Career Support Graduate Assistant
The career support graduate assistant (GA) will collaborate with the Graduate School’s director of graduate career coaching on select projects to establish a culture that encourages curiosity about, and safe investigation and exploration of graduate student career development. The graduate school promotes graduate student professional and career development and well-being to encourage successful outcomes on degree completion. The GA shares the values of exploratory student support, encouraging self-reflection and career pathway research, and engaged learning about career and professional development through the entirety of the graduate school experience. The GA is an advocate for
exploration of careers both in academia and industries outside academic pathways.
The GA contributes to the Graduate School’s ethos of career support and supports fellow students by:
• Engaging fellow students in career services to create a culture of career well- being that champions career exploration and diversity for graduate students.
• Building knowledge, skills, and abilities in generalist practices of career development for graduate students, such as understanding issues faced by graduates in career decision making or employment search.
• Participating in training for and offering one to one consultation with students. These conversations will focus on but not necessarily limited to providing document and interview preparation services.
• Creating, curating, and maintaining various projects that increase capacity for graduate career support. Possible projects include:
o An online resource library that includes a diverse range of sample curricula vitae, resumes, cover letters, and research statements.
o A bank of employment research resources like search engines, timely articles, or networking connections willing to provide informational interview opportunities, which encompass academic and industry pathway options.
• Learning to utilize, promote and share digital resources for career development, such as Handshake, Interstride, and the Beyond platforms.
• Entering and managing data in corresponding career services platforms.
• Engaging with the Graduate School’s career and professional development annual events and offering and executing talks or workshops that correspond with graduate student demand.
• Preparing written, oral, or visual communications such as newsletter announcements, webpage content, mass email, or flyers to correspond with events and projects.
• Building relationships with faculty, staff, and students on the IUB campus.
• Training to understand current IUB career services for graduates and providing referrals to services such as career support and resources within the graduate school or to career services offered by schools or units.
The work described is a starting point for a position that is expected to evolve. We anticipate learning together through piloting projects, gathering feedback, and iterating on tasks or projects as we learn. Our goal is to create a team that appreciates a collaborative environment, where the GA collaborates with Graduate School staff, and interfaces or partners with students or various campus partners, to further a culture of career support.
Essential Competencies and Skills:
• Demonstrates competency regarding diverse career pathways or options for graduate students.
• Experience in one or more coaching, consulting, or teaching settings.
• Comfortable with both interpersonal and professional communication in one to one, group, and presentation or event settings.
• Demonstrates verbal, written, and active listening communication skills.
• Proactively anticipates work tasks for project completion and works well autonomously or in collaboration.
• Willing to be flexible and adaptable to new projects as they arise to meet unit goals.
• Open to learning technology or systems based on project needs.
• Attends to multiple projects at once in partnership with multiple stakeholders including fellow students, staff, or faculty.
Required Qualifications
• You must be a graduate student (master’s, PhD, or professional program) to apply.
Preferred Qualifications
• Applicants who have engaged with career support on the IUB campus, and who have experience,knowledge, skills, or abilities associated with the application of coaching or teaching preferred.
• PhD candidate preferred.
• Experience with customer relationship management platforms and/or learning management systems preferred.
This is a 0.5 FTE (20 hours per week) appointment beginning August 2025 with the possibility of summer 2025 hourly work. The position includes an $24,000 stipend for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, up to twelve credit hours tuition remission each semester, and student health insurance. The position application will remain open until the position is filled.
Access the application form here.
To apply, please submit a resume or CV, two professional references, and a cover letter (2 pages or less). In your cover letter, please address the following questions:
1. What compels you to apply to this graduate assistantship?
2. What experiences have you had teaching, facilitating groups, and/or one-to-one support services like consulting, coaching, or mentorship?
3. Describe your experience receiving career services in higher education. How did it impact you?
4. And finally, what does it mean to you to support an individual or a group with their career development while they seek an advanced degree?