Higher education careers adviser job profile

Higher education (HE) careers advisers provide careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to undergraduate and postgraduate students and graduates

Your role involves enabling students and graduates to make informed career decisions, develop strategies and create career plans. You'll support them in assessing their values, interests, abilities and skills, helping them explore employment, further study and training opportunities. You'll also offer guidance on effective interview techniques and navigating the transition from university to employment.

Working in collaboration with academic colleagues, you'll promote student employability by integrating careers education into the curriculum. You'll also engage with employers to facilitate student and graduate recruitment.

Job titles vary, and you may see adverts for career consultant, career counsellor or careers and employability consultant/adviser.

Responsibilities

The type of activities you undertake will depend on the size of your careers and employability service. In large services, careers advisers may focus on providing careers advice and guidance, while other staff take on activities such as employer engagement, work placements, business information and communication. In smaller services, however, careers advisers may take on a broader role.

As an HE careers adviser, you'll typically need to undertake some or all of the following:

offer a drop-in service where students and graduates can have a short interview about their career needs
provide longer individual advice and guidance interviews to students and graduates in person, online, via email or on the telephone
use a range of technology and social media to engage with students and graduates
work with groups of students and graduates on specific topics such as preparing for interviews or choosing a career path
provide a CV and cover letter checking service
advise on interview preparation, hold mock interviews and review application forms
create and deliver embedded careers work in partnership with a range of academic departments
collaborate with academic staff to embed employability into the curriculum
advise on careers education programmes and the development of skills required by employers
act as a consultant to academic and other departments on careers, employability and labour market trends
analyse, interpret and use data from the Graduate Outcomes survey and other research and data
organise workshops featuring external speakers such as employers or representatives from professional bodies
develop online career learning resources
produce career-related publicity materials, newsletters and vacancy bulletins
administer and interpret psychometric tests and personality inventories
visit employers and professional bodies to gather information about opportunities, recruitment procedures, policies and labour market trends
organise employer-recruitment visits, careers fairs and other events
raise students' awareness of entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities.

Salary

Newly qualified HE careers advisers typically earn between £25,000 and £35,000 depending on their experience and qualifications.
With experience, salaries can rise to between £30,000 and £50,000.
Salaries for heads of service typically range from between £50,000 and £60,000. Directors of careers and employability services can earn in excess of £70,000.

Many universities follow a national pay agreement, providing a common pay spine for academic and non-academic staff.

Salaries vary depending on your location, the size and type of institution, and the nature of the role. For example, advisers specialising in guidance for MBA students, international students or postgraduate research students may receive higher salaries.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work from 9am to 5pm, though occasional evening or weekend work may be required to host employer presentations or deliver other careers-related activities.

Part-time roles are available, and some careers advisers combine their HE careers work with freelance career consultancy. Opportunities for flexible or hybrid working, job sharing, term-time work and career breaks may also be available.

What to expect

You'll usually work on campus in a careers information centre or as part of a wider student support service, for example student and academic services. Some institutions use a hub-and-spoke model, with a central office and careers staff based in academic faculties.
Work is primarily office based, but you may visit employers, attend conferences and deliver presentations at events.
The work can be demanding, particularly during peak student engagement periods in the autumn and spring terms but is also rewarding as you are helping students shape their future career paths.
Jobs are available across the UK in universities and other institutions providing HE courses.
Depending on the size of the service, you may specialise in a particular area such as international students or a specific academic faculty or take on a broader role covering all areas of careers guidance.

Qualifications

To become a higher education careers adviser, you'll need a degree in any subject. However, for roles supporting specific student groups (e.g. MBAs or medical students), a relevant background can be beneficial. A PhD may also be useful when working with postdoctoral students.

You'll also usually need a recognised careers guidance qualification or significant relevant experience. One route is the Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Career Guidance and Development, which includes the Qualification in Career Development (QCD) (QCF Level 7, SCQF Level 11 in Scotland), awarded by the Career Development Institute (CDI). These one-year full-time or two-year part-time courses mix academic learning with work placements. Some providers may accept equivalent professional qualifications or relevant experience instead of a degree.

You can also train on the job. The Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MA in Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education (CEIGHE), offered by The University of Warwick in collaboration with AGCAS, is designed for those working with HE students and graduates in a careers and employability context. This Level 7 qualification is delivered via a blend of residential courses and distance learning/e-learning and typically requires a 2:2 degree or equivalent experience.

