Career Development Counselor - CA

Justworks, Inc.; Inglewood (CA); On-site; USD 46,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Justice Learning Institute in Inglewood, CA is seeking a Career Development Counselor to guide scholars through career planning, exploration, and action planning. You will deliver individualized counseling, group coaching, and experiential-learning support to prepare for internships, jobs, and further studies.

You will collaborate across teams to coordinate career-readiness activities, track progress, and translate outcomes into meaningful opportunities for youth of color.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Counseling or related field required.
• Minimum two years of relevant experience in career services or counseling.
• Experience providing individualized advising and group coaching.
• Strong knowledge of resume, interview prep, and career-readiness concepts.
• Ability to work across diverse populations and education-to-career pathways.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized career counseling and group-based coaching using SJLI's career-readiness framework.
• Help scholars research occupations, education requirements, and labor-market conditions.
• Develop and update Career Action Plans within the scholar's success plan.
• Prepare scholars for internships, employment, and graduate education opportunities.
• Coordinate with Workforce and Postsecondary Success teams to support transitions.
• Document progress and outcomes in designated systems.

Skills

Career counseling

Group facilitation

Coaching

Assessments

Career planning

Client relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree in Counseling or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

CRM systems

Career assessment tools

Job description

Employment type Full-time employee Department Educational Equity - LA Work location Inglewood, CA Compensation $33.66 – $34.62 per hour
Final compensation will depend on the location and level at which the candidate is hired

About this job

CAREER DEVELOPMENT COUNSELOR

Reports To: Higher Pathways Regional Manager

Location: Western Region - Inglewood office (Headquarters)

Position Summary:

The Career Development Counselor is a specialized member of SJLI's Higher Pathways team responsible for helping scholars translate their interests, strengths, education, and lived experiences into clear career direction and actionable plans. Working under the supervision of the Higher Pathways Regional Manager, this role provides individualized career counseling and group-based programming that supports scholars in exploring career pathways, building professional skills, preparing for internships and employment, and making informed decisions about graduate education, credentials, entrepreneurship, and other career-connected opportunities.

Within Higher Pathways' coordinated model, Postsecondary Success Counselors remain the primary relationship and case owner for scholars. The Career Development Counselor receives referrals from PSCs and provides deeper career-focused support through assessments, Career Action Plans, professional-readiness coaching, experiential-learning preparation, and career-connected programming. The Counselor communicates progress, barriers, and next steps back to the PSC so that career development remains integrated into each scholar's broader Individual Success Plan.

The Career Development Counselor works closely with the Workforce Connections Counselor, who leads employer and workforce partnerships, job and apprenticeship placement, and other opportunity pipelines. Together, these functions help scholars move from career exposure to preparation, connection, placement, and ultimately economic mobility. The role contributes directly to Higher Pathways' long-term outcomes of Postsecondary Success, Career & Economic Mobility, Civic Engagement, and Lifelong Well-Being.

Responsibilities

Career Exploration, Assessment, and Action Planning

• Provide individualized career counseling using SJLI's proprietary career readiness programs and tools to help scholars identify interests, strengths, values, transferable skills, lived experiences, and career aspirations using appropriate assessments, reflection tools, and guided exploration.
• Help scholars research occupations, industries, compensation, advancement potential, educational and training requirements, labor-market conditions, and multiple pathways to career success.
• Develop and regularly update the career action plan portion of their Individualized Success Plan that translates scholar goals into clear milestones, preparation needs, timelines, and next steps.
• Support scholars as career interests or educational plans change, helping them evaluate alternatives, understand tradeoffs, and make informed decisions without losing momentum toward long-term goals.
• Integrate purpose, community contribution, financial stability, and long-term well-being into career planning so scholars consider not only what work they can access, but what pathways can sustain their lives and aspirations.

Professional Readiness and Career Skill Development

• Provide individualized and group-based coaching in resume and cover-letter development, interviewing, professional communication, networking, workplace expectations, online presence, job-search strategy, self-advocacy, and other employability skills.
• Help scholars build professional narratives that communicate their strengths, experiences, education, leadership, and transferable skills authentically and effectively.
• Prepare scholars to assess opportunities for alignment, compensation, benefits, workplace culture, growth potential, skill development, and long-term career value.
• Support scholars in developing confidence, professional judgment, workplace navigation skills, and the ability to advocate for themselves across internships, employment, graduate education, and other professional environments.
• Use scholar feedback, employer insight, and outcome data to continuously strengthen career-readiness curriculum, tools, and coaching practices.

