Career Advising Specialist

Job Summary

Towson University (TU) is one of the nation’s top 100 public universities. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University values diversity and fosters a climate that is grounded in respect and inclusion to cultivate the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

The Career Advising Specialist is responsible for providing guidance and support to students in the Computer Science, Information Systems, and Information Technology majors in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences (CIS). This position will collaborate with the Career Center to guide students towards their career goals through early career advising and planning. Additionally, this position will help to prepare and advise students as they navigate the pre-major screening process. The candidate will be responsible for advising a caseload of 150+ students.

Responsibilities And Duties

• Manage a caseload of 150+ advisees each semester; support students in navigating entire advising, degree planning, and enrollment process. Serve as an ad-hoc and sabbatical advisor; assist at transfer advising sessions.
• Collaborate with the Career Center and the Assistant Director for STEM Career Education to provide career counseling and educational services to students in the CIS Department to include managing the CIS department’s LinkedIn account, supporting students at each phase of the internship/externship process by helping them identify and apply for internships, and referring students to the CIS department Internship Coordinator upon meeting enrollment criteria.
• Take the lead in implementing the screening process for pre-majors; manage, review, and process pre-major applications; collect data on the number of students entering and completing the pre-major screening process; and collect data on the number of students graduating the computing majors.
• Collaborate with the CIS Academic Advising Specialist to pinpoint students within the department requiring extra assistance or support when transitioning to majors outside the department.
• Collaborate with the Graduate Programs Coordinator to offer guidance to students considering graduate studies.
• Collaborate with the Academic Advising, Retention, and Completion Office to guide First Year Experience advisors on CIS major requirements and pre-major requirements.
• Provide additional support to the department, advising staff, Academic Services Manager, and/or university as needed.
  
  

Telework may be available for this position up to two days per week following the completion of 90 days of service in good standing.

Required

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Two years of advising and/or academic program related experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, including the ability to work effectively with current and prospective students.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities and projects.
• Sound professional judgment, strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, active and empathic listening, and active commitment to teamwork.
• Ability to work with and advocate for a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and ability to learn new platforms/programs.
  
  

Preferred

• Master’s degree in relevant field.
• Familiarity with screened majors and pre-majors.
• Knowledge of Computer Science/Information Technology career development theories, job search strategies, and employment trends.
• Familiarity with Computer Science/Information Technology career services software and other technology tools, such as Handshake, LinkedIn, and coding assessment tools.
• Knowledge of the technical skills required for Computer Science/Information Technology positions, including programming languages, software development methodologies, and other relevant technologies.
  
  

Salary and Benefits

Targeted Hiring Range is $54,000-$59,000 and full University benefits that include 22 days of annual leave, up to 15 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.

If you are motivated, innovative and team-oriented, we would love to hear from you.

For consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume with your online application.

This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days.

The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors has been our top priority and the focus of every one of our decisions since the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the University System of Maryland (USM) has strongly encouraged full COVID vaccination and up-to-date booster shots (when eligible) for all faculty, staff, and students at all schools in the USM as both a reasonable and necessary means of protecting our health and safety.

Organization

Academic Affairs Division

Primary Location:

Main Campus

Job Posting

Jun 11, 2024