What are the responsibilities and job description for the Career Advisor/Assistant Director - Career & Professional Development (Hybrid Opportunity) position at UMass Amherst?
About UMass Amherst
UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
Job Summary
The Career Advisor / Assistant Director of Career & Professional Development Center will work under the general direction of the Director of Career & Professional Development Center in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), to plan and organize career development and experiential learning activities for CNS undergraduates and recent alumni in cooperation with department heads and faculty. Tailored to the needs of departments, these activities may include individual counseling, career education programs, classes, workshops, career fairs, alumni mentoring and shadowing and career research. This position will work to provide a comprehensive student development program which serves all majors.
Essential Functions
- Counsels and advises individual students and recent alumni; evaluates level of career preparedness using assessment techniques; advises students about career options related to their interests and qualifications, provides guidance on jobs / internships and other experiential learning search techniques including use of social media and relevant technology; identifies factors inhibiting career decision-making and makes appropriate referrals.
- Utilizes assessment strategies in program management and advising. Initiates, designs and implements strategies which maximize student participation in career development activities prior to graduation, this may include outreach and engagement strategies, courses and workshops, career fairs, presentations involving alumni and employers, mentoring and shadowing events.
- Enlists faculty in supporting the career development of their majors; advises colleagues regarding employment and occupational trends and their implications for CNS graduates.
- Identifies access and barrier issues limiting the participation and success of students from underrepresented backgrounds in pursuing career advising and collaborates to design and implement steps to advance participation and career success of all students.
- Participates in regularly scheduled unit and college meetings; participates in ongoing professional development.
- Collaborates with Central Career Services and other UMass careers centers regarding campus fairs, and initiatives.
- Participates in establishing unit goals and objectives based on the needs of departments, students, recent alumni and employers.
- Contributes to the collection and assessment of First Destination Survey data.
- Contributes to the career newsletters and platforms for communication with students.
- Works within Handshake (and other career platforms) to approve jobs, employers, and to post career events.
Other Functions
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
Assistant Director additional minimum qualifications :
Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
Career Advisor additional preferred qualifications :
Assistant Director additional preferred qualifications :
Physical Demands / Working Conditions
Work Schedule
Salary Information
Career Advisor : Level 25
Assistant Director : Level 26
PSU Salary Schedule
Special Instructions to Applicants
Along with the application, please submit a resume and cover letter. References will be checked at the finalist stage. Please be prepared to provide contact information for three (3) professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a continuous basis until the position is filled. Early submissions are encouraged.
At UMass Amherst and in CNS, we strive to be a community where every individual feels a sense of belonging, where every individual is included, and where every individual is valued. You can find these values and goals here : https : / / www.umass.edu / strategicplan / strategic-plan.
UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.
