Assistant Director, Career Services 

(Female, Age 34) from Brookline, MA

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 34 who works as a Assistant Director, Career Services in Brookline, MA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Assistant Director, Career Services
Salary $70,000
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week
Company Size (not answered)
Location Brookline, MA
Years Experience 7.5 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
Private media arts college granting bachelor of science degrees in fields such as Graphic Design, Web Production, Animation, Film & Video Production, and more. Approximately 250 full-time and part-time faculty and staff.

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I teach career skills classes and workshops, covering topics such as resumes, cover letters, job search strategies, interviewing, industry trends, etc.

I mentor students one on one, to assist them in finding an internship and also with their career search after they graduate.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
3 weeks vacation, 12 sick days, 2 floating holidays, 12 regular holidays, Blue Cross Blue Shield, dental, vision, short-term disability, Fidelity 401K w/match

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well-compensated

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work with a team of 5 other Career Services staff. We also work closely with the faculty and staff on campus. In addition, we work with contacts at hundreds of companies which hire our students. We meet people at networking events, conferences, and career fairs. We foster relationships with art directors, managers, human resources people, and more. It is this outreach to companies that is the most enjoyable aspect of my job.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in an office setting on a small college campus. I like the proximity of my desk to students, faculty, staff, resources, as well as public transportation, shops, restaurants, and parks nearby.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 4
Benefits: 6
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 5
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 8

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
referral from colleague

What was the application process?
electronic application

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes- it entailed 3 interviews, two with individuals, one in front of a group of 5.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
don’t recall.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
My training was adequate, but my real learning came by doing.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes- online flash tutorials, as well as individual training form a coworker.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I assist graphic design and other media arts student sin finding internships. Having been in the same position when I was at school makes me understand what students think and go through when applying and interviewing for internships. Plus it gave me excellent knowledge of industry terms and technology necessary to do my job.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes. I did graphic design and video editing work at my internship- both are skills my students have, making me a better resource to assist them in their career progression.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Start by volunteering as a mentor for a community organization that has a career development branch. Having experience working in higher education is ideal. Other skills might include previous HR experience, or experience working with interns.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Patience, creativity, excellent communication skills, personable, friendly, willing to learn new industry trends and technologies.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Minimum of a bachelor’s degree

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Career advising is one part mentoring, and one part psychological counseling.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I truly enjoy helping people find jobs in creative media industries.

What are your current career goals?
I plan to obtain a position at a larger college where I can expand my career placement skills. I also plan to pursue my master’s degree.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Although I am a career advisor, I anticipate being a more productive mentor to people seeking advice in finding a job in media and creative arts. But I am happy to advise people seeking to become career advisors.

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Senior Career Advisor 2 58000 Assist students in web design and animation programs with internships & job search. Teach career skills classes. Manage student workers. Assist in budget, department planning, event coordination.
Prior Job 2 Career Advisor 4 52000 Assist students in graphic design & audio programs with internships & job search. Teach career skills classes.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.25 Framingham State University Communications, Bachelor of Arts
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

Ask a Question of this Mentor

This mentor has opted to receive questions from people interested in this career or job position. Please be respectful of their time and willingness to help. Include some basic relevant background so they can intelligently answer your question.