Senior Career Design Advisor and Legal, Public Affairs and Public Service Professions Specialist

Colby College•Waterville, ME

About The Position

Colby invites qualified professionals to apply for the newly-created Senior Career Design Advisor and Legal, Public Affairs and Public Service Professions Specialist opportunity, a highly-visible, collaborative and impactful role housed within Colby’s DavisConnects area. The Senior Career Design Advisor will innovate and lead Colby’s legal, public affairs and public policy professions advising system, provide exploratory career advising to a designated portfolio of students and graduates, and deliver programs that enhance the Advisor’s advising efforts and impact. As a member of the DavisConnects leadership team, the Senior Career Design Advisor will also mentor the Career Design Advising team, sharing expertise, tools and professional development resources with the Career Design Advisors that help them provide meaningful and relevant exploratory and general career development advising and supporting resources.

Requirements

Master’s degree plus at least five years of experience teaching, coaching, advising and/or mentoring individuals interested in the legal, public affairs and public service professions, whether in a formal or informal capacity.
Exceptional interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills
Ability to recognize strengths and clarify the interests and values of students while assisting them in making informed decisions about their life after college
Excellent strategic planning, leadership and organizational skills
Commitment to developing innovative approaches to delivering excellent service
Experience in creating partnerships with and working creatively and effectively with broad constituencies
Team-orientation with an interest in collaborating with other members of DavisConnects in preparing students and graduates for success during and beyond college
Willingness to maintain a flexible schedule as needed, to accommodate evening and occasional weekend programs
Familiarity and experience using Google Education Suite and social media tools.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in a relevant field is strongly preferred
Experience delivering career development, life design and/or executive coaching and knowledge of and expertise in using career and talent assessments

Responsibilities

Professions Specialist Advising– Legal, Public Affairs and Public Service Professions (50%) Serve as the primary DavisConnects career design advisor to students and graduates interested in legal, public affairs and public service professions, helping them assess interests, explore opportunities, and refine a plan leading to post-graduate success.
Guiding students and alumni through the legal and graduate school application process, including, without limitation, application materials, entrance examinations (e.g. LSAT, GRE, etc.), personal statements and interviews, as well as guidance on professional school financing.
Provide guidance on industry-specific and geographically specific approaches to the opportunity-seeking process, including advice on resumes, cover letters, statements of interest and interview technique, as well as key strategies and considerations appropriate for particular countries and regions of the world.
Facilitate workshops and manage programs for target populations, including domestic and international industry-focused alumni panels, industry immersion experiences (e.g. off-campus job treks and opportunities to explore career industries across the US), and topical workshops and industry forums.
Cultivate relationships with admissions deans and staff at legal and graduate programs regionally and nationally, attending national and regional association events in doing so as appropriate.
Maintain strong relationships with internal partners (e.g. faculty, coaches, and professional staff) and external constituents (e.g. alumni, parents and career advising colleagues) to ensure inclusion and access to legal, public affairs and public service pathway preparation and recruiting at Colby.
Design and execute marketing and communication campaigns in collaboration with the DavisConnects’ Administrative and Student Worker teams that promote the Senior Career Design Advisor’s services, offerings and resources.
Providing up-to-date information to Colby’s Office of Admission and Office of Advancement to maintain and enhance the strong reputation for Colby’s pre-law program among prospective students and alumni looking to support the program.
If the Advisor is interested and has capacity, Advise and support the efforts of Colby’s student pre-law related organizations including, for example, the Mock Trial Team.
Teach a JanuaryPlan course to Colby students relevant to the Senior Career Design Advisor’s subject matter expertise and pertinent in bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Exploratory Career Advising (30%) Advise a designated portfolio of students on career-readiness, exposing them to potential career paths and helping them assess interests, identify and access experiential learning opportunities that translate their liberal arts education into tangible roles and responsibilities aligned with their evolving goals, interests and aspirations.
Design and deliver effective career and professional development programming and resources responsive to student needs.
Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with internal partners (e.g. faculty, coaches, and professional staff) and external constituents (e.g. alumni, parents, and career advising colleagues) who can support and enhance the efforts of the Advisor and DavisConnects’ Career Design Advising team and their programmatic initiatives.
Contribute to the content of the DavisConnects’ resource library, website, and on-demand resources.
Stay informed on employment trends, industry standards, hiring practices, and career development strategies to effectively guide students.
Maintain records of student advising and collaborate on metrics reflecting advising and programmatic outcomes.
Remain flexible to lead evening and occasional weekend programs.
Collaborate with and support the efforts of the other members of DavisConnects in preparing students for success in their paths through and beyond college.
Career Design Advising Team Mentorship (10%) In collaboration with the Dean of DavisConnects, provide mentorship and professional development to the career design advising team that empower and equip them to provide effective and relevant exploratory and career development advising and resources to students and graduates beyond the specialty advising areas.
Connections and Opportunities (10%) Partner with DavisConnects’ Industry and Community Partnerships team to develop and promote internship, externship, research and other experiential learning opportunities which will make their student and alumni advisees better informed, more competitive candidates for law school and public affairs and public services programs.
Collaborate with the Directors of Fellowships and Global Education to expose students and alumni to nationally and globally-competitive fellowships and other experiences aligned with their goals, interests and aspirations.
Ensure that all members of Colby’s global alumni, parent, and employer network receive impeccable customer service in the execution of educational and recruiting events, both on and off campus (information sessions, interviews, job treks, etc.).
Consult with members of Colby’s global network about campus best practices to help them plan activities that build awareness and maximize turnout of the students they hope to attract, with an emphasis on creating equity and access for all Colby students.
Conduct quantitative and qualitative research to evaluate results and pursue continuous improvement.