About our Career + Experience Peer Leadership Internship

Mission Statement

The Career & Experience Peer Leadership Internship is tied to the Career Center where sophomores, juniors and seniors are selected for a leadership role as either a Peer Leader or Peer Mentor to promote the mission of the Career Center while actively assisting students with their career aspirations and experiential learning goals.

Positions & Job Responsibilities

As a peer leader, you will run a designated Interest Group (our new career model that will be rolled out in the fall) throughout the academic year with the assistance from our Group Leaders who are full-time staff members of the Career Center.

You would be good for this position if you:

• Have experience with leadership and involvement, you’re interested in taking your leadership to the next level.
• Interested in helping students connect their interests to their own career process.
• Are an upperclassman; preferably junior or senior.
• Have strong communication skills.
• Ability to bring a vision to life and run with program responsibilities.
• Can work independently

• Assigned to a designated career Interest Group to coordinate, plan and execute meet- ups, themed drop-ins, events, etc. throughout the year.
• Commit at least 10 hours/week throughout the academic year; hours will occur during both our normal business hours and some evenings based on your availability.
• Build relationships with faculty, alumni and employers through in-person connections and the use of UVM Connect & Handshake to support interest group activities.
• Use leadership skills to help students connect with their career journey while at UVM.
• Use personal experience of involvement (internships, jobs, volunteer, research, etc.) to help showcase how students can connect their interests to experiential opportunities.
• Coordinate your schedule with the Interest Group leader to host events (labs, meet-ups, drop-ins, etc.) throughout the year.

As a peer mentor, you will advise students 1:1 within the Career Center; assisting students with various career related topics. In addition, you’ll host labs, outreach to student clubs, and work with our career staff on projects and events throughout the academic year.

You would be good for this position if you:

• Have experience with involvement (on or off campus), but you’re interested in developing your leadership experience. Leadership is a plus, but not necessary.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to instruct or teach.
• Sophomore, junior or senior.
• Can work well as a team player.

Job Responsibilities:

• Meet with students 1:1 and serve as a mentor with the career and development process.
• Facilitate labs- interactive space for students to work on career materials such as their resume while receiving feedback or instruction from peer mentors.
• Outreach to student clubs throughout the year to build strong working relationships to help us connect with more students.
• Perform resume reviews either within 1:1 consultation or through Handshake (our online job/internship database) and Blackboard.
• Serve as ambassadors during work shifts and in general to help promote the mission & services of the Career Center.
• Assist with large and small events and various projects for counselors and staff.
• Serve as the front line to welcome visitors to the Career Center by using a professional welcome and in-take process.
• Answer questions from students or visitors regarding experiential learning opportunities (research, internships, jobs, fellowship, on-campus jobs: work study or non-work study, service learning, study abroad, involvement, etc.) and career related questions.
• Refer students to the appropriate resources based on in-take and the needs of students.
• Commit at least 8 hours/week during the business hours of 10am-4pm, M-F throughout the academic year.

Expectations for both positions:

• Work throughout the academic year.
• Complete designated weekly office hours.
• Attend the mandatory August training (the week before the semester begins), and attend student staff meetings throughout the year.
• You must have a natural ability to teach and/or provide instruction.
• Serve on a hard-working team of colleagues and peers in a diverse work environment.
• Be curious!
• Be collaborative and relational with staff and others who connect to our office.
• Willingness to step outside of one’s comfort zone.
• Observant of the needs of the space, students, etc. and to take initiative on tasks that need to be tended to.

Learning Outcomes for both positions:

• Build mentoring and leadership skills.
• Learn how to work within an intercultural work environment.
• Gain a better understanding of the meaning of professionalism.
• Build communication and event management skills through labs, 1:1s, and events with partners, students, and the UVM community.
• Define, develop and grow your own career goals.
• Develop teamwork/collaboration skills.