Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist

Employment Status: Administrative

Description of Key Responsibility:

• Serve as the College’s primary contact for all matters related to internships, including policies, procedures, and best practices, while leading the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of internship processes, resources, and documentation.

• Oversee student internship approvals and ensure internship experiences meet institutional and Career Readiness Requirement standards. The successful candidate will be expected communicate with students through stages of the process via Handshake, email, and in person.

• Provide student and administrative support for the ongoing implementation and execution of the All-College Career Readiness Requirement ( ACR ).

• Assess the effectiveness of the ACR in collaboration with the Executive Director and Assistant Provost and recommend improvements.

• Collect and use student feedback to continuously improve and innovate career center offerings.

• Host and facilitate workshops and informational sessions to help students pursue internships opportunities and the ACR .

• Support the Executive Director in engaging students and alumni with the First Destination Survey and Reporting to gather post-graduation outcomes and insights on behalf of the College.

• Collaborate with faculty, campus partners, and the Executive Director to develop assessment strategies that demonstrate the impact of career readiness initiatives.

• Respond to institutional requests for career outcomes, assessment, and internship data while ensuring data accuracy and integrity.

• Maintain accurate records and implement quality assurance practices for internship, career outcomes, and assessment data.

• Conduct one-on-one career coaching appointments and support regular drop-in hours with students as needed to support departmental operations during peak demand periods on topics including career exploration, networking, interview preparation, internship and job search, graduate school planning, and other career-related needs.

• Partner with the Associate Director of Employer Relations to expand and strengthen internship opportunities for students.

• Serve as a member of the College Career Consortium of Illinois ( CCCI ) and assume leadership positions as directed.

• Perform other related duties and tasks as appropriately assigned.

To execute these duties successfully, the Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist must be able to work well with all constituents, including students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and employers. The Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist must be an enthusiastic and highly-visible spokesperson for the College both on- and off-campus. The Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist will represent the College and CCPD at professional meetings and conferences, actively participating in local, regional, and national associations to stay current with industry trends and best practices. This position will require occasional work outside of normal business hours and days, including attendance at evening and weekend events as needed. Travel, including local and regional site visits, and national conference/association participation, is also expected.

Education/Training:

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.

Experience:

1 – 2 year(s) of experience in higher education, career services, academic advising, student affairs, assessment, institutional research, data analysis, or a related field.

Position Summary:

The Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist within the North Central College Center for Career and Professional Development ( CCPD ) supports the College’s commitment to career readiness by coordinating the administration of credit-bearing internships and advancing institutional cocurricular assessment efforts. The position is responsible for overseeing internship processes and policies, supporting assessment of the All-College Career Readiness Requirement ( ACR ), collaborating on career outcomes initiatives, maintaining accurate internship and assessment data, and providing data-informed insights that support continuous improvement, institutional planning, and student success.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist will serve as a member of the CCPD professional staff, supporting students, employers, and faculty in further advancing all career readiness efforts at North Central College. The successful candidate will oversee the administration of credited internship opportunities, supporting students, faculty, and employers throughout the internship approval process for experiences completed both in fulfillment of the ACR and independently of the requirement. The Internship Coordinator & Career Readiness Specialist is tasked with advancing experiential learning and student development in conjunction with students’ curricular experiences.