Career Design Advisor

The McCree Center for Life Success is thrilled to add a Career Design Advisor to their team of dedicated career professionals. The Career Design Advisor (CDA) is a critical member of the McCree Center for Life Success staff at Mary Baldwin University. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Career and Professional Development, the position involves helping students define career choices during the career exploration process, empowering students to engage in experiential learning opportunities, and interacting with residential students in various settings across campus. Our Career Design Advisors guide and support students throughout their career journey while at Mary Baldwin University and beyond. 

How does a Career Design Advisor support students? 

Career Design Advisors positively impact the lives of those around them – every day! In this role, you will build relationships with students across campus, online, and at our Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. You will meet with students 1:1, present career focused workshops, and represent the McCree Center for Life Success at university and community events. Advisors are not just mentors; they are partners in creating student pathways to success that are uniquely tailored to each students’ aspirations and goals.

Consistent with the mission and values of the institution, this position requires a commitment to a culture that promotes equity and inclusion. Therefore, applicants are expected to emphasize equity and inclusion in their interactions with students, staff, faculty, and community at large.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Career Design Advisors act as guides to help students unlock their full potential beyond the classroom. Each Advisor works closely with students to understand their interests, strengths, and career aspirations. This includes but is not limited to working with students one-on-one, in workshops, and in the classroom.   

Student career development support and advising:

• Prepare for and provide in-person and virtual student sessions for an average of 15 contact hours per week
• Engage students in topics that include career path exploration, resume/cover letter reviews, interview preparation, mock interviews, job/internship search strategies, and negotiating offers
• Maintain relevant meeting notes in Handshake
• This position will have academic advising responsibilities, providing onboarding support for first year students, acting as a continued advisor and mentor throughout students’ tenure at the institution. 

Programming and related activities:

• Initiate outreach to and maintain strong relationships with relevant departments, student organizations, and schools within MBU
• Collaborate on McCree Center priority programs, which include the career fair, connections to student employment, internships, and student mentoring programs
• Create and regularly add career and life success content to the McCree Center Website
• Attend McCree Center, The Commons and other MBU events 

Employer engagement:

• Engage with the Employer Relations team to maintain a current understanding of industries, employer landscape, and opportunities to disseminate to students
• Develop neighborhood-specific programming, emails, and other correspondence 
• In collaboration with Employer Relations, develop activities for students that could include site visits and other ways to engage directly with employers

Occasional weekend and evening hours are required, especially during the academic year.  

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required from an accredited institution
• Ability to engage and create meaningful relationships with students
• High-level of customer-orientation
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to probe for deep understanding
• Excellent time management, organizational, and presentation skills
• Proficient in computer and database maintenance 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• A master’s degree in a business field, counseling, social work, college student development, student affairs, or a related area is preferred  
• 2-4 years of industry or higher education experience working in business/technology, healthcare, not-for-profit, social services, or education 
• Experience with Handshake or similar CRM

Note: If you haven’t worked in higher education, but have transferrable skills from human resources, teaching, project management, student engagement, or other areas, we welcome your interest and application. 

About Mary Baldwin University

Founded in 1842, Mary Baldwin University has a proud legacy of innovating to best serve our students as the world changes. MBU is a small, coeducational university offering a range of degrees from bachelor to doctoral. We serve a diverse student population on our historic Staunton campus in the heart of downtown Staunton, Virginia, Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences in nearby Fishersville, and online. MBU offers unique opportunities for our students to become leaders in the classroom, community, workplace, and in their own lives.

Application Process

Mary Baldwin University is committed to promoting a culture of equity and inclusion among students, staff, and faculty. The university does not discriminate on the basis sex, gender, nor does the university discriminate on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, age, disability, religion, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.

To Apply:

Please submit a resume and detailed cover letter describing your interest and how your experience relates to the position to Brooke Buffington, Associate Vice President for Career and Professional Development, at bwbuffington@marybaldwin.edu  

A completed application should include the following:

1. Cover Letter outlining your interest and qualifications for the position 
2. Updated CV or resume
3. Three (3) professional references with contact information, title, institutional affiliation, email address and direct phone numbers. (No references will be contacted without written permission from the candidate.)

Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applications received on or before August 25th will receive priority consideration. The search will remain open until the position is filled.