"Career Development Specialist - College of the Arts"

Job Description

SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Director of Career Development, the Career Development Specialist plays a vital role in delivering accessible and inclusive career education to students enrolled in the College of the Arts (CART) at Montclair State University. This role focuses on implementing career readiness initiatives through student outreach, event coordination, workshop facilitation, early-stage career coaching and assists with employer partner support, communication and inquiries. With a strong focus on logistics, engagement, and day-to-day support, this position enhances the reach of CART’s career development services and contributes to a welcoming, responsive environment that fosters early and ongoing student participation.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as an initial point of contact for students seeking career development support; provide guidance on resumes, cover letters, basic career exploration, and navigating career platforms (e.g., Handshake, Big Interview).
• Lead outreach and engagement efforts to promote services and events, including email campaigns, classroom visits, social media content, and promotional materials.
• Identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships with local, regional, and national employers to expand internship opportunities and industry pipelines for students.
• Develop and implement strategies to engage employers in recurring internship programs, experiential learning initiatives, and career-readiness programming.
• Organize and participate in employer site visits, networking events, and advisory boards to strengthen industry engagement.
• Provide basic career guidance to students, including assistance with resumes, cover letters, Handshake profiles, and introductory job/internship search strategies.
• Coordinate and execute logistics for career workshops, employer panels, recruitment events, and internship info sessions.
• Support data collection and reporting efforts related to student engagement, event participation, and experiential learning outcomes.
• Maintain up-to-date career resources on the website, learning platforms, and in physical/virtual advising spaces.
• Collaborate with student interns, peer mentors, and professional staff to increase awareness and usage of career services, particularly among first-year, first-generation, and transfer students.
• Represent CART Career Services at campus-wide events, such as orientations, tabling events, and open houses.
• Provide administrative and programmatic support to the Director and Career Advisor, assisting with project follow-through and implementation of larger strategic goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Management retains the right to add or change job duties at any time.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED:

• Master’s degree from an accredited college/university.
• Minimum two (2) years of professional experience within higher education.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience working on career services initiatives such as on-campus recruitment events, career advising, or career related programming.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities, with a focus on follow-through and attention to detail.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace.
• Demonstrated commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, including embracing emerging technologies, adopting new tools and practices, and maintaining a growth mindset through ongoing learning and openness to new ideas.
• Strong relationship-building skills to develop and sustain partnerships with employers, faculty, and internal stakeholders.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends as needed to support events, programming, and student engagement initiatives.

PREFERRED:

• Experience working with arts students or within a creative industry context; academic experience in the arts.
• Background in event coordination, student programming, or marketing in a higher education setting.
• Experience using Handshake, Big Interview and Ellucian Banner Student.
• Familiarity with labor market data and emerging trends in creative career pathways.
• Knowledge of student development theory and its application in career education.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities; able to pivot strategies based on emerging industry needs or student interest.
• Self-starter, comfortable conducting outreach, who proactively identifies leads, drives follow-up.

PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY:
Applicants should include a resume and cover letter describing how their background, skills and education match the needs of the University. When applying, please take a moment to carefully read and follow the steps in the application instructions.

Salary Range
$63,833.23-$70,221.74 Annually
The position may also be eligible for comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance. For further details, please visit: https://www.montclair.edu/human-resources/benefits/

Department
Dean's Office, College of the Arts/Student Services

Position Type
Professional - Non-Faculty