Higher education careers adviser : Job description

A careers adviser in higher education (HE) provides information, advice and guidance to undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates through individual interviews and group work. They help clients assess their values, interests, abilities and skills and relate these to opportunities for employment, further study and training. They also help clients make decisions, develop strategies and carry out career plans as well as advising on how to present themselves effectively at interviews and cope with the transition from higher education to employment.

Increasingly, careers advisers work with academic colleagues to promote the employability of students including careers education within the curriculum and liaise with employers to help them recruit students and graduates.

Typical work activities

Individual, face-to-face interviews are an important means to help people explore their options and make plans. They are popular with students in all years of study as well as graduates. Details of these interviews will vary. Services may also provide drop-in services. Increasingly, one-to-one contact may be available by phone or email as well as in person.

Most careers advisers also work with groups. Topics for group sessions or workshops may include writing CVs and applications, preparing for interviews or choosing a career path. Sessions may be offered to particular course groups or be open to any student. At some institutions, careers advisers may be involved in programmes featuring external speakers, such as employers or representatives from professional bodies.

Careers advisers may also contribute to the curriculum, either through individual group sessions or accredited programmes. Responsibilities can include designing modules (or elements within them), delivering lectures and seminars, assessing accredited assignments, or acting as consultants to academics completing these tasks.

Many careers advisers are actively involved in the work of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) . As members of AGCAS, they work alongside staff of other careers services researching and writing information, carrying out surveys, running and participating in training courses and other activities, and developing relevant knowledge and skills.

The role is increasingly diverse and other duties can include:

• researching and writing information on local and national career opportunities and producing publicity material, newsletters and vacancy bulletins;
• using computer-aided guidance packages;
• developing web-based materials for use by students, graduates, employers and academics;
• administering and interpreting psychometric tests and personality inventories;
• visiting employers and professional bodies, both large and small, to obtain information about opportunities, recruitment procedures and policies, and labour market trends;
• organising programmes of employer recruitment visits, careers fairs and other events;
• liaising with academic staff to promote the use of the service by students;
• providing information on graduate employment and training;
• advising on careers education programmes and the development of the skills required by employers;
• coding, analysing and interpreting data for ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ (DLHE) surveys;
• liaising with schools and colleges;
• carrying out research related to the careers and employment of graduates.