Career Specialist I

About the role

The Career Specialist develops and provides employment related services to clients in the Chicago Housing Authority Workforce Program. The primary goals are job placement, job retention, and increasing household income for increased self-sufficiency.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relationships with employers to create job orders for potential candidates.
• Utilize various methods to generate candidates, including internal and external networking, job fairs, and referral programs.
• Target client needs to improve employment outcomes, including consistent employment for sporadically employed individuals and employment skills for those with limited work history.
• Develop and maintain relationships with businesses and employers to provide resources for internships and job placement.
• Inventories client interest in job opportunities based on market availability and refers clients to areas of interest.
• Counsel clients on job readiness, job and vocational training, job search, and adjustments to new jobs.
• Provide guidance services to clients in various aspects of their functioning that affect their employment.
• Collect, organize, and analyze information about clients through records, tests, interviews, and professional sources to appraise their needs, interests, abilities, and personality characteristics.
• Develop and maintain potential employer contacts to ensure placement opportunities for clients who have completed training or reached the appropriate skill level.
• Solicit job openings and arrange job interviews with clients; support clients during the interview process and job orientation, and perform follow-up as necessary.
• Advise and consult with case management staff to integrate employment activities with other program services.
• Compile and study occupational, educational, economic, and personal developmental information to aid clients in making and carrying out occupational and vocational objectives.
• Maintain organized and accurate records on job training, placement, and retention for all clients who participated in employment-related services.
• Maintain current knowledge through participation in training sessions, seminars, conferences, etc.
• Refer applicants to services such as literacy, language instruction, transportation assistance, vocational training, and childcare.
• Support and motivate clients as they transition into employment situations by addressing workplace-related barriers.
• Coordinate hiring events and job fairs for clients that result in job placements.
• Facilitate and analyze mentoring workshops and job training classes to clients to ensure successful employment placement.
• Conduct trainings and information sessions on topics such as dealing with workplace conflict, overcoming workplace stress, allocating time, dealing with difficult bosses, asking for a raise, looking for a new job while holding a current one, handling external pressures that hinder performance, and more.
• Engage clients in career planning, addressing issues of career advancement, career change, and exploring education steps necessary to obtain jobs within career ladders.
• Monitor and report the employment status and salary of all FamilyWorks clients on a monthly basis, highlighting their 30, 60, 90, and 180-day milestones.
• Work in conjunction with the client's case manager to address issues external to the workplace, impacting performance and job retention.
• Develop and implement a retention incentive program.

Qualifications

• I: Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Human Services, Education, Human Resources, or Business required. Minimum of two years of experience working in human services, education, job training, vocational services, or sales.
• II: Master’s Degree in Social Work, Human Services, Education, Human Resources, or Business required. Minimum of two years of experience working in human services, education, job training, vocational services, or sales. Demonstrated ability to meet outcome expectations and performance indicators.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience working with teenagers and young adults.
• Experience or ability to use computers for data entry, communication, and report writing.
• Vehicle and current, valid driver's license and insurance.

Benefits

UCAN offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, and more. We also provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Pay

Compensation details are provided in the job description.

Schedule

The position requires work in the community, evenings, and weekends.