EDUCATION CAREERS ADVISER JOB

A careers adviser in higher education provides information, advice and guidance to undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates through individual interviews and group work. They help clients to: assess their values, interests, abilities and skills and relate these to opportunities for employment, further study and training; make decisions, develop strategies and carry out career plans; present themselves effectively in applications and at interviews; and cope with the transition from higher education to employment. Increasingly, careers advisers work with academic colleagues to negotiate careers education within the curriculum and liaise with employers regarding effective recruitment practices. Many are also involved in writing for publications. Individual face-to-face interviews are an important means to help people explore their options and make plans.

They remain popular with students in all years of study as well as graduates. The timing, duration and location of interviews will vary to help services meet demand and there may be a drop-in service as well as appointments. Increasingly, one-to-one contact with a careers adviser may be available by phone or email as well as in person. Most careers advisers also work with groups. Topics for group sessions or workshops may include writing CVs and applications, preparing for interviews or choosing a career path. Sessions may be offered to course groups or open to any student. At some institutions, careers advisers may be involved in programmers featuring external speakers, such as employers or representatives from professional bodies. Careers advisers may also influence the employability of students by contributing to the curriculum.

Their responsibilities can include designing modules (or elements within them); delivering lectures and seminars setting and marking work, or they may act as consultants to academics completing these tasks. Many careers advisers are actively involved in the work of the members of AGCAS, they work alongside the staff of other careers services, researching and writing information products, carrying out surveys, running and participating in training courses and other activities, and developing relevant knowledge and skills. Researching and writing information on local and national opportunities or producing publicity material, newsletters and vacancy bulletins. Using computer-aided guidance packages.

Developing web-based materials for use by students, graduates, employers and academics. Administering and interpreting psychometric tests and personality inventories. Visiting employers and professional bodies, both large and small, to obtain information about opportunities, recruitment procedures and policies, and labour market trends. organizing programmers of employer recruitment visits, careers fairs and conventions with academic staff to promote the use of the service by students, providing information on graduate employment and training, and advising on careers education programmers or the development of the competences required by employers coding, analyzing and interpreting data for destinations of leavers from higher education (DLHE) survey with schools and colleges attending careers conventions. Arranging work placements for students on sandwich-based courses.