Career Strategist

Career Strategist

Career Discovery and Success (CDS) advances the University's strategic goals for student achievement by strengthening post-graduation outcomes through comprehensive, innovative, and high-impact career services across the campus landscape, which focuses on five Career Learning Outcomes. The Career Strategist is an embedded role jointly supported by the College of Agriculture and the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment. The position is designed to expand access to career development by providing equally robust support to students and to faculty/staff.

This includes direct coaching for students and strategic consultation with faculty and academic partners to integrate career learning outcomes, career readiness competencies, and experiential education into curricular and co-curricular environments.

As an integral member of the college community, the Career Strategist builds meaningful connections among students, faculty, employers, and alumni. The role provides individualized coaching to students on career development, experiential learning pathways, and job-search strategies, while ensuring they are aware of and engaged in college-based and CDS-supported programs, services, and events. Equally central to the position is its consultative partnership with faculty and staff.

The Career Strategist collaborates with academic departments to embed career education into courses and programs; supports or co-develops career-related curriculum; and may teach career development courses within the college. The position also contributes to a coordinated student-success ecosystem by maintaining strong referral networks and working closely with academic advisors and experiential-learning personnel to provide holistic, wraparound support.

The Career Strategist facilitates workshops, class presentations, and employer engagement opportunities within the colleges, helping to cultivate a vibrant career-connected learning environment. As a member of the CDS team, the position reports to the Director of University Career Strategy, participates in the Auburn University Career Services Network Knowledge Groups and Consortium, and receives ongoing professional development through supervision, collaboration, and involvement in professional associations.

Because the Career Strategist is embedded within the colleges, regular communication and feedback from the College of Agriculture and the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment inform performance evaluation, identify emerging needs, and guide shared operational and strategic planning with college leadership.

• Serves as a liaison between Career Discovery and Success and the designated academic unit and is responsible for working closely with strategic partners creating a culture of collaboration among a variety of stakeholders.
• Serves as an advocate for their assigned student populations increasing exposure and access to more diverse employers and employment opportunities.
• Assists in facilitating, promoting, and expanding interaction with business and industry, government, and non-profit employers to create and increase career-related work experience opportunities, e.g., co-ops, internships, volunteer, and summer employment.
• Facilitates the integration of career readiness and articulation by working directly with faculty and staff at the college and program level, collaborating and communicating between career services and academic advising.
• Supports and assists in development, direction, administration, and promotion of university-wide Career Strategist and CDS service programs.
• Supports student success outcomes and key QEP success factors through career advising and coaching, instruction, and opportunities to scale engagement at the college level while maximizing support around engagement in experiential learning, job search strategies, graduate and professional school preparation, and career competency articulation.
• Assists in delivering other core career services programs including teaching career development courses, career coaching, and employer education related to academic unit and student population.
• Performs other…