Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Career Counselor

🎯 Role Definition

A University Career Counselor provides individualized career counseling, develops career education programs, cultivates employer partnerships, and manages experiential learning and internship initiatives to support undergraduate and graduate student career development. This role combines one-on-one coaching (resume, cover letters, interview prep), group workshops, career fair & event coordination, employer outreach and relationship management, data-driven outcomes assessment, and collaboration with faculty and academic departments to integrate career readiness into the curriculum. The ideal candidate brings counseling skills, knowledge of labor market trends and recruiting practices, experience with career management platforms (Handshake, Symplicity, LinkedIn), and a demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and student success.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Career Services Assistant / Career Peer Advisor
Academic Advisor or Student Affairs Coordinator
Campus Recruitment Coordinator or HR Recruiting Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Career Counselor / Career Development Lead
Assistant/Associate Director of Career Services
Director of Career Services or Experiential Learning

Lateral Moves:

Employer Relations / Recruitment Specialist
Internship & Experiential Learning Coordinator
Alumni Relations or Development Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Provide high-quality one-on-one career counseling and career coaching to undergraduate and graduate students on job search strategies, career exploration, resume and cover letter development, LinkedIn and personal branding, interview preparation (behavioral and technical), salary negotiation, and graduate school advising.
Design and deliver career education workshops, seminars and curricular integration sessions on topics such as networking, informational interviewing, career exploration, job search planning, professional etiquette, and sector-specific hiring practices.
Build, maintain and grow employer relationships by conducting proactive outreach to regional, national, and global employers; develop internship, co-op, and full-time hiring pipelines; schedule employer campus visits and recruitment interviews.
Plan, coordinate and execute high-impact recruiting events including career fairs, employer panels, on-campus interviews, industry nights, virtual recruiting sessions, and mock interview days that drive student-employer engagement and measurable placement outcomes.
Manage and curate job and internship postings through campus career management systems (e.g., Handshake, Symplicity) and employer portals; ensure listings meet student needs and employer expectations while tracking posting performance.
Conduct targeted employer engagement and account management—serve as the primary liaison for key employer partners, facilitate recruitment strategies, negotiate on-campus or virtual interview logistics, and secure internship and sponsorship opportunities.
Develop and manage internship and experiential learning programs, including internship credit approval processes, learning agreements, site supervision guidelines, risk management, and program evaluation to ensure alignment with academic goals.
Deliver mock interviews (in-person and virtual), provide structured feedback, and coordinate interview coaching programs (including technical, case, and video interview practice) to improve student interview performance and conversion rates.
Create individualized career development plans and career readiness milestones for students, incorporating labor market data, skills mapping, interest assessments (e.g., MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory), and employer competency frameworks.
Use labor market information and employer intelligence (e.g., O*NET, Burning Glass, Emsi) to advise students on career trends, in-demand skills, salary ranges, and industry growth areas; incorporate data into advising and program planning.
Maintain accurate student advising records and outcome data; collect, analyze and report employment and internship placement metrics (including time-to-placement and starting salaries) for departmental reporting, accreditation and donor relations.
Collaborate with academic departments and faculty to embed career readiness into curriculum, design credit-bearing internship courses, and create co-curricular experiences that strengthen student employability.
Lead outreach to underrepresented student populations, first-generation students, international students and students with disabilities to ensure equitable access to career advising, employer opportunities, and skill-building programs.
Supervise, train and mentor student staff and peer career advisors; develop training materials, quality control rubrics, and performance metrics to maintain high service standards.
Design, implement and continuously improve career development programs and cohorts (e.g., internship bootcamps, employer pipelines, industry-specific career tracks) using evidence-based practices and assessment cycles.
Coordinate external partnerships with alumni volunteers, professional associations and community organizations to expand mentorship, networking and internship opportunities for students.
Manage the career services calendar, event budgets, vendor relationships and on-campus space logistics; ensure compliance with institutional policies (FERPA, confidentiality, non-discrimination).
Create and maintain online resources, toolkits, templates, and multimedia content (recorded workshops, webinars, how-to guides) to scale advising impact and support asynchronous student learning.
Conduct employer needs assessments and employer satisfaction surveys; use feedback to refine employer engagement strategies, internship quality controls and curricular recommendations.
Advise student organizations and career-related clubs on professional development programming, employer engagement and event planning to amplify student-led career initiatives.
Actively participate in college-wide committees and cross-functional teams (academic affairs, diversity & inclusion, alumni relations) to align career services goals with institutional strategic plans.
Represent the university at regional and national career services and higher-education conferences; stay current on best practices, emerging recruiting technologies and career readiness frameworks.
Support student athletes, niche majors (STEM, arts, business, education), and graduate students with specialized career pathways and credentialing requirements; coordinate with licensing boards and professional associations as needed.
Develop targeted campaigns for internship and job search seasons (summer internship recruiting, fall career fair prep, spring hiring push) and track campaign KPIs to optimize outreach and conversion.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis of career outcomes, employer engagement trends and program impact to inform strategic decisions and accreditation reporting.
Contribute to the career services strategic plan, annual goals, and continuous improvement initiatives focused on placement rates, employer diversity and student satisfaction.
Collaborate with marketing and communications to promote career services offerings, employer events and alumni volunteer opportunities through email campaigns, social media and campus channels.
Participate in campus-wide retention and student success initiatives, partnering with academic advisors, counseling services and disability services to address barriers to employment.
Assist with budget tracking, procurement and scheduling for career fairs, employer hospitality and external vendor coordination.
Maintain and troubleshoot career management systems and virtual interview platforms; coordinate with IT on integrations (ATS feeds, employer portals).
Provide coverage and crisis support for extended service hours (evenings or weekends) during peak recruiting seasons and large-scale events.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Career counseling and career coaching techniques (behavioral interviewing, STAR method, strengths-based advising).
Proficiency with career management and recruiting platforms (Handshake, Symplicity, Handshake integrations, LinkedIn Recruiter/student features).
Experience conducting labor market research and using labor analytics tools (O*NET, Burning Glass, Emsi, Lightcast).
Resume/CV, cover letter and LinkedIn profile development expertise across disciplines and experience levels.
Event planning and logistics management for career fairs, employer panels, and on-campus interviews.
Program development, curriculum integration and learning outcomes assessment for experiential learning programs and internship courses.
Data collection, outcomes tracking and reporting (employer placement rates, salary surveys, time-to-placement) using Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau or similar BI tools.
Familiarity with applicant tracking systems (ATS), employer recruitment cycles and candidate management best practices.
Virtual advising competencies: video interviewing platforms, Zoom/Teams workshop facilitation and online resource development.
Knowledge of employment law basics, FERPA, non-discrimination and accessibility best practices in higher education contexts.
CRM or alumni database management for employer/alumni engagement (Salesforce, Raiser's Edge integrations beneficial).
Basic budget management and vendor negotiation skills for event procurement and employer partnership contracts.