Experiential Learning and Postsecondary-to-Career Transition

• Prepare scholars for internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, research experiences, job shadowing, service opportunities, part-time employment, and other forms of work-based and experiential learning.
• Support scholars with applications, interview preparation, opportunity selection, onboarding readiness, and reflection on how experiential learning connects to long-term career goals.
• Begin career development early in the postsecondary journey and increase the intensity of support as scholars approach graduation, credential completion, workforce entry, or other major transitions.
• Provide targeted transition planning for graduating scholars, including career timelines, graduate or professional school exploration, credential pathways, networking strategies, and coordination with the Workforce Connections Counselor for placement support.
• Guide exploration of graduate and professional education, technical training, certifications, entrepreneurship, and other advanced pathways that may strengthen career mobility.

Career Programming, Networks, and Alumni Engagement

• Design, facilitate, and continuously improve career-development workshops, curriculum, panels, cohort sessions, mentorship activities, professional-development experiences, and other scholar-facing programming.
• Build and activate relationships with alumni, professionals, mentors, and community members who can expand scholars' professional networks, career knowledge, and exposure to industries and pathways.
• Collaborate with the Workforce Connections Counselor on employer-facing activities, career fairs, workplace visits, hiring events, industry panels, and experiential-learning opportunities while maintaining a primary focus on scholar preparation and development.
• Coordinate with Postsecondary Success Counselors, Urban Pathways staff, and other Educational Equity colleagues to introduce developmentally appropriate career exploration and create stronger transitions from high school into Higher Pathways.
• Encourage scholars and alumni to connect career development with mentorship, leadership, civic participation, and opportunities to contribute knowledge and experience back to the SJLI community.

Scholar Coordination, Referrals, and Cross-Functional Workflow

• Accept and respond to documented referrals from Postsecondary Success Counselors, clarify the specialized career-development need, establish agreed-upon action steps, and provide timely follow-through.
• Maintain clear communication with the referring PSC regarding scholar progress, barriers, completion of services, and recommended next steps so the PSC can maintain continuity of the overall scholar plan.
• Coordinate warm handoffs to the Workforce Connections Counselor when scholars are ready for employer matching, job placement, apprenticeship placement, workforce-system navigation, or other opportunity-conversion support.
• Participate in case reviews, team meetings, supervision, and joint planning with PSCs, the Workforce Connections Counselor, and the Higher Pathways Regional Manager to ensure scholars experience one coordinated system rather than separate services.
• Re-engage scholars who miss appointments or stall in career-development activities and elevate significant barriers to the PSC and Regional Manager as appropriate.

Data, Outcomes, and Continuous Improvement

• Document Career Action Plans, coaching contacts, referrals, services, participation, milestones, pathway changes, and outcomes accurately and on time in designated SJLI systems.
• Track career-development indicators including completion of career assessments and plans, professional-readiness milestones, internship and experiential-learning participation, applications, referrals to placement opportunities, and other established performance measures.
• Use data, scholar feedback, staff learning, and labor-market information to prioritize services, identify gaps in career preparation, and improve individual and group-based programming.
• Contribute to program reports, grant deliverables, evaluation activities, and regional dashboards as requested, ensuring career-development services are reflected accurately in Higher Pathways outcomes.
• Communicate trends, emerging scholar needs, implementation challenges, and opportunities for improvement to the Higher Pathways Regional Manager and contribute to ongoing program refinement.

Program Support and Professional Collaboration

• Support regional Higher Pathways events, alumni convenings, transition activities, enrichment experiences, and special initiatives that strengthen postsecondary and career outcomes.
• Maintain professional, collaborative relationships with colleges, training providers, community organizations, employers, and other partners when participating in career-development activities or scholar referrals.
• Remain current on career-development practices, graduate and professional pathways, credentials, workforce trends, and resources relevant to the scholars and communities SJLI serves.
• Participate in required supervision, professional development, organizational meetings, and cross-team learning opportunities.
• Perform any other duties consistent with or assigned to the position's scope and organizational needs.

