Career Advisor - Office of Academic Services - Penn Engineering

About the role

The Career Advisor supports Penn Engineering’s growing on-campus master’s community by delivering high-quality, specialized career coaching and supports building a scalable career development program. Working closely with the Associate Director and a small team, this role supports daily service delivery, contributes to programming and employer engagement, and develops relevant and innovative resources that extend career learning beyond 1:1 appointments.

Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 and small-group coaching for on-campus master’s students, with a focus on career exploration, job/internship search strategy, networking, résumé/LinkedIn development, technical and behavioral interviewing, offer negotiation, and professional communication.
• Strategically support students to translate technical experience from projects and internships into clear, employer-ready narratives for application materials and interviews.
• Contribute to a consistent advising experience by using and building shared templates, coaching frameworks, industry-specialized career curricula, and service standards established by the team.
• Co-design and deliver career programming aligned to an assigned industry cluster, in partnership with degree programs and cohort communities.
• Plan and execute a calendar of workshops and events that balance career fundamentals with industry-specific insight.
• Collaborate with the on-campus and online community Associate Directors and central Career Services on employer engagement, co-sponsored events, and alignment with larger campus-wide fairs and recruiting activity.
• Support outreach and relationship management with employers, alumni, and professional associations connected to specific industries, with the goal of translating relationships into student-facing employment opportunities.
• Track interactions and follow-ups in team CRM systems, helping maintain an accurate picture of outreach, engagement, and outcomes.
• Develop student-facing resources (digital guides, templates, short modules, FAQs) that enhance operational efficiencies and expand students’ access to career learning.
• Contribute to the team’s advising and programming operational playbooks to ensure that services stay consistent as volume grows.
• Maintain accurate records, use shared platforms consistently, collect and leverage quantitative and qualitative data, prepare brief summaries of trends observed in coaching appointments and programs, and advocate for timely adjustments.
• Collaborate with the on-campus team and the Penn Engineering Online career team to align core content where appropriate, while keeping delivery tailored to the on-campus master’s population.
• Monitor and maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging career-related trends, industry developments, resources, platforms, and labor market insights, and create content that effectively communicates this information to students.
• Support day-to-day service delivery by maintaining accurate records, using shared platforms consistently (e.g., Handshake CRM, event tools, Asana).
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of wrap-around professional development for Penn Engineering students.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 2-3 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience (career advising, coaching, employer relations, student services, workforce development, or related fields).
• Demonstrated ability to coach or advise students/clients on career development topics (job search strategy, résumé/LinkedIn, interviewing, networking).
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, technology-rich environment; ability to learn new tools quickly and work across platforms (scheduling systems, career platforms, CRM tools).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a professional and engaging style.
• Strong organizational skills and follow-through; ability to manage multiple priorities and keep work moving in a service environment.
• Knowledge of international student hiring pathways (OPT/CPT, H-1B sponsorship landscape).
• Understanding and alignment with Penn Engineering’s mission and values.

Preferred Experience

• Supporting STEM or engineering students, graduate/professional students, and/or international populations.
• Familiarity with engineering and technology career pathways and recruiting cycles (including technical interviewing norms).
• Self-driven and interested in innovating to creatively develop resources or short-form instructional content (videos, guides, modules, templates).
• Experience initiating and supporting events and employer engagement (panels, mock interviews, recruiting sessions, alumni programs).
• Familiarity with NACE competencies, outcomes reporting, or student success metrics.