Assistant Director, Career Development

The Assistant Director, Career Development, is a key member of The Career and Leadership Development Office at TCNJ, part of the Dean of Students unit operating within the Division of Student Affairs.  The team is dedicated to advising students at TCNJ on their career and leadership development through academic, leadership, and experiential education and opportunities with an eye towards leading in change and innovation in this space. To learn more about the team, we invite you to visit career.tcnj.edu and leadership.tcnj.edu. 

The mission of the Office of Career and Leadership Development involves empowering students to excel in their chosen fields, “enriching the TCNJ experience and fostering the development of students as whole persons.” The team accomplishes this by enabling students to strategically apply their academic and leadership experiences in the world of work, post-graduate education and the dynamic, global community-at-large; as well as by enhancing students’ opportunities through building and maintaining meaningful relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including employers, graduate programs, alumni, community partners, and the TCNJ community at large. In support of the overall mission of the TCNJ Office of Career and Leadership Development (CLD) this position provides program implementation, student career counseling preparation and relationship building to foster the holistic development of TCNJ students and alumni, as well as support of Student Affairs Initiatives. This is accomplished through coordinating career services for liaison areas, as well as developing and implementing strategies to structure and strengthen the relationship between CLD and relevant TCNJ schools and partners. Providing one on one, as well as group career counseling to students and alumni. Key areas of responsibility include:

Program Planning

Key member and contributor to the growth of the career and leadership development program by planning, coordinating and implementing programs and strategies related to career exploration, career and leadership competencies, and services regarding experiential, career and graduate school opportunities. Specific management of programs involves networking events and assessing resources, content, and knowledge relevant to aligned liaison areas. Support student career outcomes through integration of employers, graduate schools and campus partners in programs and events. Work with the Director and team to devise objectives and assessment measures.  Demonstrate a strong understanding of relevant technology for program execution and effectiveness. Partner with the CLD team and liaison areas to promote programs to all constituents through relevant channels, including web and social media.

Career Preparation and Career Counseling

Career and Leadership Development liaison to one or more areas tied to the School of Science and School of Engineering, or other identified school/industry as determined by the Director. This includes meaningful collaborations with the faculty, employers and students in programming with a minimum of 3 programs or class involvement per semester.

Provide one-on-one career counseling sessions and programs to assist students explore, prepare, and evaluate their academic and extracurricular engagement in the career developmental process. Facilitate and integrate into the classroom career exploration, job search, resume preparation and practice interviews.  Create handouts and marketing materials for workshops and services.  Facilitates career counseling strategies with students in building and recognizing leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills in preparation for employment or graduate school. 

Specifically work with alumni and employers to increase awareness and applications to experiential, graduate school, and job opportunities available to students.

Facilitates career counseling theory in one on one career counseling sessions related to career exploration, career decision-making, job search, interview preparation and resume writing.  Trained in career assessments preferred, with tools such as Strong, MBTI, Focus2 or CliftonStrengths, and incorporates this knowledge in the individual session.

Student Affairs Initiatives: Member of relevant Student Affairs committees, such as Leadership Awards and Traditions.  Facilitate sessions for Admissions and campus wide events, as needed. 

Qualifications

Master's degree, 3 years' experience in career development theory, career counseling or recruiting, and at least 4 years of experience in higher education, student affairs, or a related field to career services or university relations. Full-time experience on a college/university student services staff is preferred. Important knowledge and capabilities necessary include career counseling techniques, knowledge of job trends and career development skills, effective public relations and networking abilities, and understanding the need for infusing leadership into career development. Facilitate counseling sessions involving decision making, assessment of strengths and challenges. Ability to teach career exploration, job coaching and job search processes to students and alumni. Demonstrated project and event management. Value towards excellent customer service and problem solving skills. Ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders, including external hiring managers and diverse students. Strong written and oral presentation skills. Ability to communicate the value of the educational experience to outside constituents. Ability to travel periodically to engage with external partners, alumni and students. Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends if needed for special program requests. Advanced skills in Database Management, MS Excel, PowerPoint or other presentation tools, and Word. Understanding and appreciation of growing role technology plays in delivery of career development and leadership services. 

About TCNJ

TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings, including the fourth-best college library in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.

TCNJ has a strong commitment to inclusive excellence in our community and to supporting a healthy work-life balance for our faculty of teacher-scholars. TCNJ has been recognized as one of the “Great Colleges to Work For 2018” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. TCNJ’s Division of Inclusive Excellence, https://diversity.tcnj.edu, houses several faculty and staff affinity groups including the Minority Executive Council, Women’s Professional Network, Parenting Network, LGBTQ+ Pride, and Multicultural Greek Affinity Group. 

Contact Information

Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references.  Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found. Please apply by using the following link: https://tcnj.taleo.net/careersection/00_ex_staff/jobdetail.ftl?job=21000290&lang=en.  Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background and reference checks.

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply.