Career and Placement Officer at United States International University - USIU Africa

Job Summary

Reporting to principal career and placement officer: The potential job holder will assist in sourcing for employment/ internship/ volunteer opportunities for students and alumni; assist in providing professional and responsive career services to students, employers and alumni; work closely with the Head of Placement and Career Services to broaden and deepen relationships with employers.

Key Responsibilities/Tasks

Marketing Outreach:

• Assist with the development of creative initiatives for marketing and promoting students and alumni to employers.
• Assist in organizing recruitment drives and the annual Career Fair.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining contact with graduates and alumni to mentor current students and cultivate new employers.
• Compile and profile a comprehensive list of all graduate students highlighting employment progress and success stories
• Identify diverse placement opportunities and work with students to access placement.
• Market the department services and programs to the USIU Africa community.

Career Advising and Training:

• To manage all aspects of the placement process including guiding, assisting and advising students, recognizing their skills and job requirements and communicating with organizations providing placement opportunities.
• Provide individual/group CV and cover letter review and assistance.
• Coach students in exploring their careers and developing short and long-term job-seeking strategies/career plans.
• Coordinate seminars/workshops on Career Development for both employment and self-employment.
• Organize and run pre-placement sessions for outgoing students and debriefings for returning students through discussion, consideration and evaluation of personal and professional development through placement.
• Deliver presentations to prospective students and parents during orientation and open days and class presentations.
• Work with schools and departments on sector-focused Student career development programmes.
• Support development and execution of peer tutoring programmes.

Research:

• Assist in surveying employers, and students and reviewing periodicals to determine up-to-date topics of interest and trends in the market.
• Assist in identifying topics for research and collaborative opportunities to learn more about the industry and students.
• Conduct research and disseminate information on Jobs/internships/volunteer opportunities available for different majors to students through regular email updates.

Minimum Educational Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science or Business Administration. Preference in Human Resources and/or Psychology.
• 2 years of experience working with and/or knowledge of professions within the relevant discipline/field.
• Previous experience in customer/client contact especially establishing and developing effective links with companies in the relevant discipline/field.
• Experience in teaching/negotiating with a range of people.
• Liaison with and experience of industry including the role of placement students within organizations.
• Experience of Higher Education and the Student Learning Experience.
• Experience in teaching/training other staff.
• Experience working with young adults.

Skills:

• Excellent IT skills including word processing and use of databases.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a variety of people.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including report writing.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.

Personal Attributes and Competencieis

• Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results.
• Confidentiality and integrity.
• Proficiency in computer applications.
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Relationship builder & effective negotiator.
• Good communication skills.
• Self-motivated.
• Attention to detail.
• Adaptability and reliability.