Other job-based training options include:

QCF Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development - aimed at practitioners providing personal career guidance and development
Career Development Professional Higher Apprenticeship - a Level 6, two-year apprenticeship.

If you hold a careers qualification at QCF Level 6 or 7/SCQF Level 11 or above, you're eligible to join the UK Register of Career Development Professionals managed by the CDI. Entry on to the register entitles you to use the post-nominal RCDP and means you must adhere to the CDI code of ethics and undertake a certain amount of CPD per year.

Find out more at CDI - Qualifying to provide career guidance and coaching.

To get a place on a course, you'll also need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme in Scotland) check.

Some HE careers advisers transition from other careers, such as careers guidance in schools or adult services, teaching, research, industry, commerce, recruitment or training.

Skills

You'll need to have:

excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage with students and graduates, and to develop effective relationships with academics, employers and other external organisations and agencies
the ability to build rapport with students and graduates from diverse backgrounds
strong presentation skills for delivering workshops, talks and training sessions
curiosity and an interest in students' motivations and career plans
the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team and across departments
negotiation and influencing skills to advocate for students and build partnerships with employers and academic staff
organisational and time management skills to prioritise your workload
a flexible and adaptable approach to work to respond effectively to changing student needs and employment trends
a creative approach to problem solving
empathy, patience and resilience to support students facing career challenges and uncertainty
self-motivation, with a positive and proactive approach to work
proficiency in using IT, including email, career-related software, online resources and social media platforms
up-to-date awareness of current issues in HE, labour market trends and graduate employment
a commitment to student success and a passion for career development and employability.

Work experience

Relevant work experience is essential for becoming an HE careers adviser. Getting experience in mentoring, coaching, advising or working with groups will help develop key skills such as active listening, communication and relationship building. This can be through paid employment or voluntary activities, including community groups and student support roles.

To gain insight into the profession, speak to your university careers service to see if you can work shadow a careers adviser. This will help you understand the role in practice and build valuable connections.

Some university careers and employability services offer part-time roles for students that cover activities such as careers events, employer fairs, social media content creation and marketing. Some roles provide the opportunity to get involved in peer support and triage, as well as the possibility, in some instances, of providing information and advice.

You could also apply to become a student ambassador, supporting prospective students by offering guidance and encouragement. Additionally, volunteering at student society careers fairs or events can provide useful experience in organising and delivering career-related activities.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Higher education careers advisers are employed by:

universities or university colleges
colleges of higher education or specialist colleges in single subject areas of HE
colleges of further education with HE students.

You could be employed in a careers service or within a larger student services department that provides other services such as counselling, welfare and financial advice, or an academic support or external relations department.

There are also opportunities to work on a freelance or self-employed basis.

Look for job vacancies at:

You'll also find vacancies on institutions' own websites.

Professional development

You'll receive on-the-job training and attend short courses to develop and update your knowledge and skills. In-house training may be offered within the careers team and organised centrally by your institution.

Most careers advisers are members of AGCAS, which provides opportunities to undertake continuing professional development (CPD), network with colleagues and exchange ideas and knowledge via conferences, events and training. Topics are wide-ranging and may include:

advanced guidance skills
work-based learning
group work
management and leadership
AI in careers
the graduate labour market
supporting neurodivergent students into employment
career coaching.

For current opportunities, see AGCAS training and events.

If you haven't done so already, you could take the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MA in Career Education, Information and Guidance in Higher Education (CEIGHE), delivered by The University of Warwick in collaboration with AGCAS. Courses are completed on a part-time, flexible basis while working via a blend of residential courses and distance learning/e-learning.

There are also some opportunities to study for a PhD and move into academic research.

Career prospects

Opportunities to advance depend, to a certain extent, on the size of the service you work for, and you may need to move jobs to progress. You could choose to move to a different size or type of institution to get experience across the diversity of the HE sector.

There is limited opportunity for promotion to management level as in most services the only senior grade position is that of head of service or director. However, larger services may also have senior careers adviser, careers manager, deputy or assistant director posts. At senior level, you'll be expected to have responsibility for a team of staff, as well as for strategy and meeting targets. You'll need to have budget management and administration skills.

There are opportunities to specialise with particular client groups, such as international students or postdoctoral research students, or within specific subject areas, such as medicine, creative arts or science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

It's also possible for careers advisers with a PhD to transfer into academic posts, focusing on careers education curriculum development or teaching on careers guidance courses, for example.

With experience and further qualifications and training, it's possible to move into a senior management role within universities or elsewhere in the HE sector in areas such as strategy and planning.

Higher education careers adviser