Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor

Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor School Overview

St. John’s School (SJS) is a leading independent, all-gender IB World School in Vancouver, Canada, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) across Kindergarten to Grade 12. SJS is committed to providing an enriching and rigorous education that nurtures learning competencies, student agency, wellbeing, and a lifelong love of learning.

The Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor is an integral member of the faculty who collaborates with an established counselling team and works closely with the Senior School School to support students in Grades 6-12. In this role, the counsellor provides personalized guidance and delivers programming that help students plan for their futures. Responsibilities include advising students on post-secondary and career options, organizing university networking opportunities such as fairs, coordinating graduated-related events, and teaching Career Education classes.

The counsellor plays a key role in helping students understand graduation requirements, explore post-secondary pathways, and prepare for transition beyond SJS.

• Organize and host university visits to St. John’s School.
• Organize students to visit university fairs (e.g., VAIS, CUE).
• Organize and host events such as university fairs, Gr 10 Career Day, Gr 10 Take your Child to Work Day, and the Gr 11 Interview Day event.
• Organize parent and student information nights covering topics such as: university planning, career planning, co-op programs, and summer programs.
• Meet individually with students and/or parents to assist in the university planning process.
• Assist students with course selections at the DP level and prerequisite courses for university.
• Provide scholarship/awards information to parents and students.
• Monitor graduation requirements for all students in Grades 10-12.
• Assist in the organization of the graduation and awards ceremonies.

• Communicate information with the Marketing and Advancement departments regarding information and activities related to career and university planning.
• Maintain the University Advising page on the school website.
• Maintain records of university applications, acceptances, and final destinations.
• Maintain records of scholarship awards.
• Maintain a noticeboard of university and post-secondary planning activities/opportunities.
• Maintain a library of information for students and parents on post-secondary opportunities.

• Assist students with resume writing and interview techniques.
• Guide students with supplemental documentation/essays for applications.
• Write references to support university and scholarship applications.
• Guide teachers and administration in reference with writing requirements.
• Process high school transcripts (initial/midyear/final) for university applications.
• Maintain records of predicted grades as provided by the DP Coordinator.
• Be available in the early summer (following the release of DP results) to advise students and families.

• Plan, deliver, and assess Senior School Career Education courses aligned with the BC Curriculum.
• Employ varied instructional and assessment strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.
• Monitor Daily Physical Activity (DPA) for Grade 11-12 students in accordance with Ministry requirements.

• Build strong, respectful, and trusting relationships with students.
• Work collaboratively with school-based teams to support academic, social, and personal student needs.
• Support students’ physical, social, and emotional wellbeing through a…