Acting College & Career Navigator

College of Lake County•Grayslake, IL

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The College and Career Navigator (CCN) actively recruits and engages with prospective students, their families, area high schools, local employers, and community partners to build awareness of college options, foster a college-going identity, and create connections to CLC as one of the top choices in higher education. The CCN serves as a point person for prospective students exploring college and career options and has an established caseload of incoming students who have committed to enrolling at CLC. The CCN is responsible for providing a personalized, culturally relevant onboarding experience for incoming students though a holistic approach to student support during college and career exploration activities, field of interest and college selection, academic readiness and financial literacy activities, and successful transition to first semester enrollment. Embedded CCN works within the high schools (4 days a week) to provide programming and hands on assistance with students that are interested in attending CLC. Their caseload consists of 9-12 grades as well as recent high school graduates. Non-Embedded High School CCN – this CCN works with high schools that do not have embedded partnerships. They provide programming and group onboarding events for students interested in attending CLC. Their caseload is 9-12 graders and recent high school graduates. Adult Learner CCN – This CCN staffs the three CLC campuses and provides assistance for students interested in attending CLC. Their caseloads consist of adults who are two years or more post high school graduation. The position is expected to continue through September 30, 2027.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field with two (2) years’ experiences in higher education or higher education institution, secondary education, and/or human services.
Strong oral/written communication and interpersonal, presentation, computer (word processing, internet, email, database) and organizational skills.
Ability to work flexible hours including some evening and weekend hours, consistent with student and program needs
Required 1 late shift during the week to ensure evening coverage at the Grayslake campus
Proven ability to work effectively and constructively with persons of diverse cultures, language groups, and abilities; demonstrate sensitivity to and ability to work with the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Must have reliable transportation to visit CLC campuses, local high schools and community organizations
Candidate must possess and maintain eligibility to work with secondary (high school) and post-secondary students, in-person at all assigned work locations and virtually, in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to the Illinois School Code and Faith’s Law.
Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a post-offer fingerprint-based criminal history records check, employment history review, and any other screening or clearance requirements mandated by state or federal law and applicable school district policies or procedures.
Continued employment is subject to maintaining such eligibility and clearances.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in a related field.
Experience working with community college, and under-represented students.
Experience with caseload management.
Demonstrated knowledge of, and prior experience with, predictive analytics and proactive student intervention.
Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Recruitment and Onboarding Support outreach efforts aligned with CLC’s marketing and enrollment goals.
Build relationships with prospective students from application to day one.
Provide personalized guidance, promote CLC programs, and connect students to campus resources and events.
Tailor messaging to different audiences and utilize tools to support college and career decision-making.
First-Semester Academic Advising Use strengths-based and student-centered approaches to help students explore programs, register for classes, and build academic plans.
Maintain generalist knowledge of all programs and services.
Advise students on goals, transfer plans, and personal success strategies.
Document advising interactions and follow FERPA guidelines.
Career Exploration Guide students through career assessments and exploration tools.
Collaborate with faculty to connect students to career pathways and mentors.
Transfer Exploration Support students in identifying transfer options and planning for admission requirements.
Partner with the Transfer Information Coordinator and help students conduct basic transfer research.
Financial Planning Connect students to financial aid, scholarships, and payment resources.
Partner with Financial Aid and participate in related outreach events.
Personal Success Support Help students navigate academic and personal challenges.
Promote self-advocacy and refer students to skill-building and support services.
Encourage balance and holistic well-being.
Case Management Maintain a proactive caseload approach; track progress, communicate regularly, and offer targeted support.
Use data tools to guide outreach and interventions.
Celebrate milestones, escalate concerns when needed, and ensure students complete key onboarding steps.
Case Management Coordination Support improvements to case management systems and practices.
Serve as a resource for onboarding and advising model development.
Collaboration Work with internal departments and external partners (high schools, employers, community orgs) to align messaging, services, and pipelines to CLC.
Represent CLC in testing, registration, and engagement activities.
Build partnerships across campus to improve student onboarding.
Engage in professional development, support CLC-wide events, serve on committees, and perform other duties as assigned.