Job description
Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.
Job Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the Assistant Director for Early Career Exploration position. The Assistant Director for Early Career Exploration is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $61,545 - commensurate with experience. Given Amherst’s distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.
The Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning seeks an Assistant Director for Early Career Exploration to assist with executing the Center’s early career education and engagement strategy for a highly diverse group of students, consisting of all first-year and sophomore Amherst students. Specifically, the Assistant Director will be tasked with providing advising sessions and creating programming designed to help students identify core interests and strengths, explore potential career pathways of interest, search for internships, craft career goals, and acquire essential career management skills (i.e. resume building, cover letter writing, interviewing, etc.). Furthermore, the individual in this role will be responsible for managing the Loeb Center’s Peer Career Advisor program.
The Assistant Director will also serve as the primary career advisor for the Meiklejohn Fellows Program, a program designed to support post-graduate planning and success to Amherst College students from families with low incomes, and to those who are the first in their families to attend college. The cornerstone of the Meiklejohn Program is the career education and guidance provided by the Assistant Director through one-on-one and group advising sessions and the administration of a robust summer internship program, which includes programming to support Fellows in their internship search and professional skill development as well as the disbursement of internship stipends. Fellows are guaranteed at least one paid summer internship, research opportunity, or other educational experience during their first or second summer at the college; and are offered the opportunity to engage in networking opportunities with Amherst alumni.
Reporting to the Director for Early Career Exploration, the Assistant Director will be a valuable member of the Loeb Center’s Early Career Exploration team, which includes members of the Charles Hamilton Houston Internship Program team, and will contribute towards the Center’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Summary of Responsibilities
Early Career Advising
- Advise a diverse group of first-year and sophomore students on career exploration & goal setting, internship search strategies, personal/professional skills development, and relevant Loeb Center and Amherst College resources in individual appointments both in-person and virtual
- Conduct resume and cover letter reviews and mock interviews; provide feedback on internship applications
- Stay abreast of trends in career education, internship recruitment, and support for first-generation and/or low-income college students, and implement best practices in welcoming and engaging a highly diverse community of students
- Develop annual student preparation programming timeline that is in alignment with internship programming and early career exploration goals
- Manage the Loeb Center Clothing Closet, a collection of professional clothing items that students may borrow for interviews, conferences, or other career-related activities
Meiklejohn Fellows Program Advising and Support
- Develop and implement programs designed to prepare Fellows for successful summer internship experiences and other career education programs
- Create programs and resources designed to help students reflect and integrate work-based learning into their academic experience
- Provide one-on-one and group advising appointment sessions to Fellows and refer them to other Loeb Center advisors, as appropriate
- Work with the Internships Coordinator to assist Meiklejohn Fellows with securing summer internship stipends
- Serve as a Loeb Center representative on cross-campus committees related to support for Meiklejohn Fellows and as the primary liaison to the Amherst Class and Action Resource Center office
Student Staff Supervision
- Recruit, hire, train, and supervise the Loeb Center’s Peer Career Advisors (PCAs)
- Collaborate with the Class and Action Resource Center to recruit, hire, train, and supervise the Meiklejohn Peer Mentors
- Implement best practices for inclusive leadership, and work towards a culture that attracts and is supportive and engaging of a highly diverse group of student workers
Qualifications
Required:
-
Bachelor’s degree and 2-3 years of professional experience or equivalent education
- Experience and demonstrated understanding of career development and advising, student development, and/or student mentoring,
- Clear understanding of the role of internships and career education initiatives
- Demonstrated interest and commitment to supporting first-generation and/or low-income students.
- Excellent written and oral communications, including strong public speaking and presenting abilities
- Demonstrated time management, project management and organizational skills
- Demonstrated success implementing best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion
- Collaborative, self-directed, detail-oriented, and able and willing to work under pressure
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Success working both independently and in cross-functional teams
- Able to work evening, weekends, etc. as needed for events and programs
Preferred:
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Master's degree
- Experience in a higher education setting, especially within a liberal arts college context
- Knowledge of design-thinking principles for career development
- Knowledge of MBTI. StrengthsFinder, or similar career assessments
Amherst College offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, continued learning, and career advancement.
Amherst College requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (medical and religious exemptions may apply).
Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for
Benefits Information
.
Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted.
(Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Career icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
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