Career Specialist

Jobtailor; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

WorkSource Portland Metro seeks a dedicated staff member to support registration, counseling, and job readiness for program participants at the Express Center. You will develop career plans, coach clients, and connect them to training resources and community services.

Responsibilities include facilitating workshops, maintaining case files, and collaborating with partner organizations to improve employment outcomes for diverse job seekers in the Portland area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Minimum 2 years of work experience.
• English required; bilingual preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to pass criminal background check.
• Experience in training/workshops is preferred.
• Knowledge of vocational counseling and career coaching for individuals with barriers to employment preferred.
• Knowledge of local job market and employers' needs preferred.
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines.
• Maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Assist with WorkSource registration, WIOA documentation, and referrals.
• Develop workshops and resources for Express Center participants and staff.
• Assess customer needs and develop career and training plans.
• Coach participants on career planning, skills updates, and retraining.
• Provide technical assistance with WorkSource registration and fund enrollment.
• Review training readiness and scholarship applications.
• Facilitate connections to community resources and training.
• Refer participants to partner organizations and WorkSource programs.
• Support customers during training with check-ins and obstacle-resolution plans.
• Gather labor market data and report outcomes; maintain case files and notes.
• Deliver services at the Express Center and collaborate with staff.

Skills

Vocational counseling

Career coaching

Workshop facilitation

Record keeping

Confidentiality

Deadline management

Communication

Collaboration

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

I-Trac

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Serve customers from various backgrounds and represent WorkSource Portland Metro services
• Assist with WorkSource registration, WIOA documentation, resource room support, and referrals
• Coordinate services with Central City Concern employment staff
• Develop workshops and resources for Express Center participants and staff
• Assess customer needs and develop career and training plans
• Coach participants on career planning, skills updates, and retraining
• Provide technical assistance with WorkSource registration and fund enrollment
• Review training readiness and Individual Training Account scholarship applications
• Facilitate support services and connect customers to community resources, training, and professional development
• Refer participants to partner organizations, youth workforce providers, and other WorkSource programs
• Support customers during training through regular check-ins and obstacle-resolution plans
• Follow up on training outcomes and collect certificates, diplomas, and other accreditation documents
• Assist customers with work readiness, job searches, resumes, interviews, job leads, and employer networking
• Follow up with enrolled participants regarding employment and additional services
• Attract customers and increase engagement among hard-to-reach populations
• Maintain collaborative relationships with staff, client services, programs, and funding agencies
• Participate in weekly training scholarship meetings and regular team meetings
• Gather and maintain labor market data and provide employment opportunity information
• Conduct scheduled customer workshops and collect feedback
• Maintain case files, write case notes and outcome reports, and document data in I-Trac
• Track grant statistics, verify SNAP E&T eligibility, and report participant success stories
• Attend required training and maintain knowledge of program policies and procedures
• Deliver WorkSource services at the Central City Concern Express Center as needed
• Perform other WorkSource duties as required

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
• Minimum 2 years of work experience
• English required; bilingual preferred
• Ability to use a computer proficiently, especially Microsoft Office products
• Ability to pass criminal background check
• Skilled in record keeping and case management systems preferred
• Experience in conducting training and workshops preferred
• Knowledge of vocational counseling and career coaching for individuals with barriers to employment preferred
• Proficient in facilitating scholarship processing preferred
• Knowledge of the local job market and concerns of private employers preferred
• Ability to meet multiple, including conflicting deadlines
• Competent at maintaining a high level of confidentiality
• Ability to work flexible hours to meet the availability of clients

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in vocational counseling, career coaching, and workshop facilitation, with a strong ability to assess customer needs and develop tailored career and training plans. Proficient in case management, record keeping, and maintaining collaborative relationships with various stakeholders.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Vocational Counseling
• Career Coaching
• Workshop Facilitation
• Case Management
• Microsoft Office Proficiency

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Career Planning
• Training Development
• Resource Coordination
• Scholarship Processing
• Data Documentation
• Job Readiness Support
• WIOA Documentation
• Individual Training Account Management
• Labor Market Data Analysis
• Record Keeping

Soft Skills

• Customer Engagement
• Confidentiality
• Deadline Management
• Communication
• Collaboration

Industry Keywords

• WorkSource Services
• Employment Services
• Community Resources
• Training Scholarships
• Client Services

Tools & Technologies

• I-Trac
• Microsoft Office