How to hire a career transition specialist

How to hire a career transition specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step career transition specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a career transition specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new career transition specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a career transition specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A career transition specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, career transition specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of career transition specialists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Career Transition Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Career Transition Specialist	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them develop skills or choose a career or educational program.	$15-24
   Student Mentor	A student mentor is responsible for guiding the students on their educational and professional development by encouraging the students to reach their maximum potential, helping them with their study habits and academic concerns. Student mentors widen the social connection of the students by recommending them to join school activities and other educational organizations... Show more	$11-23
   Job Coach	A job coach is responsible for evaluating people's skills and qualifications, advising them with career paths, helping with their aspirations, and promote employment opportunities. Job coaches help the clients build self-confidence and explore their maximum potentials to develop their professional growth... Show more	$14-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Support Services
   • Career Development
   • DOL
   • External Resources
   • Career Preparation
   • Community Organizations
   • One-Stop
   • Management System
   • Employability
   • Rehabilitation
   • Transportation Assistance
   • Long-Term Employment
   • Training Programs
   • Transitional Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a comprehensive caseload and keep accurate count of individuals enroll in WIA program.
   • Facilitate weekly social skills training, conduct weekly career transition readiness and employability skills training.
   • Conduct individual and group career counseling with the emphasis on behavior modification to further increase employability skills.
   • Interpret medical reports in relation to functional capacities, perform transferable skills and labor market analyses.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your career transition specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A career transition specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, career transition specialists' average salary in south dakota is 45% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level career transition specialists earn 35% less than senior-level career transition specialists.
   • Certifications. A career transition specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a career transition specialist's salary.

   Average career transition specialist salary

   $41,399yearly

   $19.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level career transition specialist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing a career transition specialist job description

   A job description for a career transition specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a career transition specialist job description:

   Career transition specialist job description example

   • Develop three (3) new employers each week to add to our Job Bank to assist students in job searching and reaching placement goals.

   • Maintain a file folder for each student on case load and ensure all information is accurate and up to date.

   • Conduct exit interview with all separating students to ensure they have the local one stop information and CTS contact information.

   • Identifies support services needed for relocation; arranges transportation; makes referrals to support services agencies.

   • Participates in ESP’s (Evaluation of Student Progress) along with Counselor, CTT Instructor, Education Instructors, and Independent Living Advisors.

   • Initiates contact with former enrollee students prior to their separation from the Center.

   • Participate in the mentoring program on Center.

   Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as needed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

   SKILLS/COMPETENCIES:

   • Demonstrated working knowledge of the targeted job markets, area employers, armed forces recruitment offices, community agencies, etc.

   • Strong interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills both oral and written; strong presentation skills

   • Strong problem-solving skills

   • Proven job placement marketing skills

   • Ability to establish liaisons and interact with private and public agencies

   • Meticulous documentation/recording skills and attention to detail; excellent time management skills

   • Computer literate with emphasis on Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, etc.

   EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS :

   • Bachelor’s degree or four years of experience working with youth.

   EXPERIENCE:

   1 year of experience in sale, marketing or counseling-related services.

   OTHER:

   Must possess a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record

   
   

   ETR is an equal opportunity employer and, as such, hires individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications and ability to best meet the needs of the organization and our operations.

   
   

   Minorities/Females/Veterans/ Disability

   The Center currently operates under strict CDC COVID-19 protocol

   Be advised, background and drug screens are required for all positions

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find career transition specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your career transition specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit career transition specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit career transition specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new career transition specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect career transition specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new career transition specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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