Career and Professional Development (CPD) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is seeing candidates for 2 assistant director positions. One Assistant Director will work with students interested in careers in the Government & Public Administration, and Education & Human Services career pathways. The other Assistant Director will work with students interested in careers in the Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology career pathway. Both of these positions report to the Director of Career Pathways and College Relations.

The Career Pathways and College Relations team conceptualizes and facilitates programs, services, and resources that help Virginia Tech students explore, gain experiences, and prepare for a successful transition into careers within their designated industry cluster. This team will also provide training and upskilling for all CPD staff on best practices for serving students within a particular industry cluster. This team is responsible for connecting and maintaining relationships with the academic departments/majors that are most relevant to their assigned industry clusters – making them aware of resources, programs, and opportunities for their students. Team members will collaborate with academic departments and student organizations.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• 55% Advising / Outreach / Student Engagement
  • Provide one-on-one advising (in person, virtually, through email, etc.) to students interested in career opportunities within the industries represented by this role on topics such as selecting an academic major, choosing a career direction, developing a job search plan, interviewing (including conducting mock interviews), gaining career-related experience (internships/co-op), writing effective resumes and cover letters, reflecting on career-ready competency development, and researching companies and graduate schools.
  • Advise students interested in varying industries as needed/in support of team members.
  • Research and present workshops on topics related to job searching and career-ready skills such as resume writing, interviewing, networking, career decision making, and workplace competencies. *
  • Work independently and/or collaboratively with team members to develop and facilitate programs involving employers representative of the industries identified for this role. Collaborate with the Employer Engagement and Industry Relations team to identify employers.
  • Represent CPD at events offered by Admissions, New Student and Family Programs, and other career fair and outreach opportunities requested by colleges and departments.*

 25% - Industry expertise / Programming

• • Conceptualize and facilitate programs, services, and resources that help Virginia Tech students explore, gain experiences, and prepare for a successful transition into careers within designated industry cluster.
  • With support from team, provide training and upskilling for all CPD staff on best practices for serving students within a particular industry cluster.
  • Connect to and maintain relationships with academic departments/majors that are most relevant to designated industry cluster, making them aware of resources, programs, and opportunities for their students. Collaborate with academic departments and student organizations.
  • Serve as the key communication conduit to identified departments.
  • Serve as an expert on First Destination Report data and other related materials for identified academic departments/majors.  Work closely with departments to encourage their students to participate in completing the First Destination survey.
  • Collaborate with CPD Employer Engagement and Recruitment Services team to leverage opportunities to learn from, engage with, and partner with employers in designated industry cluster.
• 15% - VT, CPD, and Team projects/involvement / Program management

Opportunities to serve in one or more of the following ways:

• Serve on university, office, and team task groups as opportunities arise (in consultation with supervisor).
• Serve as a contact to a designated campus partner or facilitate the services and resources for an identified topic.
  • Develop and provide programs to assist students in conjunction with assigned area.
  • Identify resources and develop materials to address student needs related to assigned area.
  • Research and share current trends with students and provide training for Career and Professional Development advisors.
• 5% - Professional Development
  • CPD encourages continual professional development through professional memberships, trainings offered through the university and other outlets, conference attendance, etc. Conversations about annual professional development plans should be discussed with your supervisor.

*May require some evening and weekend work.

Career and Professional Development currently offers the opportunity to work remotely up to 16 hours per week.

Application materials:

Please indicate in your cover letter If you have a particular interest in one of the Career Pathways as described or if you are interested in being considered for both.

Required qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree in human development, sociology, psychology, or in a discipline relevant to one of the industry cluster areas served by this position. Experience advising or coaching others. To be successful in this fast-paced work environment, candidates should be energetic, organized, detail oriented, and possess strong interpersonal, communication, and team skills.

Preferred qualifications:

A master’s degree in counseling, higher education administration, student affairs/student personnel services, or related field. Experience in any of the industry areas that this assistant director will champion. Experience in university career services, corporate human resources, or workforce development. Familiarity with assessment tools (such as MBTI, CliftonStrengths, SDS, and TypeFocus) is strongly preferred.

About Virginia Tech Career and Professional Development

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually. Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender i...dentity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law. Career and Professional Development is a centralized office of 30 staff dedicated to educating and supporting students as they explore and choose academic majors and career options, obtain and reflect upon career-related experiences, develop professional presence and essential skills for workplace success, and launch post-graduation career plans, including graduate/professional school and employment.

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