Career Development Coordinator

At Oakton College, we know education changes lives - and that starts with the people who make it happen. For more than 50 years, we've built a welcoming and inclusive community where students from all backgrounds and experiences thrive.

We're looking for passionate educators, professionals and leaders to join our team. Whether in the classroom, student support, or behind the scenes, your talents and expertise will make a difference and shape the future.

We provide dynamic learning environments that empower students and employees alike with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie and a Health Careers Education Center in Evanston.

As a proud institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Oakton is more than a college - it's a place where innovation, equity and lifelong learning drive everything we do. We value diverse perspectives and embrace new ideas and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and student-centered culture.

Job Description:

Basic Function and Responsibility:

Reporting to the Manager of the Career Development Center, the Career Development Coordinator delivers high-impact programmatic support and direct career coaching to advance student career readiness, persistence, and employment outcomes. The role provides comprehensive career guidance to credit and non-credit students, alumni, and community members, supports career/major exploration and pathway mapping, and develops job-search strategies informed by labor-market data. The Coordinator also helps design, implement, and improve career and workforce development programs and works with campus and community partners to connect students with internships, apprenticeships, and experiential learning opportunities.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide individualized and group-based career coaching to assist with major/educational pathways and career exploration, goal setting, and career pathway planning. Administer and interpret personality, major, and career assessment tools (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory) and translate into realistic, actionable career plans.
• Develop proactive outreach strategies to engage with students through one-on-one coaching sessions, classroom visits, presentations, workshops, and targeted campaigns to increase student utilization. Empower students to make well-informed, researched decisions about majors/educational pathways, careers, or internships/apprenticeships.
• Provide job search support, including resume and cover letter development, interview preparation (including mock interviews), LinkedIn optimization, and career competency development aligned with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Offer students constructive, instructional feedback to assist with applications and enhance job readiness.
• Coordinate and facilitate career development workshops, presentations, and outreach activities for students and campus partners in multiple modalities (in-person, virtual, and hybrid).
• Collaborate with program faculty and chairs to collect and monitor job placement opportunities; support students in securing professional employment; and gather data to prepare reports on job development and placement initiatives.
• Establish and cultivate employer and industry partnerships to increase recruitment efforts and expand employment opportunities for students.
• Collaborate with Adult Continuing Education, Workforce Development (ACE-WD), Work-Based Learning, and the Small Business Development Center to organize and execute job/career fairs, including student preparation, soliciting employer participation, marketing events to the appropriate audiences, outcome tracking, and coordinating miscellaneous logistical elements.
• Collaborate with the Adult Continuing Education and Workforce Development (ACE-WD) division to teach new and continuing students how to access career exploration and non-credit-to-credit support programs and services.
• Collect, analyze, and report data related to student engagement, program participation, and employment outcomes for institutional and accreditation purposes.
• Participate in early-exposure activities aligned with the pathways-to-opportunity model, team meetings, professional development, and cross-training to enhance service delivery.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Qualifications and Working Conditions:

• Bachelor's degree required. An advanced degree in higher education, counseling, psychology, or a related field is preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 2 years' professional experience in career services, workforce development, higher education, or human resources. Experience working with undecided college students preferred.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., Certified Career Services Provider, Global Career Development Facilitator) are a plus.
• Proficiency with career services platforms (Handshake, Symplicity, etc.) and CRM systems (Salesforce preferred): strong data collection and reporting skills.
• Strong understanding of higher education transfer/admissions processes and labor market information to align students' academic plans with employment opportunities.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication; customer service orientation; ability to establish productive relationships with students, faculty, staff, and employers; strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills; ability to coordinate multiple initiatives and meet deadlines.
• Ability to interact respectfully and tactfully with diverse populations, maintain confidential records, and work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams.

Physical Demands:

Mobility to move from building to building on-campus and to visit off-campus entities. Work is performed in a general office environment and is sedentary in nature?little or no exposure to adverse working conditions.

Additional Information:

SALARY:The hourly salary of this position is $28.25 which equates to $56,921 annualized based on Oakton's summer hours schedule.

Based on the needs of the college and with Administrator approval, some positions at the college may have a hybrid schedule option available after 30 working days.

Oakton College conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law and in accordance with the Illinois Department of Human Rights Conviction Record Protection Act of March 2021.

Posted positions may be removed from the Oakton website without notice when it is determined that no additional applicants are required.

Oakton College does not utilize E-Verify for employment eligibility verification.