Description

The Career Services Center at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a Career Development Specialist.

About the Opportunity

The Career Development Specialist will play a pivotal role in integrating career and professional development into the academic experience within Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, and the Extension Office. The incumbent will perform a wide range of counseling, programming, employer relations, and administrative functions within the College and will work with WVU Career Services on networking events, workshops, and enhancing employer relationships related to any Davis College major.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year or more based on years of service (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Career & Professional Development Coaching

• Provide formal and informal student interactions for both scheduled appointments and drop-ins to maintain an open-door policy.
• Provide individual and group career counseling to assist students with the development of their career goals.
• Assist students in developing professional skills and establishing lifelong career management strategies.
• Connect students with applied learning opportunities such as job shadowing and informational interviews to further enhance student understanding of specific careers.
• Advise students on current developments and trends in the job market, as well as career opportunities.
• Guide students regarding career decision-making, experiential learning opportunities, full-time professional job search strategies, graduate/professional school, and career/life planning.
• Review resumes, cover letters, and other professional documents (in person and electronically) and provide tailored feedback.
• Conduct mock interviews and provide individualized feedback.
• Collaborate with The Purpose Center to connect student strengths with Career Services programming to help make their purpose a reality.

Communication & Outreach

• Collaborate with WVU Career Services to thoroughly understand the resources available to students and alumni.
• Participate in site visits, job shadowing experiences, on-campus meetings/events, and career fairs.
• Solicit direct feedback from employers relative to their ideal candidate qualifications as well as the quality of WVU student preparedness and areas in need of improvement.
• Benchmark with peer institutions to obtain new and effective ways to deliver career and professional development advice.
• Research and provide content to the marketing strategist for industry/cluster-based marketing and reference materials in collaboration with
  
  Consult industry representatives, including campus recruiting contacts, to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of the content, particularly as it pertains to a targeted discipline or industry in conjunction with the Career Services Center.
• Strengthen relationships with existing employers in conjunction with the Career Services Center through enhanced campus recruiting experiences.
• Develop survey instruments to identify prospective employers based on student interest, curriculum alignment, and faculty research areas. Interpret results to develop a target employer list to be utilized by Career Services.
• Develop relevant and engaging content/resources to be featured on the Davis College website.
• Participate in conversations with prospective students and parents to demonstrate the ROI of various undergraduate majors.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with faculty and other administrators for the purpose of collaborative efforts for student success.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of academic program requirements, academic policy information, and university policies, processes, and mandates.
• Recommend changes to university policies, procedures, processes, and mandates to encourage student success, especially for assigned student population areas.

Instructing Career Development Courses

• Instruct career and professional development courses as needed; not to exceed 6 credit hours per semester without written approval. Complete all duties and responsibilities as well as comply with all university rules and regulations associated with course instruction.
• Design new and enhance existing curricula for career and professional development courses, for both major/industry-specific, those on academic probation, and general audiences, in conjunction with the Career Services Center.

Other duties as assigned such as attend meetings, serve on University or College committees.

Qualifications

• A master's degree in counseling, psychology, business, human resources, communications, education, or other related field; OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience involving:
  
  
  • Career counseling and/or human resources
  • Training and development
• Public speaking experience is preferred
• Knowledge of NACE's Career Readiness Competencies
• Ability to work in an innovative, collaborative, and sometimes ambiguous environment
• Demonstrated strong commitment to student learning and development as a core component of an undergraduate education
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, prioritize tasks, manage multiple projects, and work independently without supervision
• Demonstrated project/program management skills
• Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication competence
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a variety of constituents
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate
• Excellent relationship-building skills
• Ability to prioritize, perform, and follow through on initiatives
• Self-driven, motivated, and results-oriented
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team across diverse roles for a common purpose
• Intercultural communication competence and cultural humility
• Experience working in higher education
• Experience working with a diverse student population
• Experience developing and delivering training and workshops to small and large audiences
• Experience in developing and launching an endeavor
• Experience in student development

Willing and able to work early mornings, nights, and weekends depending upon programming or recruitment activities.

• Valid US driver's license