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

Job Summary

Reporting to the DVC, Student Life, the job holder will Support transition of students by securing careers and placement opportunities; assist in sourcing for employment/ internship/ volunteer opportunities for alumni; assist in providing professional and responsive career services to students, employers and alumni.

Key Responsibilities

Marketing Outreach

• Assist with the development of creative initiatives for marketing and promoting students and alumni to employers.
• Assist in organizing recruitment drives and 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, Training and Placement

• To manage all aspects of the placement process including guiding, assisting and advising students, to recognize their skills and job requirements and to communicate 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 scholars during pre-University orientation and organized workshops.

Research

• Assist in surveying employers, 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.

Partnership Development

• Build and maintain partnerships with current and potential employers.

Job Specifications:
Minimum Educational Qualifications and professional Experience

• Master’s Degree in Social Sciences or equivalent.
• Relevant Served as Career & Placement Officer for a minimum of 3 years.
• Proficiency in computer applications.
• Shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results.
• Previous experience of customer/client contact especially establishing and developing effective links with companies in the relevant discipline/field.
• Experience of facilitating/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 of working with young adults.

Skills and Competencies

• Excellent IT skill 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 & Competencies

• 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.