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What is a career service specialist and how to become one
Career service specialists are responsible for the everyday operation of the career services department. They promote and assist the employment search and career plannings of job-seeking students. They are also responsible for responding to questions and evaluating students' education needs.
In general, career service specialists supervise student workers and support staff. They also participate in writing performance evaluations and from time to time, are in charge of interviewing and coordinating staff schedules. In addition, they develop and track the spending of the organization.
The work of career service specialists is usually performed in an office setting. Travel may be required to market the programs and establish work sites. A bachelor's degree in education, business administration, or related field is generally the qualifications for this role. However, some employers may prefer candidates with one to two years of experience.
What general advice would you give to a career service specialist?
Shelley Sadin
Associate Dean of Professional and Career Development, Quinnipiac University
It is identifying and analyzing legal and factual issues with an open, thoughtful, and creative mind.
Working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, opponents, and others involved in a case to solve problems.
Being meticulously ethical and professional in all interactions. This includes treating everyone involved in a matter with respect, recognizing, and honoring their different backgrounds and perspectives.
Being self-disciplined, motivated, resilient, courageous, kind, and flexible.
Avg. Salary $46,165
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%
Asian 3.74%
Black or African American 10.64%
Hispanic or Latino 14.20%
Unknown 3.76%
White 67.03%
Genderfemale 71.53%
male 28.47%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Career service specialist career paths
Key steps to become a career service specialist
Explore career service specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific career service specialist skills
Skills Percentages Career Services 19.74% Interview Preparation 13.31% Professional Development 11.90% Resume Development 8.57% Portfolio 8.52% Complete relevant career service specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New career service specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a career service specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real career service specialist resumes.Research career service specialist duties and responsibilities
- Direct place students to meet DOL and center contractual placement goals.
- Develop relationships with students within the portfolio and extend to a broader base of students.
- Conduct visits with site staff to ensure students meet expectations and in compliance with DOL.
- Assist graduates in the digital film, photography, fashion and culinary programs with job placement.
Prepare your career service specialist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your career service specialist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a career service specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable career service specialist resume templates
Build a professional career service specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your career service specialist resume.
Apply for career service specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a career service specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first career service specialist job
Are you a career service specialist?
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Average career service specialist salary
The average career service specialist salary in the United States is $46,165 per year or $22 per hour. Career service specialist salaries range between $30,000 and $70,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do career service specialists rate their job?
Career service specialist reviews
Helping students develop strategies for their futures and supporting career outcomes is very rewarding. Launching students into careers is very satisfying if you are altruistic and have a helper mentality.
As a Director at a state institution, I am involved in a lot of administrative duties: budgeting, hiring, training and developing, strategic planning, evaluating programming. These duties are demanding and are necessary for successful outcomes, but they are not as fun as supporting and helping students.
Want to be able to do more
Interaction with motivated people. Helping people who want to work.
Negative people who want a job but dont want to work.
Updated January 8, 2025
