Assistant Director, Career Coach for Major and Career Exploration

$50,000 - $53,000/Yr

Appalachian State University - Boone, NC

Full-time - Entry Level

Boone, NC

Educational Services

About the position

The Assistant Director, Career Coach for Major and Career Exploration at Appalachian State University plays a pivotal role in the Career Development Center, which is dedicated to empowering and educating students and alumni through comprehensive career development services. This position is primarily focused on assisting admitted students, first-year students, and transfer students in their career and professional development journey. The role encompasses a variety of responsibilities including career exploration, guidance, counseling, coaching, assessment, and programming. The Assistant Director will work closely with various departments such as First Year Seminar, Admission, Orientation and Advising, Student Support Services, and ACCESS programs to ensure that incoming and new students receive the necessary career support to make informed decisions about selecting a major and exploring corresponding career paths. In this role, the Assistant Director will serve as the primary staff member for administering and interpreting career assessments, which are crucial for helping students identify their interests, skills, and values. The position requires a strong commitment to providing both individual and group counseling, facilitating workshops, and teaching courses related to major and career exploration. The Assistant Director will also be responsible for developing innovative programming to meet student demand and will need to maintain a general knowledge of the programs of study offered at Appalachian State University, as well as the career opportunities associated with those programs. The Assistant Director will engage in outreach efforts, coordinate presentations during orientation sessions, and maintain consistent communication with various university departments to ensure a seamless transition for students deciding or changing majors. Additionally, the role involves maintaining excellent records of student appointments and programming to analyze data for continuous improvement, as well as supervising student interns and employees as needed. This position requires flexibility in working hours, including the ability to work evenings and weekends as necessary.

Responsibilities

• Provide career exploration, counseling, coaching, and outreach to students and alumni in both individual and group settings.
• Teach the Major and Career Exploration course and/or the College to Career course.
• Facilitate students in establishing goals and next steps in career decision making.
• Assess students' needs and utilize various techniques to help students identify interests, skills, and values.
• Administer and interpret assessments including FOCUS, the Strong Interest Inventory, and MBTI.
• Develop knowledge of programs of study offered at Appalachian and maintain familiarity with career opportunities.
• Represent the Career Development Center in university committees and events.
• Create ongoing programming for First Year Seminar and College Success Seminar classes.
• Coordinate and conduct presentations during First Year Student and transfer orientation.
• Maintain communication with Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Support Services, and other departments.
• Promote Handshake, the online career management system, among students and faculty.
• Serve as liaison to SSS/ACCESS programs and the Student Learning Center.
• Communicate career resources to target student populations via Handshake and email newsletters.
• Maintain records of student appointments and programming for continuous improvement.
• Work with the Employer Relations team to implement employer development activities.
• Supervise student interns and employees as needed.

Requirements

• Master's in Student Development, Student Personnel, Higher Education, Counseling or related field.
• 2 or more years of experience in a college career office, counseling center, student services office, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of career development issues for college students and alumni.
• Ability to provide counseling in individual and group settings.
• Willingness to work irregular, flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

Nice-to-haves

• Coaching Certification or Training
• Certification and/or training in career assessment tools such as Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, and Focus.
• Experience in implementing innovative programming and scaling career services.
• Marketing experience and ability to develop effective strategies for promoting office programs.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills for interaction with various constituencies.
• Analytical skills to assess program goals and student learning goals.
• Track record of building relationships with faculty, administrators, students, alumni, and employers.
• Strong technical proficiency with career-related software and applications.
• Commitment to teamwork and leadership experience across departments.
• Strong organization, research, planning, and problem-solving skills.