Qualifications & Experience

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Counseling, Career Development, Education, Higher Education, Psychology, Social Work, Workforce Development, Business, Youth Development, Sociology, or a related field.
• Minimum two (2) years of relevant experience in career services, career counseling, youth or young-adult development, workforce development, higher education, alumni services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience providing individualized advising, coaching, counseling, or case-based support to young adults and facilitating career-readiness or professional-development programming.
• Working knowledge of career exploration, career assessments, resume and interview preparation, networking, job-search strategies, professional communication, experiential learning, and career decision-making.
• Ability to support scholars across a range of postsecondary and career pathways, including college, graduate education, trade and technical education, credentials, apprenticeships, employment, entrepreneurship, and educational re-entry.
• Strong communication, facilitation, relationship-building, organization, documentation, follow-through, and workload-management skills.
• Experience working collaboratively across roles and maintaining clear boundaries between primary case management, specialized career development, and workforce placement functions.
• Comfort using case-management or CRM systems, tracking service and outcome data, and using information to improve practice and prioritize scholar support.
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive, trauma-informed, equity-centered, and community-based approaches that respect the identities and lived experiences of young adults of color.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation to travel throughout the assigned market and to other SJLI sites or program activities as required.
• Strong commitment to the goals, guidelines, principles and values of the Social Justice Learning Institute.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Counseling, Career Development, Higher Education, Social Work, Education, Workforce Development, or a related field.
• Experience using formal career assessments, developing career-readiness curriculum, or applying recognized career-development frameworks with young adults.
• Knowledge of internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, graduate and professional education, technical training, credentials, entrepreneurship, financial capability, and economic-mobility pathways.
• Experience supporting first-generation college students, alumni, and young adults from historically underserved communities through education-to-career transitions.
• Familiarity with regional employers, professional networks, higher education institutions, workforce resources, and community-based organizations relevant to career development.
• Bilingual proficiency (English/Spanish).

Equal Opportunity Employer:

SJLI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, particularly those from underrepresented communities and those with lived experiences relevant to our work with youth of color. SJLI is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and the youth we serve.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment for this position are consistent with those of a typical office setting. However, this role requires regular travel within Los Angeles County, Sonoma County and/or beyond for meetings, school visits, youth events, college visits/tours, retreats and community engagements. The position may require standing for extended periods, lifting up to 25 pounds, and navigating various community settings. Evening and weekend work is often necessary to accommodate youth and their family’s schedules. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Compliance with Laws and Regulations:

The Educational Equity Programs Director must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to anti-discrimination laws, labor laws, and laws governing non-profit organizations. They must also adhere to SJLI's policies and procedures, including those related to ethics, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. Given the focus on youth, familiarity with and strict adherence to laws and best practices related to working with minors is essential, including mandatory reporting requirements, youth safety protocols, and data privacy regulations.

Background Check and Clearances:

Employment with SJLI is contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check and any required clearances or certifications, as applicable to the position. This includes, but is not limited to, criminal background checks, child abuse clearances, TB testing, and verification of eligibility to work with youth. The Senior Manager must also maintain any relevant certifications or clearances throughout their employment.

At-Will Employment:

Employment with SJLI is on an at-will basis, meaning that either the employee or the organization can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise specified by applicable law or a written employment agreement. However, SJLI is committed to fair employment practices and open communication to ensure a positive and productive work environment for all employees.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Social Justice Learning Institute ("SJLI") is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, as well as all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.SJLI prohibits discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on any characteristic protected by applicable law, including, but not limited to: age (40 and over), race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, reproductive health decision-making, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, protected medical leaves (including requesting or taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, off-duty and off-premises use of cannabis, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.The Organization is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay and other compensation, benefits, discipline, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.Employment decisions at SJLI is based on legitimate, job‑related qualifications, skills, experience, performance, organizational needs, and other lawful business considerations. In carrying out our mission, SJLI values mission alignment, community-centered practice, culturally responsive approaches, and the ability to contribute positively to the communities we serve, particularly historically underserved communities. Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with applicable law.The Organization will conduct a confidential, prompt, and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of this Equal Employment Opportunity Policy. Where appropriate, the Organization will take corrective and remedial action.SJLI strictly prohibits retaliation against any team member who, in good faith, reports concerns, provides information, participates in an investigation, or otherwise exercises rights protected by law or this policy.We are all responsible for upholding this policy and fostering a workplace characterized by dignity, respect, inclusion, and belonging. Team members who have questions regarding equal employment opportunities or who wish to report concerns should speak with their manager, Human Resources, or any other designated member of management.