College and Career Advisor

Position Summary: Responsible for guiding Jackson County high school students and clientele who walk into the Center in: the navigation, affordability factors, and pipelines pertaining to productive careers through pursuit of appropriate career training or post-secondary education.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Interacting on a daily basis with high school students and families in the assigned high school, at the Center, and at community venues to provide relevant information about postsecondary education for traditional 2-4 year degrees, skilled trades, apprenticeships, and local job opportunities:

• Encourage each student to consider a broad range of appropriate college choices.
• Develop a comprehensive college timeline, including application deadlines for admission and financial aid for each student.
• Help each student complete and submit admissions and financial aid applications.
• Assist each student in interpreting correspondence from colleges, including offers of admission and financial aid.
• Assist students in completing resumes, cover letters, interview skills/soft skills, career assessments, job shadowing, and job search.
• Provide continuous outreach over the summer through our Summer Melt initiative.

Organize group events that encourage students and their families to consider, plan for, and apply to colleges and universities:

• Visit classrooms, assemblies, and club meetings to offer services and emphasize the necessity of postsecondary study
• Host workshops for student and families to discuss topics relevant to college preparation
• Organize college/career visits and college representative visits
• Create, organize and host workshops out at community and partner venues throughout the summer for elementary, middle school students on college and career pipelines.
• Work with adults at various community venues on college and career goals and plans.

Establish productive collegial relationships with principals, school counselors, and teachers in assigned high school as well as other community-based college access professionals:

• Assess, in consultation with CCAC management and the high school, the particular assets and needs of assigned school, and adapt and adopt activities to reinforce existing activities to expand the services provided to students and avoid duplication
• Actively seek the advice and counsel of the point person at assigned high school

Provide college and career exploration services to elementary school, middle school, and underclassmen students K-11:

• Facilitate college and career readiness lessons at elementary and middle schools during the school year and at partner venues in the summers, including but not limited to STEM and robotics, college preparatory, and career oriented lessons.
• Support middle school job shadowing and career exploration group visits through chaperoning and organizational support.

Assist in the assessment and long-term sustainability of the program:

• Identify, collect, and interpret key progress and outcome data
• Submit weekly data to the executive director documenting progress and outcome data
• Represent CCAC, as requested by the executive director, to potential supporters and to other interested parties

Maintain expertise in admissions and financial-aid advising

• Participate fully in training
• Attend all monthly team meetings and any available professional development sessions
• In consultation with the executive director, seek out and participate in other opportunities for professional development

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Ability to effectively partner with students, faculty, and staff including those from diverse backgrounds
• Previous experience demonstrating strong leadership abilities, influencing others in a positive manner while achieving goals, and effectively communicating ideas and generating support for ideas

Job Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work effectively and independently within their work area.
• Must have ability to work with, Microsoft Office Software and Google Workspace.
• Proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and related scholarship database software.
• Must be able to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends at the request of the director.
• Must have the ability to work at alternate locations.
• Routine testing/training on various job related skills and competencies.
• Continuing education as necessary to maintain competency requirements for the position.