Soft Skills

Excellent interpersonal, active listening and empathetic counseling skills to build rapport with diverse student populations.
Strong communication and presentation skills for workshops, employer briefings and faculty collaborations.
Relationship-building and stakeholder management to grow employer pipelines and alumni engagement.
Cultural competency and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in advising and employer outreach.
Critical thinking and problem solving to tailor career strategies to individual student goals and market realities.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Coaching mindset with motivational skills to support student persistence and professional identity development.
Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, high-volume service environment with shifting employer needs.
Team collaboration and cross-functional partnership capabilities with faculty, academic units and campus offices.
Professionalism, confidentiality and ethical judgment in handling sensitive student and employer information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Psychology, Human Resources, Business, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Career Development, or related discipline; relevant certifications (CCRC, GCDF, NCC) a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Counseling or Career Development
Higher Education Administration or Student Affairs
Psychology, Human Resources, Business, or Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of experience in higher education career services, college/university career centers, employer relations, or related recruitment/human resources roles.

Preferred:

3+ years of progressive experience in career counseling or employer relations within a college/university or similar setting.
Demonstrated success running career fairs, internship programs, employer pipelines and tracking employment outcomes.
Experience advising diverse student populations (first-generation, international, veteran, students with disabilities).
Supervisory experience with student staff or professional team members preferred.
Experience with career management systems (Handshake, Symplicity) and outcome reporting tools.