Career Services Director jobs in West Virginia

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 be assigned to the Behavioral and Social Science Pathway and will play a pivotal role in integrating career and professional development into the academic experience. The incumbent will perform a wide range of counseling, programming, employer relations, and administrative functions within the Career Services Center as well as manage relationships with key academic departments and advising centers. Responsibilities include creating networking events, delivering workshops, and enhancing employer relationships within the incumbent’s designated career pathway.

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

Academic Collaboration and Integration

• Serve as the liaison for faculty, staff, and academic administrators within the assigned pathway to increase collaboration while tailoring to their students’ needs and emphasizing the importance of career readiness through career and professional development.
  
• Enhance relationships with faculty, staff, and administration in the assigned pathway and cultivate partnerships institution-wide.
  
• Establish departmental outreach goals in conjunction with the Director of Career Services and/or the Associate Director of student success.
  
• Facilitate guest speakers for in-class sessions, including representatives from key employer partners.
  
• Deliver professional development presentations to classes and student organizations on topics such as resume writing and building a professional network.
  
• Develop and present interactive professional development workshops and customized classroom presentations for student and alumni audiences.
  
• Design and deliver training to academic advisors in assigned career pathways; ensure that content included in major-mapping materials (e.g. web, print, etc.) is current and accurate.
  
• Train faculty, staff, and graduate students on the basic concepts of resume review, interview preparation, and nuanced job search strategies in specific areas of emphasis.

Career and Professional Development Coaching

• Assist students and alumni in identifying career goals, developing professional skills, and establishing lifelong career management strategies.
  
• Guide students and alumni regarding career decision-making, experiential learning opportunities, full-time professional job search strategies, graduate/professional school, and career/life planning.
  
• Meet with students from the Behavioral & Social Science Pathway through group settings and individual appointments.
  
• Review resumes, cover letters, and other professional documents (in person and electronically) and provide tailored feedback.
  
• Conduct mock interviews, and provide individualized feedback.

Research, Benchmarking, and Employer Communication

• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• Strengthen relationships with existing employers in conjunction with the Employer Relations team 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 the Employer Relations team.
  
• 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.

Instructing Career Development Courses for Academic Credit

• 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 and general audiences, in conjunction with the Director of Career Services and/or the Assistant Director of Student Success.

Center Operations and Administrative Duties

• Assist with career fairs and professional development events as assigned.
  
• Serve on University committees as assigned.
  
• Respond to all work-related emails and phone calls.
  
• Attend all scheduled staff meeting.
  
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• 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 career counseling and/or human resources experience
• A minimum of two (2) years of training and development experience
• Public speaking experience is preferred.
• Innovative, strategic, and thoughtful across multiple constituents and projects
• Demonstrated ability to foster positive relationships with multiple diverse professional constituencies.
• General understanding of business acumen and talent acquisition strategies
• Deliberate attention to detail and accuracy
• Demonstrated record in project management
• Knowledge of career development theories
• Proven self-starter with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Highly-developed public speaking skills
• Strong ability to function in a computerized environment, spreadsheets, word processing, database management, internet and email
• High level of customer service experience including the ability to independently solve complex and time-sensitive problems
• Ability to maintain composure, professionalism, and a positive attitude during lengthy periods of high-volume, intensive work
• Flexible and comfortable with change
• Willing and able to work early mornings, nights, and weekends to accommodate the needs of partnering student organizations, evening classes, and recruitment activities

• Valid driver's license.

At West Virginia University, we leverage our talents and resources to create a better future for our state and the world. As West Virginia's land-grant university, WVU has three campuses that touch each corner of the state. The WVU System includes 518 buildings on 15,880 acres, Extension Service offices in all 55 counties, ten experimental farms and four forests.

From the groundbreaking R1 research of our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs of WVU Potomac State in Keyser to the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley — the contributions of WVU employees directly impact the 1.8 million people of West Virginia every day, no matter their role or position.

Service, curiosity, respect, accountability, and appreciation are the core values that unite Mountaineers, inspiring one another to work tirelessly and support others as they seek to reach new heights. After all, when you're a Mountaineer, impossible is just another mountain to climb.

Creating an inclusive, engaged, and dynamic learning environment is core to WVU’s academic mission. We welcome candidates who can contribute a range of ideas, approaches and experiences.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer and is the recipient of an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. The University values diversity among its faculty, staff, and students, and invites applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.