Career Coach, International Students

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: 14

Please note, this is a temporary full time contract opportunity with an expected end date of October 31, 2024.

About Western

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

About Us

Student Experience fosters equitable learning environments in which all students can thrive to their full potential. Through our commitment to integrating research, theory, and practice across all of the programs, resources, and supports we provide, Student Experience leads an ecosystem of people, places, and spaces that empower student thriving. Our vision is for all Mustangs to discover their personalized pathway through Western’s rich, wholistic learning environment; engage in brave conversations with our diverse community on and off campus, and develop the courage to be uncomfortable without fear of failure in order to thrive throughout their degree and after graduation.

At Western, the Student Experience portfolio is organized into three inter-dependent pillars that provide the programmes and supports that inspire Western Students to discover themselves; engage with their communities and thrive as learners. These Pillars are: Wellness & Wellbeing (Wellness & Equity Education, Health & Wellness and Student Support & Case Management), Sport & Recreation (Sport, Recreation, and Spirit & Tradition), and Leadership & Learning (Academic Support & Engagement and Careers & Experience). Professional and student staff working across these three pillars collaborate with student organizations and academic and administrative leaders throughout campus to foster inclusive and wholistic learning environments that maximize the potential of each student. Careers & Experience helps students deepen their academic learning and actively plan for personal and professional growth through career education, experiential learning, and industry exploration. We foster an environment in which students are able to discover their potential and design their future.

Responsibilities

The Career Coach will help Western students connect their academic learning to career paths and future goals in support of the university’s mission to build an equitable and thriving campus. The Career Coach, International Students is responsible for designing career development programming that meets the needs of international undergraduate and graduate students, across all Faculties, and supports them to navigate their career and life plans. The role assists international students with preparing for work integrated learning (WIL) opportunities, job applications and interviews, and career planning and exploration. The Career Coach, International Students also collaborates with Western International to deliver on Western’s commitment to supporting international students in gaining Canadian work experience and finding employment in their industry and country of choice.

Qualifications

Education:

• Undergraduate Degree in Liberal Arts, Social Science, or related field
• Career Development Practitioner Certification completed, or in progress
• Master’s Degree in Education or related field preferred
• Coaching Certification would be an asset

Experience:

• 3 years of experience working in a career-related advising/coaching environment
• 3 years of experience working with immigrants, newcomers, and/or international students
• Experience with active listening and using coaching/advising skills (preferably in a professional development or career development context)
• 2 years of experience in Student Affairs in a higher education setting preferred
• Demonstrated use of an inclusive design framework to apply an EDI lens in career program development would be an asset

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of career development theories, student development, Life Design Framework, labour market trends, and job search skills
• Knowledge of intercultural development theories, Critical Race Theory, and manifestations of culture shock; demonstrated understanding of the influence of identity and family on career decision-making
• Knowledge of the unique barriers to employment faced by international undergraduate and graduate students, newcomers to Canada, or non-native English speakers and strategies used to overcome these barriers
• Experience creating safe spaces for trusting/helping conversations within a cross-cultural context
• Ability to avoid sharing “expert” advice and, instead, focus on supporting people in their own learning and reflection
• Commitment to deepening coaching skills through individual reflective practice and on-going professional development
• Awareness of own social location and how it affects the power and privilege in coaching relationships
• Strong understanding of anti-racist and anti-oppression frameworks, including substantial practical experience working with racially and ethnically diverse people, including working knowledge of experiences with identity, intersectionality, oppression, discrimination, racism, and impacts on career development, hiring processes, performance evaluations, etc.
• Established ability to develop engaging and tailored curricula, group programming and digital resources, particularly for equity-deserving groups
• Excellent presentation and group facilitation skills and ability to communicate effectively with a diverse student population, and English as an Additional Language learners
• Understanding of professional scope and able to make appropriate referrals to community, institutional, and student-led services, considering potential barriers to access individuals might face
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with colleagues both inside and outside the department
• Ability to manage own schedule and balance competing priorities in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to maintain working knowledge of relevant technology, including facilitation tools (e.g., polling platforms), and social media/online platforms (e.g. LinkedIn)
• Intermediate skills with Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, and other online productivity tools (e.g., for webinars and one-on-one online engagement)

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwo.ca or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

Interested applicants are asked to visit: https://recruit.uwo.ca for further information and to apply online referencing job #30914 by 11:59PM on May 23, 2023.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.