Career Readiness Specialist - Akron

Stark State College (OH); Akron (OH); On-site; USD 44,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

Stark State College Akron seeks a Career Readiness Specialist to connect students, alumni, and community members with meaningful employment by providing career coaching, workshops, and strong employer partnerships.

You will collaborate across campus programs, expand work-based learning, and use Handshake and related tools to track outcomes and enhance career services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or higher education required.
• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal communication, and customer service skills.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with students, faculty, employers, and partners.
• Experience coordinating events, workshops, and partnerships preferred.
• Proficiency with career services platforms and data tracking.

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized career coaching and exploration services for students, alumni, and community members.
• Develop and promote internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with regional employers and workforce partners.
• Coordinate and facilitate career-readiness workshops, panels, fairs, and events.
• Support Career Coaching Ecosystem initiatives and data collection for outcomes.

Skills

Career coaching

Employer relationships

Student support

Workshop facilitation

Partnership development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Higher Education or related field

Tools

Handshake

Big Interview

Starfish

Career Coach

Job description

Stark State College is seeking a student-focused and relationship-driven Career Readiness Specialist to help students, alumni, and community members explore career pathways, develop essential career-readiness skills, and connect their education to meaningful employment opportunities. This position plays an important role in connecting academic programs, students, and regional employers to strengthen career preparation and workforce opportunities across the College. In addition to the core responsibilities of the Career Readiness Specialist position, this Specialist serves as the primary Workforce and Career Readiness partner for the Akron Campus, Arts & Sciences, CDL (Springfield location), and Automotive programs.

Salary Range:

$43,914.00 - $57,089.00 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position is a non-exempt, 250-day contract role.

Consistent with the College’s employment practices, this position is offered on a one-year, renewable contract basis. The position is initially funded through a Title III grant, with the College anticipating gradually assuming a greater share of funding over the grant period. Contract renewal is subject to available funding and institutional needs, regardless of funding source, and continued employment is not guaranteed.

Location:

Stark State College Akron

Hours:

Typical hours are Mon-Fri 8:00a-4:30p but may be adjusted based on student/department needs.

Please note:

To best serve Stark State College students, Career Readiness Specialists are required to work from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for a minimum of one day per week.

Who We Are:

The positive energy at Stark State College comes from exceptionally dedicated employees who work hard for students. Success for both our employees and our students is the result.

You’ll be a Great Fit If:

You are passionate about helping people connect their education, skills, and interests to meaningful career opportunities. You bring strong coaching, communication, and relationship-building skills and enjoy working collaboratively with students, faculty, academic leaders, and employers. You are equally comfortable providing individualized career guidance, facilitating engaging workshops, coordinating events, and developing partnerships that create real-world learning and employment opportunities for students.

Typical Responsibilities Include:

• Provide Career Coaching and Student Support: Deliver individualized career coaching and career exploration services to students, prospective students, alumni, and community members. Assist with career assessments, occupational exploration, career planning, résumés, cover letters, interview preparation, LinkedIn profiles, job-search strategies, and professional development.
• Build Academic Partnerships: Serve as the primary Workforce and Career Readiness partner for the Akron Campus and assigned Arts & Sciences, CDL, and Automotive programs. Collaborate with academic leadership, faculty, department chairs, and program coordinators to identify student needs and integrate career exploration, career readiness, and employment preparation into academic and co-curricular experiences.
• Develop Employer Relationships: Establish and maintain relationships with regional employers, workforce organizations, and community partners to understand hiring needs, communicate employment trends, and expand career exploration, recruiting, and employment opportunities aligned with academic programs.
• Expand Work-Based Learning Opportunities: Develop and promote internships, apprenticeships, co-ops, Learn-and-Earn opportunities, and other work-based learning experiences that connect classroom learning with practical workplace experience. Partner with faculty and employers to align opportunities with student interests, academic programs, and workforce needs.
• Coordinate Career Programming and Events: Plan and facilitate career-readiness workshops, employer panels, career fairs, recruiting events, occupational information sessions, classroom presentations, and other programming that prepares students for the transition from college to employment.
• Support Career Coaching Initiatives: Participate in implementing and continuously improving the College’s Career Coaching Ecosystem, collaborating with College staff to strengthen career development services and incorporate career readiness throughout the student experience.
• Use Technology and Data to Support Student Success: Utilize Career Services platforms and College systems, including Handshake, Coach, Career Coach, Big Interview, Starfish, and other applicable technologies, to support coaching, employer engagement, work-based learning, student participation, and career outcomes. Maintain accurate records and contribute to assessment and continuous improvement efforts.
• Support Grant Initiatives and Institutional Priorities: Contribute to assigned Title III/SPARC grant activities, including career-readiness initiatives, employer engagement, work-based learning, implementation of the Career Coaching Ecosystem, data collection, documentation, reporting, and performance outcomes.
• Collaborate Across the College and Community: Participate in enrollment, retention, student success, and workforce development initiatives. Represent Workforce and Career Readiness with employers, community organizations, workforce partners, and other stakeholders while supporting consistent Career Services practices across College locations and academic divisions.

To Be Considered, You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in Higher Education, Counseling, Business Management, Human Resources, Education, or a related field.
• Valid Ohio driver’s license.
• Strong interpersonal, written, verbal communication, presentation, and customer service skills.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with students, faculty, academic leaders, employers, and community partners.
• Strong organizational, project coordination, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office applications, spreadsheets, reporting tools, and virtual meeting platforms.
• Ability to maintain accurate records, protect confidential information, and work effectively with diverse student populations and stakeholders.

Click Here to View the Full Job Description

Preferred Qualifications (although not required):

Master’s degree in Higher Education, Counseling, Business Management, Human Resources, Education, or related field.

Six months of experience (may be intern/practicum student experience) providing career planning assistance in a college or university related setting.

Click Here to View Outstanding Benefits You Can Expect from Stark State College:

Full-time employees can expect excellent medical, dental & vision coverage; paid life and AD&D insurance; state pension/retirement (OPERS/STRS); paid time off, sick leave and paid holidays; paid Stark State tuition, tuition reimbursement and employee assistance program.

The work you do at Stark State will matter to the thousands of students who walk through our doors, and eventually across the commencement stage, on their journey to a better tomorrow. Come join us and learn how your aspirations can be part of a better future for them – and you.

We love meeting stellar candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply.