Office/Department: University Career Center
Director: Libby Westley
Number of Positions Available: 2

The University Career Center works with students, alumni, employers, faculty, and staff to provide comprehensive career services. We help students make educated career decisions and develop life-long professional career readiness skills. We assist employers in connecting with JMU students through recruitment and educational opportunities. We collaborate with JMU faculty and staff to develop educational career pathways that help students tell their curricular and co-curricular stories in their job and internship searches.

Mission Statement: To prepare and empower all students in every aspect of their career development.

Functional areas included in this office/department:

1. One on one career development and career counseling for students at all levels and in all majors.
2. Program development/workshop delivery on topics including resume and cover letter writing, job and internship strategies, interviewing, networking, career exploration, professional dress, electronic career resources, and applying to graduate school
3. Working with employers who recruit college students for jobs and internships.

Students who participate in this experience will gain understanding of Student Affairs as a profession and the influence they have on contemporary higher education through the following tasks and activities:

• Conduct individual career appointments to assist students and alums in the career decision-making process, career development, and job/internship search. Individual appointment types include resume, cover letter, grad school search, job/internship search, career exploration, interviewing, etc
• Facilitate presentations on career-related topics.
• Observe or co-teach a section of the 1 credit career course.
• Supervise four undergraduate Career Educators OR manage volunteer Career Ambassadors through the UCC Student Advisory Board
• Assist with career programming throughout the year, including career fairs, resume review events, employer events, etc.
• Facilitate at least one career related program
• Participate in departmental meetings and professional and development to learn best practices in career advising, career services, employer relations/college recruiting, and stakeholder cultivation.
• Interact with employers through outreach involving programming and events for students.
• Collaborate with University Career Center liaisons to connect faculty and students by college.
• Use technology to better serve students, such as: Canvas (for communication with students in UNST), Handshake (for assisting jobs with internship and job searches), and LinkedIn (for assisting students with networking), etc.
• Undertake special project administration or research through work with office staff, teams, and programs.

Students who participate in this experience will be exposed to the purposeful application of the following relevant theories:

• Career development theories (Holland, Super)
• Psychosocial and student development theories (Chickering, Perry)
• Typology theories (Jung)
• Counseling theories (Rogers, brief)

Students who participate in this experience will be evaluated and provided ongoing feedback in the following ways:

• Periodic consultation with GA coordinator/supervisor.
• Informal evaluation at mid-year and written performance evaluation in April.

Students assigned to this site will be able to participate in the following assessment or evaluation projects:

• Evaluation of various programs and services (e.g. career fairs, employer’s events, etc.)
• Assessment of programming learning outcomes (e.g. career workshops, decision making, etc.)

Specific expectations of students assigned to this site include:

• Be available to work during periods according to undergraduate students’ needs for career development. Being physically present for students during the academic year, and responding to student emails when University Career Center and the university are open.
• Participate in August GA training prior to start of Fall semester (usually 2 weeks before classes start).
• Attend graduate student staff meetings and participate in departmental staff meetings.
• Perform all tasks in a timely, organized, and professional manner.
• Communicate consistently with supervisors about successes, challenges, and concerns.
• Request assistance when needed.
• Present positive attitude about job responsibilities.
• Effectively work in group/team situations.
• Develop knowledge and skills in the following areas:
  
  • Principles and practices of developmental advising
  • All aspects of a comprehensive career development program (career decision-making, career management, development of career materials, employee networking and recruiting, events, etc.)
  • Skills in developing and conducting large and small group presentations and workshops on career related topics
  • Skills in small group facilitation, assessment and referral, and one-on-one counseling
  • Project management skills related to special project areas
  • Use of self-assessment tools and inventories with students

Contact Person

Sam Squyars, squyarsr@jmu.edu 
University Career Center
Assistant Director for Career Advising
Student Success Center 3210, MSC 1016
540-568-6555