How to hire a student development specialist

How to hire a student development specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step student development 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 student development specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new student development specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a student development specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a student development 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a student development specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a student development specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of student development specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Student Development Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Student Development Specialist	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$14-25
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35
   Training Coordinator	A training coordinator is a professional who develops and conducts training programs for employees or volunteers. Training coordinators create printed and instructional materials as well as maintain an online library of training resources... Show more	$15-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Student Development
   • Professional Development
   • Student Services
   • Event Planning
   • Student Organizations
   • Colleges
   • Financial Aid Applications
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Federal Regulations
   • Student Engagement
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Student Retention
   • Academic Support
   • Student Body

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and coordinate all aspects of EOF program special events and leadership-relate activities.
   • Used Microsoft applications to create informative PowerPoint's, brochures and advertisements market to high school students.
   • Travele the state of Montana to high schools and tribal colleges to build relationships with counselors and administration.
   • Design and develop complex enterprise java applications, object orient software, work on code optimization and data modeling.
   • Monitor student behavior -assist with student IEP and report student activity

   More student development specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, student development specialists' average salary in west virginia is 54% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level student development specialists earn 42% less than senior-level student development specialists.
   • Certifications. A student development 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 student development specialist's salary.

   Average student development specialist salary

   $41,280yearly

   $19.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level student development specialist salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average student development specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Virginia	$52,929	$25
   2	Illinois	$48,835	$23
   3	California	$47,529	$23
   4	Colorado	$46,562	$22
   5	Connecticut	$42,674	$21
   6	Delaware	$41,514	$20
   7	Michigan	$40,387	$19
   8	New York	$40,366	$19
   9	Texas	$39,767	$19
   10	Georgia	$36,307	$17
   11	Iowa	$34,910	$17
   12	Arizona	$33,561	$16
   13	Arkansas	$32,769	$16
   14	South Carolina	$31,556	$15

   Average student development specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$72,407	$34.81	44
   2	New York University	$56,316	$27.07	3
   3	Siemens	$55,094	$26.49	35
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$49,807	$23.95
   5	UC Santa Barbara	$48,263	$23.20
   6	Loyola Marymount University	$44,623	$21.45
   7	PSEA	$44,091	$21.20	55
   8	The University of Texas at San Antonio	$43,653	$20.99	11
   9	Chicago Public Schools	$43,624	$20.97	6
   10	Denver Public Schools	$43,313	$20.82	5
   11	Danfoss	$42,151	$20.26	4
   12	University of Michigan	$42,112	$20.25	11
   13	Belle Fountain Nursing & Rehab	$41,738	$20.07
   14	Delaware Systems Technology, Inc.	$41,665	$20.03
   15	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$41,584	$19.99	42
   16	Greystar Real Estate Partners	$41,579	$19.99	6
   17	Galvanize	$41,554	$19.98
   18	The University of Texas at El Paso	$41,248	$19.83	4
   19	Tyler Junior College	$39,771	$19.12
   20	Faurecia Interior Systems Inc	$39,028	$18.76

4. Writing a student development specialist job description

   A good student development specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a student development specialist job description:

   Student development specialist job description example

   * Work type: Part Time
   * School/Department: P&S Vice Dean For Education
   * Grade: Ungraded
   * Categories: Stdnt Affairs/Educational Admn
   * Job Type: Short Term Casual
   * Bargaining Unit:
   * Regular/Temporary: Temporary
   * End Date if Temporary:
   * Hours Per Week: 10
   * Salary Range:
   
   Position Summary
   
   The State Pre-College Enrichment Program (S-PREP) is a free high school and college preparation program for 7th -12th grade students who reside in New York City. The objective of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented minority practitioners in healthcare and STEM professions. This opportunity designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine or related STEM fields. The program offers academic enrichment courses that are designed to prepare students for success in math and science. The program also offers career development workshops, college counseling services, field trips and college tours. For the program year, SPREP will be hosted from October through May.
   
   Program Facilitators for the SPREP program will assist with managing math and science courses for middle and high school students. Program participants come from diverse backgrounds and generally have varying academic skillsets. Ideal candidates for the SPREP Program Facilitator positions are those interested in working with students who fit the demographics previously described. This is a great opportunity to assist with exercising curriculum construction, establishing/executing course instruction and differentiation skills. Course offerings will include, but may not be limited to Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, Geometry and Pre-calculus. Class sessions will be held on Saturdays throughout the duration of the program year. Program Facilitators will be paid at a rate of $25.00 per hour.
   
   Responsibilities
   
   Program Facilitators will report to the SPREP Program Administrators within the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
   
   * Supporting the preparation of program sessions including classes, special events and other program related activities
   * Assisting Preceptor(s) with general classroom management
   * Grading quizzes, exams, and other course assignments
   * Providing feedback regarding students' participation for bi-annual evaluations
   * Assisting with the execution of the SPREP workshop series
   * Monitoring student attendance for respective course
   * Collaborating with Program Administrators to chaperone selected college visits and field trips
   * Attending all special program events including opening and closing ceremonies as well as conferences
   * Providing recommendations for program improvements
   * Completing administrative/clerical duties as assigned
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   * High School Diploma
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   * Previous Teaching experience
   
   Other Requirements
   
   * Education and training in science and/or mathematics
   * Demonstration of leadership and organization skills
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
   
   Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
   
   Applications open: Oct 12 2022 Eastern Daylight Time Applications close:
   
   Back Apply Share

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right student development specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit student development specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 student development specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the student development specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a student development specialist?