1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. Reasons College Students
Seek 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
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. 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
19. 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!
