What does a student advisor do?
A student advisor is responsible for supporting the students' personal growth and development by guiding them on their learning processes and educational goals. Student advisors provide regular counseling for the students to analyze their career aspirations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and strategize learning plans to address those difficulties. They also coordinate with the students' parents and guardians to report the students' progress and determine appropriate scholastic solutions. A student advisor must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially when handling students' different needs and concerns.
Student advisor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real student advisor resumes:
- Plan events, manage email and marketing advertisements via Facebook, answer phone calls.
- Lead efforts facilitate recruitment and educational benefits for new and current student veterans at VCU.
- Manage UAFS's F-1/J-1 student visa SEVIS compliance as DSO/ARO, ensuring all documentation is in order prior to students arriving.
- Run training sessions and tutorials for students and faculty for the various services and programs offer by WestLaw.
- Help veterans and/or their families with the G.I.
- Specialize educator for students requiring RTI, IEP and gift services.
- Create, maintain, delete search queries and close caseloads within Salesforce.
- Brief WestLaw supervisor on weekly operations and plans for upcoming events on campus.
- Collaborate with DSO's at other Stratford campuses to ensure consistent policies and procedures.
- Organize and run fund raisers for a non-profitattend board meetings and keep minutesAssisted in grant writing
- Advise students on various strategies to complete their research needs on the Lexis Nexis platform.
- Follow all FERPA regulations while handling a high volume of incoming and outbound calls and emails.
- Organize and run various student events in order to cultivate a family environment in the program.
- Provide presentations, training, and education to students and faculty on Lexis research products and services.
- Audit database for data errors such as incorrect major, class standing, academic standing, and GPA.
Student advisor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Student Advisors are proficient in Customer Service, Student Services, and International Student. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Student Advisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 16%
Received national recognition award DeVry Legacy of Service for outstanding customer service and customer relationship management at Kansas City in 2009.
- Student Services, 7%
Prepared and analyzed semester reports on student services usage for budgetary allocation.
- International Student, 6%
Interviewed and advised prospective international students; guided applicants through the application process, reviewed admission files and made admission decisions.
- Support Services, 5%
Maintained open communication, established and built relationships, and provided personalized support services to first generation college students.
- Financial Aid, 5%
Provide academic and financial aid advisement to new and continuing students throughout their academic program until graduation.
- Professional Development, 4%
Helped create a professional development mentoring program to assist incoming freshmen students with adjusting to college.
Common skills that a student advisor uses to do their job include "customer service," "student services," and "international student." You can find details on the most important student advisor responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a student advisor to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what student advisors do because "school and career counselors and advisors interpret student records, schoolwide data, and assessments to match interests and abilities with potential careers. ." Additionally, a student advisor resume shows how student advisors use analytical skills: "analyze each student s opportunities in order to develop an individualized financial and academic plan. "
Listening skills. Many student advisor duties rely on listening skills. "school and career counselors and advisors need to give full attention to students and clients in order to understand their problems.," so a student advisor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways student advisor responsibilities rely on listening skills: "communicated with immigration officials, and federal agencies regarding immigration rules and benefits for international students. "
Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of student advisors is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday student advisor duties, as "school and career counselors and advisors must communicate effectively with clients and students." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prepare and facilitate academic support workshops focusing on time management, public speaking, studying and exam preparation strategies. "
Interpersonal skills. A big part of what student advisors do relies on "interpersonal skills." You can see how essential it is to student advisor responsibilities because "school and career counselors and advisors must be able to work with people of all backgrounds and personalities." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical student advisor tasks: "advise international students/scholars with paperwork utilizing excellent interpersonal and communication skills. "
The three companies that hire the most student advisors are:
- Ultimate Medical Academy6 student advisors jobs
- The Art Institute Of Houston
6 student advisors jobs
- Columbia University in the City of New York4 student advisors jobs
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Compare different student advisors
Student advisor vs. Peer counselor
Typically working at schools, communities, or medical facilities, a peer counselor specializes in providing counseling to an individual or group of people, aiming to help them deal with and overcome crises. Their duties often include conducting initial assessments through interviews and appointments, listening to clients and offering advice, recommending opportunities, referring them to other support agencies, and coordinating treatment services as needed. Above all, a peer counselor must provide emotional support and guidance to clients, giving them comfort and a shoulder to lean on.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between student advisors and peer counselor. For instance, student advisor responsibilities require skills such as "customer service," "student services," "international student," and "professional development." Whereas a peer counselor is skilled in "peer support," "substance abuse," "wic program," and "mental illness." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Peer counselors earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $47,483. On the other hand, student advisors are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $40,721.On average, peer counselors reach lower levels of education than student advisors. Peer counselors are 9.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Student advisor vs. Academic coordinator
An academic coordinator is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the development of curriculums in public and private learning institutions. They may also participate in the creation of effective teaching materials and programs in adherence to the educational standards. Moreover, an academic coordinator manages the teaching staff, monitoring their progress, and making recommendations for improvements. Above all, an academic coordinator enforces the institution's policies and regulations to ensure a safe and efficient learning environment for the students.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, student advisor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "international student," "sevis," and "student life." Meanwhile, an academic coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "curriculum development," "student athletes," "excellent interpersonal," and "provides administrative support." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, academic coordinators earn a higher salary than student advisors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, academic coordinators earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $51,585. Whereas student advisors have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $40,721.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Academic coordinators tend to reach higher levels of education than student advisors. In fact, they're 6.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Student advisor vs. Academic counselor
In high schools and universities, an academic counselor specializes in providing counseling and consultations to students, focusing on their educational and career growth. They typically meet with students to discuss their short and long term goals and help by providing them with insights and information or referring them to other services and resources. Moreover, an academic counselor must assist students by addressing their issues and concerns, giving them emotional support and academic advice, and helping them navigate through various procedures.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, student advisors are more likely to have skills like "customer service," "international student," "sevis," and "student life." But a academic counselor is more likely to have skills like "student athletes," "academic advisement," "ncaa," and "student schedules."
Academic counselors earn the highest salary when working in the non profits industry, where they receive an average salary of $50,994. Comparatively, student advisors have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $40,721.When it comes to education, academic counselors tend to earn higher degree levels compared to student advisors. In fact, they're 8.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Student advisor vs. Student support counselor
A student support counselor is responsible for identifying the students' strengths and challenges through one-on-one counseling and establishing solutions to help them overcome difficulties and achieve their educational goals and aspirations. Student support counselors assist the faculty in determining appropriate programs and activities to develop the students' capabilities, especially as a way of preparing them with their career objectives. They also coordinate with the students' families for extended guidance and support for their growth and development.
Types of student advisor
Updated January 8, 2025
