Higher education careers adviser
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.
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:
This area of work is open to all graduates. Careers advisers in higher education come from a wide variety of backgrounds in both degree subject and work experience.
For some posts, specific qualifications or background may be an advantage, especially if the post has specific responsibility for students and graduates in a certain area. However, for most posts, a degree in any subject is acceptable. Relevant pre-entry experience and appropriate skills and qualities are generally more important than the class of degree gained.
Entry without a degree or with an HND/foundation degree only is very unlikely.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification in guidance is desirable and increasingly required by employers. Many entrants hold the Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG). However, this is not a mandatory qualification for advisers working in higher education (HE), and a substantial number of current advisers do not possess it. Some employers accept other guidance or professional qualifications, including National Vocational Qualifications at level four (NVQ4) in Advice and Guidance. It may also be possible to enter as a trainee and complete relevant training and qualifications while employed.
A guidance qualification is useful and pre-entry experience essential. Try to gain some experience in interviewing, listening and advising people in a mentoring or coaching capacity, if possible. This can be through work or other activities such as sports groups or volunteering.
The most common background is careers guidance in another sector, especially with prospective HE students or adults. Other common backgrounds include teaching, industry or commerce, and involvement in recruitment, selection or training.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
This profession also requires confidence and personality in order to establish credibility with academic staff and managers from the business world and to stand up and talk in front of large groups. It may be an asset to hold a current driving licence. In small services, careers advisers may take responsibility for information work, employer liaison activities and administration as well as guidance.
Competition is usually high for posts, although levels vary depending on the prestige and location of the institution and the salary offered. There is generally less competition for part-time roles. There are an increasing number of fixed-term posts through funding of new initiatives.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Most entrants receive on-the-job training and attend short courses to build and update knowledge and skills. Training agreed will vary according to the individual's professional and personal development objectives, the specific role and the needs of the service. In-house training may be offered within the careers team and organised centrally by the institution. Large employers and professional bodies provide training opportunities for careers advisers related to their organisation/profession.
There are regular Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) training events, both national and regional, covering specific occupational areas, innovations within the guidance process, and professional issues. There are courses at all levels, suitable for new entrants and experienced staff alike. Topics are wide-ranging and may include such things as guidance theory, interviewing, group work, psychometric testing, marketing, presentation skills, working with postgraduates or international students, and careers in particular employment sectors.
It is possible to study for a Certificate, Diploma or Masters in Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance in Higher Education (CEIAG HE). These are offered by AGCAS in conjunction with the University of Warwick. The qualifications are aimed at guidance, careers education, information, and employer liaison staff and comprise a range of modules that can be obtained by attending short residential courses, completing project work and distance learning assignments. Entry to courses is open to all, based on experience and previous professional training. The certificate is for those without a relevant professional qualification or less than three years’ experience. The postgraduate diploma is for those with the certificate, other relevant professional qualifications or three years' HE careers work experience. The Masters is for those with the diploma through completion of a dissertation alone or for those without the diploma through completion of diploma modules and a dissertation over a longer period.
There is limited opportunity for management promotion since the only senior grade in the majority of services is that of director or head of service. However, larger services may also have senior careers adviser, deputy or assistant director/head of service posts.
In order to gain promotion, it may be necessary to relocate to another university as opportunities within the same service may be infrequent. Advisers may seek professional development by moving to a different size or type of institution and careers service to gain experience across the diversity of the higher education sector.
New initiatives, frequently funded by regional or national government, can result in opportunities to undertake project work, developing areas such as careers education materials or modules, work experience activities or web-based initiatives. It may be possible to specialise in working with particular client groups, such as prospective students (including those from non-traditional backgrounds), international students or those on postgraduate programmes. Personal and professional development is also available through active involvement in the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) .
Occasionally, careers advisers transfer to academic posts focusing on careers education curriculum development or teaching on careers guidance courses. Another possible role within education is that of an employer liaison. Careers advisers may also leave education for work in industry, commerce or the public sector, where they may take on responsibility for graduate recruitment, development and retention.
Higher education has expanded substantially in recent decades. Almost all institutions employ careers advisers and since there are more than 130 universities in the UK, job opportunities are good. Employment may be within an independent careers service or within a student services department, which provides other services such as counselling, welfare and financial advice, or an academic support or external relations department.
Higher education careers advisers may be employed at:
Universities vary in mission, size, culture and ethos, range of subjects taught, and mix of students. With the expansion of higher education, access and participation rates have increased and student intake reflects the diversity of institutions. Some universities will have a significantly higher proportion of older students. Others may draw students from a local or regional area or may have a high percentage of international students. Courses may be highly vocational or traditional academic disciplines. The nature of the student population will impact the work and demands on the careers service and careers advisers.
Vacancies are usually advertised on an institution's website and occasionally in local newspapers.
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
Tweet