Assistant Director/Career Consultant – Career & Professional Development Center – Division of Student Affairs

The Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) is Carnegie Mellon University’s centralized career services center providing a comprehensive range of services, programs and materials focusing on career exploration and decision-making, professional development, experiential learning and employment assistance to meet today’s evolving and growing workplace and student goals of finding satisfying work. The CPDC has been recognized by the Princeton Review, Career Leadership Collective, and Handshake as a leading university career development operation.

Are you someone who is passionate about making a positive impact? This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated top performer with higher education and/or industry experience to leverage knowledge in a unique role within one of the most respected schools in the world.

In partnership with another career consultant in the CPDC, the Assistant Director/Career Consultant will focus on career development initiatives for undergraduate students within the School of Computer Science, Mellon College of Science, and Information Systems cohorts and will act as primary CPDC liaison for various academic departments. Specifically, this person will coach and advise students on career planning strategies using the CPDC’s Assess-Brand-Connect Career Learning Outcomes framework. Coaching and advising will happen individually, in groups, and through online career modules – so candidates need to be proficient in delivering content through multiple modalities. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who evaluates student and corporate partner needs, develops creative strategies, and proactively takes appropriate action as a result. The Assistant Director/Career Consultant is also responsible for tracking internship and first-destination outcomes with high attention to detail and accountability. 

The connected culture between the CPDC and academic departments allows the opportunity to collaborate in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.  The ability to build and grow relationships, not only with students, but with department heads, academic coordinators, faculty, and employers will be vital in this role.  CMU retains a diverse student population, so cultural sensitivity and competencies are essential to the Assistant Director/Career Consultant position.

Your primary responsibilities include:

• Assisting undergraduates who are focused primarily on software and other IT-related careers in assessing their career and professional development goals, building job search strategies, developing marketing materials, and practicing interviewing skills, etc. based on the CPDC Assess/Brand/Connect learning outcomes model

• Creating, organizing and presenting career-related programs, workshops, career fairs and online learning content.

• Cultivating potential and developing existing relationships with employers to understand industry trends and recruiting needs

• Building and growing positive relationships with department heads, academic advisors, and faculty. Communicating openly and frequently with these partners

• Some travel may also be required for career treks and employer engagement

• Tracking internship and first-destination outcomes with high attention to detail and accountability

• Other duties as assigned

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

You should demonstrate:

• Analytical, organizational, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required

• In depth understanding of/experience with recruitment practices preferred

• Excellent oral and written communication skills – especially in communicating to audiences from different cultures

• Strong technical skills and the ability and openness to learn and integrate into your advising activities: MS Office Suite, Google Suite, AI platforms (e.g., Gemini, Co-Pilot, ChatGPT), Canva, etc.

• Ability to work independently on projects and function competently in a team environment required, time management and planning skills required

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree preferred

• 1-3 years of experience in college student development, career development, and/or collegiate advising AND/OR in early career recruiting or human resources management required

• A combination of education and relevant experi