptional communication (written, oral, presentation) skills.
- Demonstrated proficiency designing and delivering presentations.
- Ability and interest related to teaching undergraduate courses focused on career development.
- Willingness to contribute to outcomes assessments and evaluation strategies.
- Project and program management skills.
- Ability to embrace change and to organize and effectively manage multiple priorities, programs, and projects; time management skills.
- Demonstrated experience developing positive relationships and partnerships.
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally in the office environment and to interface with employers, students, alumni, faculty, and university administrators.
- Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff, and student environment or commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
Preferred Qualifications:
- More than one year of experience in higher education, recruitment, or related field; relevant graduate assistantships and internships would be considered.
- Ability to use relevant database systems, (e.g. Handshake, Symplicity, Microsoft Excel).
- Experience teaching undergraduate courses.
- Understanding and use of career development theories.
- Awareness of trends within higher education, career services, employment marketplace.
- Demonstrated proficiency in using career assessment instruments (e.g., MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory, CliftonStrengths/StrengthsQuest).
- Experience working at VCU or a similar institution (public, urban, and research-focused, with large number of first-generation, transfer, and non-residential students).