Job Description

Wellesley Career Education seeks an experienced career counselor to join the College Career Mentor team. Every Wellesley student is assigned to a College Career Mentor, who will challenge and support her throughout her time as a student—from orientation through graduation. Given that college is a time of exploration and self-discovery, the College Career Mentor role is meant to be a consistent source of guidance, support, and challenge throughout a student’s “college to career” journey. This role will serve as the first person on a student’s Personal Advisory Board, helping her broaden possibilities, access opportunities, take risks, learn from failure, and understand and further develop her interests, values, skills, and emotional intelligence. The College Career Mentor will become a part of a student’s trusted network and will connect her to relevant career community advisors, alumnae, and opportunities that will inform and influence her path in greater depth. Through collaboration with colleagues within Career Education and partnerships across campus, the College Career Mentors will help students make meaning of their experiences while in college and enable them to connect these moments of learning to their future. In addition to self-exploration, the College Career Mentor will engage students in active inquiry and analysis of what is needed in society while supporting our students in a process of reflection and action that allows them to consider how their contributions fit within a larger context. 

Primary Duties

Student Advising

• Advise a caseload of approximately 600 students in individual appointments, drop-ins, and in groups, utilizing an appropriate theoretical approach for student self-exploration, discernment of interests, and development of emotional intelligence

• Teach students the reflective skills needed to build self-awareness and clarify values, interests, skills, and strengths

• Interpret vocational assessment instruments (e.g. SkillScan, CliftonStrengths for Students, values assessments, etc.) and assist students in integrating assessment results with self and societal reflection exercises

• Assist students in researching and exploring potential career paths and connect students to additional Career Education staff, resources, and programs to further explore their values, interests, and skills

• Collaborate with Career Community Advisors in order to remain informed of industry-specific trends and reciprocally share expertise in facilitating reflection and career exploration

Programming and Events

• Create, oversee, and manage all logistical components for career exploration and reflection events, programs, retreats, conferences, and seminars 

• Provide timely advice, guidance, and reflection opportunities to assist students in making informed decisions regarding future plans 

• Invite alumnae to participate in educational and exploratory panels to showcase broad possibilities available across multiple career fields

• Collaborate closely with Career Community Advisors, Student Life staff, and faculty to host programs regularly

Internal Career Education Collaboration

• Collaborate with colleagues on the Exploration & Experiential Learning team, including Civic Engagement, Signature and Sponsored Internships Programs, and Fellowships, to support students participating in these programs 

• Provide career guidance to students before, during, and after these programs as they apply to, prepare for, and reflect on these experiences

• Help students identify and articulate the value, skills and knowledge gained as a result of these experiences and connect their experiential learning to future career plans and decisions

• Collaborate with Career Community Advisors and other Career Education team members to implement general job, internship, and graduate school search resources, events, and programs

• Serve on office-wide committees as needed and support “all hands on deck” events such as New Student Orientation and Career Fairs

• Campus Partnerships, Cross-Functional Teams and College Initiatives 

• Build and maintain strong faculty and campus relationships through consistent meetings, programs, and support of events across the College

• Serve as a liaison to College departments as appropriate, ensuring seamless and constant communication and two-way information sharing

• Serve on various cross-functional teams and campus-wide committees to promote the vision and direction of Career Education and the College as a whole.

• Represent Wellesley and Career Education 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

Education Required:

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, College Student Personnel, Student Affairs, Counseling, or other relevant advanced degree

• 3-5 years relevant experience in career services, higher education, experiential learning, or counseling 

Experience Required:

• Previous experience advising students

• Training in career assessment tools (e.g. SkillScan, CliftonStrengths for Students, etc.)

• Broad knowledge of career development theory, approaches, and strategies

• Broad knowledge of experiential learning

• Experience in working closely with faculty and campus partners

Qualified candidates are able to work independently and in a team within a culturally diverse environment; are comfortable with ambiguity and can lead a team through change; aware of current trends in the field; and demonstrates a high level of written and verbal communication, understanding how to customize communication with faculty, students, and campus partners.

Skills and Abilities Required:

• Excellent interpersonal, communication (oral and written)

• High level of strategic and critical thinking

• Ability to identify patterns, cultural nuances, and navigate a complex network of constituents

• Ability to write clear, concise material targeted to various student, employer, and alumni populations 

• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment and act with discretion 

• Ability to assess and shift priorities and adapt to a rapidly changing environment

This is a full time 12 month position.