Career & Academic Advisor

Compensation: $44,319.64 - $53,737.57

Key Position Information:

The College is seeking a dynamic and creative individual to provide career and academic advisement to our students at SPC's Seminole campus and Virtual Advising Center. This position will provide a critical role in serving students on campus and in a virtual environment. A passion for providing high-quality advising in person and in a virtual environment is a must. The ideal candidate should be self-motivated, a problem solver, technology savvy, and should have excellent communication skills. As the College continues to build momentum around Academic Excellence and Economic Mobility as a strategic priority, the Career and Academic Advisors will be essential to student onboarding, retention, completion, and the overall student
experience.

Position Summary:

The Career and Academic Advisor is a student services professional with a critical role in The College Experience, the College's premier student success initiative. The responsibilities of the Career and Academic Advisor include, but are not limited to: helping students from their initial inquiry through application to the College; facilitating student orientations; guiding students' career decisions and class selection; tracking the advancement of students and providing case management and assistance for at-risk students; and assisting students with job searches, resume preparation, and placement or transfer.

Typical Essential Duties:

• Prepares and delivers presentations to potential students on campus and in the community
• Conducts outreach activities to students who have inquired about the College
• Facilitates student orientations
• Provides guidance to students individually or in group settings regarding career decisions, degree plans, and transfer opportunities
• Identifies skill gaps and advises students on relevant workforce programs to meet their needs
• Assists students with registration and appropriate course selection
• Utilizes a wide range of software and computer systems to track and analyze student progression and retention
• Analyzes student retention data and takes appropriate action to promote student success including case management of at-risk students
• Helps students understand current job markets by researching career options

This is the first of six levels in the Student Support Professional series. The classification is responsible for providing complete organizational information and services to students and prospective students in single areas or across a number of disciplines that may include admissions, financial aid, academic advising, career services, international students, and disability services. This level is differentiated from the previous level by the focus on providing professional-level career counseling and/or academic advisement and providing direct student assistance in career development activities; incumbents are responsible for coordinating internal and external partnerships to enhance services; making referrals for resources to assist in the students' career and educational success; and serving as a liaison between high schools, students, employers, and departments within the college.

Requirements:

Education:

Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred.

Experience:

Three years of experience in academic advising or a retention background in student services, or higher education.

* An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job may be acceptable in lieu of those requirements listed above.

Knowledge:

• Thorough understanding of all SPC certificate, associate, and bachelor degree programs
• Knowledge of college and community resources including disability support services veterans program, student support, learning support, and student assistance programs
• Knowledge of federal financial aid rules and regulations, state Board of Education requirements, transfer issues and articulation agreements, SPC policies and procedures, FERPA regulations, and relevant legislative changes
• Fluent with Microsoft Office suite of applications as well as the PeopleSoft student administration system and other software applications including the student coaching system, the learning management system, My Learning Plan, and the business intelligence system (PULSE)
• Knowledge of theories and best practices in Academic Advising and retention
• Customer service principles

• Applicable student support programs, academic advising, and/or related programs;
• Program development and program management principles and practices;
• Customer service principles;
• Career planning principles and practices;
• Community networking principles and practices;
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures;
• Diverse populations and cultures;
• Recordkeeping principles;
• Computers and related software applications.

Skills:

• Excellent time management skills
• Ability to serve diverse populations and cultures
• Ability to work flexible hours including some evening and weekend hours consistent with student needs
• Ability to review and analyze student needs and recommend appropriate success strategies and referrals
• Ability to manage large amounts of information related to academic programs, college policies and procedures, and federal regulations
• Project management skills
• Strong organizational and administrative skills and the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple activities and maintain flexibility
• Demonstrated leadership practices and ability to think strategically to support change and innovation
• Experience with advising students on academic, finance or career issues
• Excellent customer relations skills and the ability to establish and maintain a professional working relationship
• Public speaking skills including the ability to engage groups as a part of workshops and structured presentations
• Ability to extract, analyze, and interpret data
• Ability to work independently with little supervision
• Ability to prioritize work requirements and demonstrate independent decision making
• Maintaining records
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with subordinates, coworkers, supervisor, and the general public

• Coordinating student support programs or services;
• Planning and developing programs;
• Advising students on academic, finance or career issues;
• Providing customer service;
• Promoting services;
• Researching service delivery methods;
• Creating resumes and cover letters;
• Maintaining records;
• Using a computer and related software applications;
• Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with subordinates, coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction.

Physical:

• Positions in this class typically require: reaching, grasping, feeling, communicating effectively, and repetitive motions.
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

• Positions in this class typically require: reaching, standing, walking, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.
• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

License:

None.

Responsibilities:

The Board of Trustees of St. Petersburg College affirms its equal opportunity policy in accordance with the provisions of the Florida Educational Equity Act and all other relevant state and federal laws, rules and regulations. The college will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or against any qualified individual with disabilities in its employment practices or in the admission and treatment of students. Recognizing that sexual harassment constitutes discrimination on the basis of sex and violates this Rule, the college will not tolerate such conduct. Should you experience such behavior, please contact Dr. Devona Pierre, Executive Director, Organizational Culture and Engagement/Title IX Coordinator at 727-341-3261; by mail at P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-3489; or by email at eaeo_director@spcollege.edu.