The Career Counselor Role in Higher Education

Presented by: Career and Professional Development (CAPD)

Moody Hall 134, Ph. (512)448-8530, think.stedwards.edu/career

Presentation Goals

• Provide insight into what it’s like to work as a Career Counselor on a university campus.

• Learn about the fulfillments and challenges of working with college students.

Some information applies only to St. Edward’s University. Administrative policies may be different at other universities. Some universities have centralized career services while others have multiple offices specializing in various areas. Degree credentials to work in a university career center may vary from campus to campus. The size of a university, the student profile, and academic degrees have an impact on each university’s career center program offerings.

Who Are Our Clients?

• Traditional undergraduate, from high school

Teens to mid 20’s Little/no work experience Seeking 1 career “for life” 1 appointment consumer sometimes Don’t always see the need for career services If they do see a need; they may think they can wait until senior year to use this service

Who Are Our Clients? (cont.)

• “Adult” students, some with extensive work and life experience and some out of the workforce and school for many years.

More inclined to explore their interests and skills Some are career changers, some seeking promotions Often DO see the need for career services, but work and academics may interfere with scheduling More willing to come in for follow-up visits

Student Profiles (As of Fall 2014)

Student Profiles (Age/Ethnicity)

Student Profiles (cont.)

• In addition:

• Diverse socio-economic backgrounds• Increasing number of international students

-Latin America/121, Middle East/103, Europe/76 -Top countries: Saudi Arabia, Mexico, France

• A migrant farmwork student population(grant funded/4 yr. scholarship) -35 annually

• Increasing number of veterans -From 77 in 2009 to: 111 veterans in 2013/14

Motivation of University Clients

At a university, some students may self-refer, but:

-Many are sent by a parent or advisor

-Some are required to meet with counselor

(class assignment)

-Some visit office due to academic probation

Need different approach from working with self-motivated student

Reasons College StudentsSeek Career Guidance

• Ranked, starting with most requested service:

-Resume

-Job search

-Seeking internships

-Self-assessment; exploring majors/careers

-Graduate and professional school planning

-Interviewing strategies

Role of University SEU Career Counselors

• Career advising• Deliver presentations on career topics• Market career services via social media• Coordinate/facilitate career events• Assess students’ interests, skills, personality type• Graduate/professional school advising• Document counseling appointments• Help collect outcomes data• Refer to other university support services

Major Role of a University Career Counselor

A major role of a university career counselor is

to educate and motivate students to take

advantage of career services and to start the career planning process early, in their freshman year.

Our goal is to help them develop a strong resume/CV by the time they graduate

Topics Referred to Other Depts.

• For psychological counseling- Refer to Counseling and Wellness Center

• For academic advising and degree planning - Refer to their academic advisor

• For sexual harassment/campus related issues - Refer to Dean of Students

• For disability issues - Refer to Disability Services

Expertise Beyond Counseling Resume writing, cover letters, networking, graduate/professional school,

networking, interviewing and job search strategies Job market, career trends, job outlook Information regarding specific careers and majors Internet resources and how to search career related topics Internships and experiential activities Administration of career assessments Strategic long-term career planning Business etiquette Employer relations Event planning and coordination Public speaking (class presentations and workshops) Marketing strategies to diverse student populations Interaction with parents (freshman orientation and counseling meetings) Social Media/Technology: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Ustream, Skype, Google+ Hangouts, Tumblr, Flickr, Box, Dropbox

Professional Associations

• National Association of Colleges and Employers/NACE

• Southern Association of Colleges and Employers/SOACE

• Central Texas Liberal Arts Career Consortium/CTLACC

• Austin Career Development Network• National Career Development Association/NCDA

CAPD Career Resources and Assessment Tools

• On the CAPD website: - Hilltop Careers job/internship database- Interview Stream and Career Spots

• Assessments:- Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (& personalitytype.com)

- Strong Interest Inventory

- Campbell/CISS

- Holland Self Directed Search

- Skill Scan

- Values Assessment

Available Resources at a University (for students & staff)

• Student support services: Academic advising, tutoring, health/wellness, counseling, student life, international services, writing center, campus ministry, disability services, fellowship program, McNair scholarship program, athletics, residence life

• Library• 100+ Student organizations• Marketing department• I.T. help desk (round the clock tech support)• Faculty resource center and media services• Copy center

Our Credentials

• Over the years in SEU/Career and Professional Development, career counselor degrees:Education Speech/Communication

Psychology English Writing/Rhetoric

History Women’s Studies

Marketing Counseling

Social Work Human Resources

• Master’s degree required• Since 1995, 2 licensed counselors• Wide diversity in degrees of Career Counselors

nationwide

Career Services for SEU Students & Alumni

• Moody Hall 134, Hours: Mon-Thurs. 8am-6pm; Friday until 5pm (Ph. 512.448.8530)• Walk-in’s daily: 3-5pm• Resume drop off: email: seu.careerplan@stedwards.edu • CPAM 1110 class: 3 sections (Part-time jobs to internships, General career counseling,

and Graduate school/GRE prep)• Hilltop Careers database:

-User name: 1st part of SEU address

-1st time logging in: “I can’t access my account” for temporary password• Website resources: think.stedwards.edu/career• Connect on Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter, Pinterest• Follow blog, Hilltop Scoop: http://sites.stedwards.edu/seucareer• Weekly newsletter, The Career Insider:

http://think.stedwards.edu/career/carer-insider-weekly-newsletter • Drive-thru tabling around campus• Career events & workshops year round; annually job/internship and graduate fairs• Launching in fall 2015 semester: Online Career Chat

Why We Do It Yes, there are challenges: -Dealing with unrealistic expectations -Trying to find jobs in down economy -Convincing students of career counseling importance -Might only have 1 appt. with student to cover everything -Not enough resources or budget for programming

But mostly there is fulfillment & a sense of pride: -A university is a fun place to work -You’re always learning something new -You’re very current on technology & social media -You’re thrilled when students return to say they found a job, or an internship, or were accepted into graduate, law, medical school -Watching them cross the stage at graduation gives you goosebumps!