Job Description / Duties

Position

As part of the Career Education team at the Career Centre, the Career Advisor is accountable for developing and delivering career advising and education to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, alumni of graduate programs, and those applying into graduate programs. This requires strong knowledge of the value of a graduate degree and the multiple ways in which they can be applied both in industry and academia.

The incumbent liaises with faculties, departments, and student groups to assess their needs, ensure programs and services are communicated, and to increase engagement. The Career Advisor also develops and maintains relationships with partners on and off campus to gain their involvement in the delivery of programs and services.

The incumbent will also act as a liaison between the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) and the Career Centre, supporting collaborations and partnerships between the two units.

Duties

Advising

Assesses clients’ career needs and goals and focuses on advising on pertinent areas.
Educates individuals and groups on applying contemporary approaches to career development.
Provides targeted support to clients exploring career options in and outside of academia including helping them access and make sense of labour market information; educating them on how to research career options; supporting them in connecting with professionals; and assisting them in identifying challenges and obstacles and developing strategies to navigate them.
Assists clients in developing a targeted plan, using diverse and current work search methods, for searching for employment in their areas of interest.
Gives clients direction on how to assess their skills and target their resumes, cover letters, CVs, social media profiles, and other work search tools in a way that showcases their strengths.
Critiques clients’ personal statements for graduate school applications.
Conducts mock interviews and provides advice on how to enhance interview performance for academic positions, industry positions, or entrance into graduate programs.
Refers clients to resources and services both on and off campus that will assist them in meeting their personal and career goals as well as enhancing their overall wellbeing.
Provides training and functional supervision to student staff conducting advising appointments and student staff assisting at events.
Develops and updates advising materials such as guidebooks, handouts, and online materials, based on current research and best practices in career development.
Prepares reports that include information about service usage, satisfaction, and impact and shares them with appropriate stakeholders.
Uses ongoing feedback from clients and stakeholders to make recommendations for improvements to services.
Keeps abreast of career development theories and best practices and incorporates them into service development and delivery.
Service and event planning and delivery

Recommends services or events that would address the career goals of graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, alumni of graduate programs, and those applying to graduate schools.
Develops and maintains relationships with faculty, staff, and student groups to gain their support and involvement in the planning and delivery of career-related services and events.
Works collaboratively with others at the Career Centre and partners on and off campus to plan and deliver career education events including handling space, catering, registration, payment, promotion, schedules, and so on.
Researches and engages employers and professionals to participate in services or events.
Coordinates and delivers customized presentations and career education to students, faculty, staff, and in the community.
Develops lesson plans, educational materials, online resources, and other materials to support the delivery of career education services and events.
Shares feedback from services and events with stakeholders including attendance, satisfaction, and impact.
Uses feedback from services and events to make recommendations for changes

Qualifications / Required Skills

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in education, social sciences, or related discipline plus a minimum two years related work experience
Graduate level education is an asset, given the target client population
Experience delivering services, particularly individual advising and group facilitation, to students in a post-secondary setting
Experience or coursework related to career development
Strong commitment to the value of graduate education, and solid understanding of graduate student programs and attributes
Demonstrated experience facilitating groups of learners, both in person and online
Demonstrated research, problem solving, and critical thinking skills
Demonstrated ability to build and foster relationships, to work collegially with various stakeholders (internal and external to the campus community), and to plan and implement programming
Strong interpersonal communication, including the ability to communicate with and support clients and colleagues from a wide variety of racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural backgrounds and various abilities, lifestyles, experiences, and interests
High degree of initiative and judgment, and demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Demonstrated commitment to ongoing training in administrative and technical skills (e.g. database and/or software updates, online learning platforms, emerging best practices in career development)

Additional Information

Apply here: https://www.careers.ualberta.ca/Competition/S116152084/

Salary: $56,040 to $76,820 per year

Contact Information

uab.ca/cc

Employer Profile

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department/Faculty

The Career Centre is the source for career and employment information and expertise at the University of Alberta. We strive to empower U of A students, postdoctoral scholars and alumni from all faculties and programs to develop the skills, knowledge, experiences, and connections they need to confidently manage their careers. We also work with local, national, and international employers and professionals. Our clients and stakeholders are diverse and we aim to reflect that diversity and inclusion in our own staff and the way we work.