Career Services Specialist

TITLE: Career Services Specialist

DEPARTMENT: Student Affairs

REPORTS TO: Career Services Manager

CLASSIFICATION: Staff-12 months

EFFECTIVE DATE: TBD

STANDARD WORK HOURS: 37.5 hours per week

LOCATION: On-site Main Campus

EMPLOYMENT STATUS: Full-Time


EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

JOB SUMMARY:

Under the general direction of the Career Services Manager, the Career Services Specialist provides professional career development services that support student and alumni career readiness, experiential learning, and employment success. The position delivers individual and group career advising, coordinates career development programming, assists with employer engagement initiatives, and collaborates with faculty, staff, employers, and community partners to enhance career preparation opportunities. The Career Services Specialist exercises professional judgment in advising students, coordinating programs, interpreting career resources, and supporting departmental initiatives. This position requires a regular, reliable, and consistent on-campus presence to effectively perform student service, employer engagement, and program coordination responsibilities and is not suitable for remote work except as approved in accordance with University policy.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Provides individual and group career advising to students and alumni regarding career exploration, résumé and cover letter development, interview preparation, internship opportunities, graduate school planning, professional networking, and job search strategies.
• Develops, coordinates, and delivers career development workshops, presentations, classroom sessions, and professional development programs.
• Coordinates and supports career fairs, employer recruitment events, networking opportunities, internship programs, and other Career Services activities.
• Assists in developing and maintaining relationships with employers, community organizations, government agencies, and other external partners to expand internship and employment opportunities for students and alumni.
• Collaborates with academic departments, faculty, and campus partners to integrate career readiness initiatives into the student experience.
• Maintains accurate student, employer, internship, and employment records using career management systems and other University technologies.
• Collects, analyzes, and assists with reporting participation data, employment outcomes, internship placements, and other departmental assessment measures.
• Develops outreach and marketing initiatives to increase student awareness and participation in Career Services programs and events.
• Assists in supporting student employment, experiential learning, internship programming, and employer engagement initiatives.
• Provides information regarding career resources, employment opportunities, and professional development services to students, alumni, faculty, and employers.
• Supports departmental assessment, strategic planning, continuous improvement efforts, and accreditation-related activities as assigned.
• Maintains accurate records and prepares reports in accordance with University policies and departmental procedures.
• Maintains a regular, reliable, and consistent on-campus presence to effectively perform the essential functions of the position.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of career development theory, employment readiness principles, and student advising practices.
• Knowledge of internship programs, employer relations, career planning resources, and workforce development practices.
• Knowledge of higher education student services and career development best practices.
• Ability to provide professional career advising and coaching to students and alumni.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, faculty, employers, alumni, and community partners.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, events, and priorities while meeting established deadlines.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and appropriately handle sensitive student information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, career management systems, and other student information technologies.
• Ability to prepare reports, analyze participation data, and support departmental assessment activities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

• This position does not have supervisory responsibility.

OTHER DUTIES:

• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Business, Counseling, Education, Communications, Human Resources, Student Affairs, or a related field is required.
• Master's degree is preferred.
• Minimum of one (1) to three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in career services, higher education, student development, workforce development, recruiting, human resources, or a related field.
• Experience providing advising, career coaching, employer engagement, or program coordination is preferred.

Licensing and Certifications: NA

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work is performed primarily in a professional office environment with frequent interaction with students, faculty, staff, employers, alumni, and community partners.
• Occasional evening and weekend work may be required to support career fairs, employer events, workshops, and other University-sponsored activities.
• Occasional travel may be required to attend employer meetings, outreach events, conferences, or professional development activities.
• Work requires prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and regular use of computers and other office equipment.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. At this time, Kentucky State University is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa

Internal candidates are encouraged to apply.

KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The functions, qualifications, knowledge/skills, and physical requirements listed in this job description represent the essential duties of the job, which the incumbent must be able to perform either with or without reasonable accommodation. The Job Functions listed do not necessarily include all activities that the individual may perform.