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Career development specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Hassan Akmal,

Michael Van Lear

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical career development specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for career development specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.0% of career development specialist resumes contained professional development as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a career development specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 career development specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how career development specialists use professional development:

Provided professional development skills training to students.
Presented professional development courses using Blackboard software.

2. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how career development specialists use community resources:

Handled caseload of up to120 ex-offenders with individualized support for successful employment including personal and professional community resources.
Provide information for community resources for students and families to access available opportunities.

3. Mock Interviews

The mock interview is a practice interview with a coach or teacher to prepare for an actual interview, which is due soon. Interviews are the scariest part of any job, and many people find them very challenging. Mock interviews can help you prepare better for the upcoming task by putting you in a similar situation.

Here's how career development specialists use mock interviews:

Interview training including basic skills, telephone interviewing, one-on-one interviewing, mock interviews, panel interviews, and behavioral interviewing.
Organize and facilitate events for the program, such as periodic mock interviews with employee partners.

4. Support Services

Support services are services that support the organization internally and are usually non-revenue generating. Examples include, IT, admin, HR, etc.

Here's how career development specialists use support services:

Developed Individual Employment Plans; determined, developed and procured vocational and support services based on customer needs and choices.
Delivered home & community based support services to student graduates for up to 21 months after completion of the program.

5. Employment Services

Here's how career development specialists use employment services:

Facilitated customer access to training education, and employment services, as well as job-specific information.
Prospected hiring managers to secure interviews and educate them on supported employment services.

6. Training Programs

Here's how career development specialists use training programs:

Provided career counseling, assessment, resume assistance, determined eligibility for federally funded training programs on a daily basis.
Planned and developed curricula and course materials for training programs and conducted training sessions.

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7. Career Fairs

Here's how career development specialists use career fairs:

Planned, created and produced promotional materials to advertise career fairs and other college events.
Attended Biological Science career fairs at various universities in the UC system and Stanford University.

8. TANF

Here's how career development specialists use tanf:

Facilitated weekly orientation to ensure contractual goals between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and future clients are met.
Facilitate appropriate job placements for parents in the NMW Program that will enable to leave TANF due to increased family income.

9. Data Management System

Here's how career development specialists use data management system:

Participated in the development and implementation of data management systems and procedures.
Document job seekers' employment search and retention progress via appropriate ASSET, CARES and Efforts to Outcomes data management systems.

10. Financial Aid

Financial aid refers to cash released to an educational institution to help a student pay the school fee. The issuance of financial aid, whether scholarships, grants, or loans, aims to make access to education affordable to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.

Here's how career development specialists use financial aid:

Provide counseling, advice regarding career and educational goals, available financial aid and other available resources to address financial barriers.
Determine eligibility for the Workforce Investment Act Program services and financial aid based on guidelines determined by the Federal government.

11. Interview Preparation

Here's how career development specialists use interview preparation:

Devised and implemented a job placement curriculum that focused resume writing, job interview preparation, and the job application process.
Career Coaching, Interview Preparation, and Resume Writing services tailored to individual clients and work groups.

12. Career Exploration

Career Exploration refers to the process of learning about and investigating various jobs and long-term careers. This exploration is typically seen in younger individuals about to enter the job market or in people attempting to change their career paths. Career exploration may include taking personality tests to see what job may be best suited to one person, or even simply discussing various opportunities with a career specialist or guidance counselors.

Here's how career development specialists use career exploration:

Instructed career exploration/job search strategies workshops.
Designed programming for high school students in career exploration, including career panels, shadowing opportunities, and paid internships.

13. Career Planning

Here's how career development specialists use career planning:

Performed vocational guidance and teaching, resume preparation, job search strategies, interview training skills, and career planning.
Career counseling including, but not limited to resume critiques, career planning, interviewing and skill assessment.

14. Career Interests

Here's how career development specialists use career interests:

Evaluated students' career interests, personality characteristics using tests.
Collected and Analyzed data of student population to provide feedback on career interests.

15. Community Agencies

Community agencies stand for the organizations operated to provide human service in the community.

Here's how career development specialists use community agencies:

Established and maintained relationships with local employers, chambers of commerce and community agencies to partner with the project.
Research and interpret complex Human Services Department Income Support Division Policy to recipients, colleagues and community agencies.

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What skills help Career Development Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on career development specialist resumes?

Hassan Akmal

Executive Director of the UCLA Career Center, University of California, Los Angeles

Transferable skills. Soft and hard. The soft skills are now referred to as "success skills" and include skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and problem solving, analytics skills, and people management.
Active learning, agility, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility are additional skills in demand that graduates need to consider.

What career development specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Michael Van Lear

Director, Hawaii Pacific University

If taking a gap year, joining a professional organization related to area studies would be advised. Joining such organizations provides further insight into this field and offers graduates professional networking opportunities. Being an active member is key to making the most of this experience. Attend virtual workshops, professional development, etc.

What type of skills will young career development specialists need?

Esq. Mary Beth Moore Esq.

Assistant Dean of Career Development, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

New graduates entering the workplace need to have perseverance and grit, open-mindedness, and strong communication skills. Additionally, a return to civility is currently, and will continue to be, in high demand for new lawyers.

What soft skills should all career development specialists possess?

William Hill

Director, Career Services, Monmouth University

Problem solving skills are essential in the workplace for new grads, especially now. They will find it increasingly difficult to engage more experienced co-workers for helpful problem solving advice in a virtual workspace. You can't just stroll over to someone's office for a quick chat anymore. They will be more often "on their own" when it comes to analyzing a challenge and crafting a solution. Verbal and written communication skills remain important in a workspace dominated by Zoom and email.

Do you want to know more?

List of career development specialist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a career development specialist resume and required skills for a career development specialist to have include:

Professional Development
Community Resources
Mock Interviews
Support Services
Employment Services
Training Programs
Career Fairs
TANF
Data Management System
Financial Aid
Interview Preparation
Career Exploration

Career Planning
Career Interests
Community Agencies
Educational Programs
Career Assessments
Employment Plan
Employability
Resume Preparation
HR
Community Outreach
PowerPoint
Community Organizations

Substance Abuse
Investment ACT
Resume Building
Career Paths
WIA
Local Businesses
ISD
Child Care
Youth Ages
Local Employers
Assess Service
Tabe

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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