PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

The Career Coach is responsible for designing, delivering, and evaluating personalised and group-based career development interventions to support NWU students and alumni in making informed career decisions and achieving meaningful employment outcomes. The role is crucial to the university’s broader mission of producing career-ready graduates who are able to contribute to the socio-economic development of South Africa and beyond.

Working in alignment with the NWU’s Graduate Employability Strategy, the Career Coach facilitates career education, employer engagement, and work-readiness programmes that empower students to develop critical skills, navigate complex job markets, and transition successfully into the world of work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.     Career Advisory and Coaching:

• Provide individual career coaching sessions to students and graduates, focusing on career decision-making, job search strategies, personal development, and employability.
• Administer and interpret career assessments (e.g., psychometric tools) as appropriate.
• Support students in understanding their strengths, values, interests, and goals, and how these align with various career paths.
• Develop personalised action plans and track student progress where applicable.
• Provide a consulting service for support, guidance and impartial advice to improve the employability of students.

2.     Career Education and Work-Readiness Programmes:

• Plan, design, and facilitate workshops and seminars on topics such as CV writing, interview techniques, networking, LinkedIn presence, graduate attributes, and entrepreneurship.
• Integrate career education content into academic programmes through faculty partnerships.
• Create and maintain online resources, guides, and toolkits for career development.

3.     Graduate Employability and Industry Engagement:

• Liaise with industry partners, professional bodies, and employers to understand workforce trends and graduate recruitment needs.
• Facilitate student-employer interactions through events such as career fairs, information sessions, job shadowing, and internships.
• Support the development of graduate pipelines into targeted sectors, especially underrepresented or scarce-skill areas.

4.     Programme Monitoring, Research, and Reporting:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of coaching interventions, workshops, and events through feedback surveys and outcomes data.
• Contribute to institutional reporting on graduate outcomes and employability metrics.
• Conduct or contribute to research projects on career development trends, graduate transitions, and youth employment.

5.     Institutional and Strategic Contribution:

• Participate in institutional committees and initiatives related to student success, transformation, and graduate employability.
• Contribute to the strategic development of the NWU Career Services and Alumni Relations.
• Support strategic partnerships with external organisations, including government, private sector, and NGOs.

• An honours’ degree (NQF level 8) in Industrial and Organisational Psychology or Psychology.
• A valid driver’s license.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in career development practices.

RECOMMENDATION / ADDED ADVANTAGE:

• Accreditations with professional bodies i.e. SABPP; HPCSA; SACDA etc relevant to career counselling and development.
• Registration with the HPCSA as a Psychometrist, Psychologist or Industrial Psychologist.

KEY FUNCTIONAL/ TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Professional facilitation skills.
• Ms word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Have the following digital skills:

§  Ability to use digital platforms such as MS Teams, Zoom, Moodle, and MS Office.

§  Familiarity with online career platforms, job boards, and LinkedIn.

§  Capability to create and deliver engaging virtual career development content.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Passion for student development and empowerment.
• Creative, proactive, and solution oriented.
• Effective group facilitation and public speaking abilities.

REMUNERATION:

The annual total remuneration package will be commensurate with the level of appointment as advertised and in line with the NWU policy guidelines.

ENQUIRIES REGARDING JOB CONTENT MAY BE DIRECTED TO:                                    Mr Thoriso Maseng, Tel: 018 299 2058

ENQUIRIES REGARDING RECRUITMENT PROCESS MAY BE DIRECTED TO:    Mr Zenyo Seboko, Tel: 018 299 4951

CLOSING DATE:                                                                   22 August 2025

PLANNED COMMENCEMENT OF DUTIES:                                     As soon as possible

Kindly take note: applications must be submitted online through the official nwu vacancy website.

Incomplete applications and those submitted through any other platform will not be considered.

The University subscribes to and applies the principles of Employment Equity (EE) Act and is committed to transformation. Preference will be given to candidates from the designated groups, in accordance with the principles of the EE Act and NWU Employment Equity Plan.

The University reserves the right not to make an appointment. Communication will be limited to shortlisted candidates only.

If you are not contacted within two months from the closing date of this advertisement, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.