Career Counselor, Arts, Design, & Entrepreneurship

Career Counselor, Arts, Design, & Entrepreneurship Benefits of working at VCU

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU's robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU's benefits here.

Job Code 35221 Recruitment Pool All Applicants Posting Number req6160 Unit Student Success Department 1918 - Career Services Department Website Link https://semss.vcu.edu/ Location VCU Address 907 Floyd Ave, Richmond, VA 23284 USA Duties & Responsibilities

Position Summary:

Career Counselors provide career counseling and advising services to undergraduate, certificate, graduate, and professional students, as well as alumni up to one year after graduation in designated departments, schools, and industries/professions. The primary components of this role include direct advising, program development and delivery, collaborating with faculty, staff, community organizations, and employers, along with administrative duties. Career Counselors educate students on the career development process and opportunities that exist (internships and experiential learning, jobs, graduate school), and serve as a resource within the team, proactively increasing advising team knowledge on their assigned industries and areas of specialization for effective cross-training. They are responsible for being both resourceful specialists and generalists in the field of career development, understanding and building relationships with a variety of student services and academic departments across campus, addressing any issues or service gaps through innovation and relationship development, and providing mentorship and training to student staff at the graduate and undergraduate level within the VCU Career Services team.

This specific Career Counselor role will focus on Arts, Design, & Entrepreneurship, including working with students across majors and serving as the primary liaison between VCU Career Services and both the School of the Arts and the da Vinci Center for Innovation. Experience working with and/or advising on these industry areas, and working with students interested in these fields, is highly desirable.

Members of the VCU Career Services team also regularly engage in professional development, including in-house and external training and conference opportunities, to ensure we are able to best serve students and alumni, stay current with industry standards and changes, revise programs and services to reflect trends, and increase our office's visibility, both at VCU and on a broader scale.

Core Responsibilities:

Career Counseling/Advising (60%):

• Advise undergraduate students, graduate/professional students, and recent graduates in individual and small-group settings about exploring career and education options and developing effective experiential learning, job search, and graduate and professional school search strategies.

• Assist students in exploring career options and identifying sources of experiential education to learn more about their careers and industries of interest and develop necessary skills/knowledge.

• Educate students on how to research employers, network, and engage in the internship/job search process using current technology.

• Maintain awareness of industry/market trends and engage students in employer/alumni programming.

• Administer and interpret assessment instruments to assist students and alumni with self-appraisal. Conduct periodic evaluations of career development tools as necessary.

• Develop, contribute, and update career exploration and development information on the website; utilize technology and resources in the delivery of service to students.

Program Development/Delivery (15%):

• Create and present workshops, programs, and outreach sessions on a variety of career topics to educate and prepare students for the world of work.

• Work with key stakeholders (e.g., faculty, staff, students, and campus partners) to design, prepare, and deliver career/industry and employment-specific events and workshops that facilitate student learning and skill development.

• Represent VCU and Career Services in local and national professional associations and conferences in order to stay current with industry standards and changes, revise programs to reflect trends, and increase the center's visibility among professionals in the field.

Relationship Management and Campus Collaboration (10%):

• Build and strengthen relationships with external and internal stakeholders, including faculty/staff, employers, and other campus units.

• Serve as VCU Career Services liaison to designated academic departments and university departments to assess and meet the needs of our academic stakeholders and to promote collaboration across departments and majors by focusing on industry-specific programming.

• Serve as VCU Career Services internal expert on assigned industries. Devise and implement a strategy in conjunction with the employer & experiential development team for assigned areas with the goal of preparing students to enter those fields.

• Engage and involve alumni and industry professionals to participate in programs/events, as well as to learn industry content information relevant to student preparation, in partnership with employer & experiential development team.

• Participate in various campus events involving prospective students, alumni, and families to engage those stakeholders in our services and programs. Participate in departmental, division, and/or university committees to represent VCS as assigned.

Leadership and Strategic Initiatives (15%):

• Play an active role in the collection and reporting of assessment data that serves as a driver for strategic decisions within VCU Career Services.

• Through collaboration and project work, contribute actively to the development, adaptation, and implementation of the VCU Career Services Strategic Plan.

• Respond to and/or refer appropriately based on direct outreach from prospective and current students, families, employers, faculty, and staff.

• Perform other duties to support team operations and strategic plan, as assigned.

Other Position Details:

This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with up to 40% weekly telework

Team Diversity Statement:

At VCU Career Services, we affirm and celebrate the diversity of the VCU community. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all are welcomed, respected, and supported as they contribute their unique and important ideas, skills, and perspectives to the world. We actively promote and are deeply invested in the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, multicultural competence, and constant learning. As a team of individuals representing a diverse set of intersecting identities, we will continue to advocate and make positive change that helps open new doors to professional connections for VCU students, alumni, employer partners, and community members. Our staff is dedicated to providing equitable access to services and resources for VCU students and alumni as they consider career options, engage in experiential learning, apply for employment and volunteer positions, and pursue graduate/professional education.

Applications are due by 7 pm EDT on September 26th

Qualifications

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university.

• One year of experience in higher education, recruitment, or related fields; relevant graduate assistantships and internships will be considered.

• Ability to advise college students and/or young professionals on career-related topics.

• Exceptional communication (written, oral, presentation) and active listening skills.

• Demonstrated proficiency in designing and delivering presentations.

• Ability to effectively manage priorities and complete tasks in a timely manner.

• Ability to collaborate across stakeholders.

• 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:

• Master's degree completed with an emphasis on counseling, college student development, fine arts, or related field.

• More than 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, ideally to populations interested in pursuing careers in arts, design, entrepreneurship, or related fields.

• Ability to use relevant technologies (e.g. Handshake, Symplicity, Microsoft Office, Google Suite).

• Ability to demonstrate critical thinking and resourcefulness.

FLSA University Employee Job FTE 100% Exemption Status Exempt Restricted Position No E-Class UF - University Employee FT Job Category University Employee ORP Eligible No Salary Range Up to $45,000 Compensation Type Salaried Target Hire Date 11/7/2024 Contact Information for Candidates

Documents Needed to Apply