The Senior Career Coach for Graduate Students is part of the Career Center team at Vanderbilt University and will deliver career coaching, educational and training programs, and administrative services in support of graduate students and their academic departments. This position focuses on serving students in non-STEM fields including the Humanities, Foreign Languages, Arts, Education, and Social Sciences. This individual provides leadership and direction for services and programming related to graduate students and will be responsible for developing expertise in a number of industry areas. Reporting directly to an Associate Director of the Career Center, the Senior Career Coach ensures that graduate student programming is in alignment with employer expectations and needs, and that graduate students are prepared to enter the job market successfully. This individual will work closely with the Associate Director of Strategic Communications to create original social media and website content related to career development for graduate students.
The Vanderbilt Career Center serves undergraduate students enrolled full-time in the Blair School of Music, College of Arts and Science, School of Engineering and Peabody College, and graduate students enrolled in the Graduate School. In addition, the Center provides career coaching to recent graduates (0-2 years) after graduation. The Center provides many opportunities for students to learn about and explore professional opportunities including internships, career coaching, credit-based career courses, workshops, career panels, on-campus recruiting, job fairs, and industry-based Treks. The Career Center also supports students who are seeking graduate school admission as well as prestigious scholarships and fellowships. The Center consists of a leadership team, a coaching team, an employer relations team, and support staff.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provide Career Coaching Services to Graduate Students
- Provide one-on-one and group career coaching sessions in person or virtually (Zoom/phone/email) on career assessment, career decision-making, CV / resume critiques, and job search strategies (both academic and non-academic job market).
- Provide informed guidance related to all aspects of future planning including skill-building for transitioning career paths, internship and experience development, interviewing, social media branding, networking, and job search activities relevant to client's career interests.
- Ensure comprehensive and consistent services to all majors within scope of clients. Regularly evaluate systems and recommend improvements.
- Develop new career coaching techniques, programs, and service delivery methods appropriate for the field.
- Participate in training for continued career education learning and professional development.
- Develop an advanced understanding of career coaching knowledge: research employment trends, industry insights, and best career coaching practices; curate and share this information with career coaches and campus partners.
- Develop relationships and collaborate with the advising community including faculty, deans, and colleagues across campus and beyond.
- Administer career assessment instruments as appropriate.
Develop, Provide, and Coordinate Educational Programs and Training
- Provide and setup training and educational programming for graduate students, including planning and hosting events such as industry panels, alumni panels, and TREKS or industry visits.
- Create and present career specific events and workshops that cover all aspects of the career exploration, career development, and skill development.
- Provide curriculum content for professional development workshops including such topics as the academic and non-academic job search, networking, CV and resume writing, social media, interviewing, participating in professional conferences, and writing/publishing.
- Coordinate educational and training services with faculty and departments related to the majors served.
- Plan and organize programs that incorporate employers and alumni in conjunction with the Employer Relations team. Attend company-led presentations and events to learn from employers and share insight with students.
- Maintain content and resources that provide employment information e.g., job posting sites, web resources.
- Present and deliver training through a variety of in-person and digital methods using contemporary best practices.
Supervise Career Coach(es)
- Supervise the day-to-day activities of at least one career coach by providing leadership, guidance, and acting as a resource.
- Ensure coach is developing effective relationships with employers, faculty, campus and community partners, alumni, and parents.
- Monitor coach performance ensuring attainment of goals and support professional development and other activities by the coach.
Provide Ongoing Data Analysis and Outcomes Measurement
- Maintain records of all appointments, presentations, and services to students.
- Prepare statistical reports and analyze trends. Develop procedures to evaluate program effectiveness through student outcomes and satisfaction ratings.
- Develop procedures to effectively evaluate programs and student services for graduate students.
- Analyze data and prepare statistical reports as needed.
- Survey program trends and challenges at similar institutions and make informed recommendations for programming.
Supervisory Relationships
This position supervises at least one career coach; position reports administratively and functionally to the Associate Director for Strategic Communications.
