Assistant Director for Career Advising
Location:
Amherst, MA
Open Date:
Oct 3, 2018
Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the position of assistant director for career advising. Amherst College has profoundly transformed its student body in terms of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and nationality, among other areas. Today, nearly one-quarter of Amherst’s students are Pell Grant recipients; 45 percent of our students identify as domestic students of color. Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.
The assistant director for career advising is a full-time, year-round position, job group and level PT-3. Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, competitive benefits program. Relocation assistance available to eligible employees.
Reporting to the associate director for career advising, the assistant director works directly with staff colleagues, alumni, and faculty to educate and empower students to achieve professional goals. The assistant director will provide career advising to students and alumni through one-to-one sessions and group workshops, plan and execute career exploration programs for students, and provide specialist advising and events for careers in the government, non-profit, and law fields. The assistant director will work effectively with diverse teams, demonstrate a commitment to continually improving how the center serves Amherst students, and participate in the college’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.
Key Responsibilities
Student Preparation and Career Education
- Strive to establish effective connections with diverse populations and groups of students
- Advise students with regard to self-assessment, career exploration, job search, graduate school, and personal/professional skills development in individual appointments and telephone/e-mail consultations
- Conduct practice interviews and review job and internship application materials
- Develop and implement programs and facilitate workshops on career exploration, the job search process, and the graduate/professional school admission process
- Interpret self-assessments such as the MBTI and/or StrengthsQuest for students
Program Management
- Serve as Loeb Center specialist advisor for government and non-profit career fields, and as the center’s pre-law advisor (training provided)
- Develop and deliver career programs and special events, including career exploration trips
- Manage relevant program budget
- Maintain professional memberships with appropriate professional associations and disseminate knowledge regarding industry and hiring trends to colleagues and students
Qualifications:
Required
- Demonstrated commitment to supporting a diverse student community. Active commitment to fostering inclusive communities through leadership and programming.
- Bachelor’s degree and three years relevant professional experience or a master’s degree with at least one year of relevant professional experience
- Excellent career-advising skills with ability to understand diverse students’ needs and concerns
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including strong public-speaking ability
- Demonstrated time management, project management, and organizational skills
- Significant experience in program design, implementation, and administration
- Ability and willingness to be collaborative, self-directed, detail-oriented, and to work under pressure
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Success working both independently and in cross-functional teams
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook; demonstrated experience using the internet and database systems
- Ability to engage in periodic travel to meet with alumni, pursue professional development, or lead career exploration trips with students
- Ability to work some evenings and weekends
Preferred
- Master's degree in student personnel administration or a related discipline
- Knowledge of college student development and career development theory and the job search process
- Ability to communicate the value of a small, private liberal arts college educational experience to outside constituents
- Skills with social media platforms/functions
- Familiarity with law, government, and the nonprofit sectors
- Expertise with career assessment instruments (e.g., Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, StrengthsFinder)
Application Instructions:
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information (email and/or telephone numbers) of three professional references. Review of applications will continue until position is filled.
ABOUT AMHERST COLLEGE
Amherst College is an equal opportunity employer and encourages persons of all genders, persons of color, and persons with disabilities to apply. The College is committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff.
Amherst College, one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the nation, is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, a town of approximately 35,000 residents in the western part of the state. The college’s community is composed of about 1,800 students from 48 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 54 countries around the world, and about 1,000 staff and faculty. The college’s scenic 1,000-acre campus includes a 500-acre wildlife sanctuary and the Book & Plow Farm; three museums: Emily Dickinson Museum, Beneski Museum of Natural History and Mead Art Museum; and multiple educational and cultural venues and resources through the Five College Consortium. The town of Amherst offers an amazing variety of coffee shops, restaurants and entertainment, and a very active outdoor life. Our vibrant campus, diverse community and beautiful surrounding, makes Amherst College and the town of Amherst the perfect place to work, learn and live!