Careers Advisor Job Description
Recruit an experienced Careers Advisor to guide learners or employees towards realistic study, training and employment choices, build employer links and deliver impartial careers support across one-to-one and group settings.
What does a Careers Advisor professional do?
A Careers Advisor delivers impartial guidance, runs careers activities, builds employer partnerships and helps individuals make informed decisions about next steps in learning and work.
Careers Advisor job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Careers Advisor
About the role
[Organisation name] is seeking a Careers Advisor to provide high-quality, impartial careers guidance to [age group: e.g. 14–19 students / adult learners / university students] at our [setting: e.g. school, college, university, community hub]. You will deliver one-to-one guidance, group workshops and employer engagement activities, maintain confidential records and work with colleagues to track outcomes. This post is [contract type], [hours], based at [location] with [any flexible/remote working detail].
Key responsibilities
- Provide impartial one-to-one careers guidance using up-to-date labour market information and agreed guidance frameworks.
- Plan and deliver group sessions and workshops on careers planning, CVs, applications, interview skills and employability.
- Assess individual learners’ needs, create action plans and follow up to monitor progress and outcomes.
- Develop and maintain relationships with local employers, apprenticeship providers and training organisations to broaden opportunities.
- Manage a caseload, maintain accurate records (complying with data protection) and produce reports on activity and outcomes.
- Contribute to careers programmes, timetables and events such as careers fairs, employer visits and work experience.
- Support transition planning and progression tracking for participants, referring to specialist services where required (e.g. SEND, welfare, safeguarding).
- Keep professional knowledge current: labour market trends, funding routes, apprenticeships, traineeships and higher education options.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience delivering one-to-one careers guidance and group employability sessions.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage diverse learners and employers.
- Ability to use labour market information to support informed choices and produce clear action plans.
- Good record-keeping, confidentiality and basic data-handling skills (compliant with GDPR).
- Right to work in the UK.
- Willingness to undertake or hold an enhanced DBS check where the role involves regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults.
Desirable
- Relevant careers guidance qualification (for example Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development) or working towards it.
- Membership of a professional body such as the Career Development Institute (CDI).
- Experience working within schools, colleges, higher education or adult/community provision.
- Experience organising employer engagement, work placements or apprenticeship brokerage.
- Coaching, counselling or careers-related teaching qualifications.
What we offer
- Pension contribution (employer placeholder)
- Annual leave entitlement (placeholder)
- Professional development budget and training opportunities (placeholder)
- Flexible working / hybrid working options (placeholder)
- Term-time working option (if applicable) (placeholder)
- Employee assistance programme (placeholder)
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Careers Advisor role?
A Careers Advisor provides impartial, evidence-based advice and guidance to help people make informed choices about education, training and employment. They work one-to-one and in groups to assess needs, set goals, and connect individuals with employers, apprenticeships, traineeships or further study. Careers Advisors also compile records, report on outcomes and keep up to date with labour market information and local provision.
Who you’ll work with
Learners, students or adults across a range of ages and backgrounds, employer contacts, teaching staff and external training providers.
Where it’s delivered
Settings include schools, colleges, universities, community centres and employer sites; roles may involve travel for employer engagement and visits.
Hours & contract types
Vacancies vary from full-time to part-time, permanent or fixed-term; some roles are term-time only or include evening sessions for employer events.
Typical Careers Advisor responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Provide impartial one-to-one careers guidance
Provide impartial one-to-one careers guidance using up-to-date labour market information and agreed guidance frameworks.
Plan and deliver group sessions
Plan and deliver group sessions and workshops on careers planning, CVs, applications, interview skills and employability.
Assess individual learners’ needs
Assess individual learners’ needs, create action plans and follow up to monitor progress and outcomes.
Develop
Develop and maintain relationships with local employers, apprenticeship providers and training organisations to broaden opportunities.
Manage a caseload
Manage a caseload, maintain accurate records (complying with data protection) and produce reports on activity and outcomes.
Contribute
Contribute to careers programmes, timetables and events such as careers fairs, employer visits and work experience.
Support transition planning
Support transition planning and progression tracking for participants, referring to specialist services where required (e.g. SEND, welfare, safeguarding).
Keep professional knowledge current: labour
Keep professional knowledge current: labour market trends, funding routes, apprenticeships, traineeships and higher education options.
Careers Advisor skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience delivering one-to-one careers guidance and group employability sessions.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage diverse learners and employers.
- Ability to use labour market information to support informed choices and produce clear action plans.
- Good record-keeping, confidentiality and basic data-handling skills (compliant with GDPR).
- Right to work in the UK.
- Willingness to undertake or hold an enhanced DBS check where the role involves regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults.
Useful where relevant
- Relevant careers guidance qualification (for example Level 6 Diploma in Careers Guidance and Development) or working towards it.
- Membership of a professional body such as the Career Development Institute (CDI).
- Experience working within schools, colleges, higher education or adult/community provision.
- Experience organising employer engagement, work placements or apprenticeship brokerage.
- Coaching, counselling or careers-related teaching qualifications.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Careers Advisor job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Specify the client group
State the age range and setting clearly (e.g. 14–19 school students, adult community learners, HE undergraduates) so candidates can assess fit.
Be clear about caseload and outcomes
Include typical caseload size, expected KPIs (destinations, progression rates, employer contacts) or assessment responsibilities to set realistic expectations.
Highlight training and progression
Tell candidates whether you fund or support professional qualifications (e.g. Level 6 Diploma), CDI membership or other CPD to attract development-focused applicants.
Set out working patterns
Clarify if the role is term-time only, requires evening/weekend events or travel for employer engagement to avoid mismatched expectations.
Careers Advisor salary considerations
Pay for Careers Advisors varies widely. Employers should consider how the role’s setting, required qualifications, level of experience, contract type and local labour market influence salary rather than relying on a single benchmark.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Careers Advisor candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What age groups and settings will I work with?
Candidates need to know whether they will be supporting school-aged students, FE/HE learners, adult jobseekers or a mix — this affects experience requirements and approach.
Is an enhanced DBS required?
Clarify whether the role is classified as regulated activity and whether the employer will request or fund the DBS check.
What support is available for professional development?
Candidates want to know if the employer funds careers qualifications, CPD, CDI membership or offers protected time for training.
What are the working hours and event expectations?
State whether the role is term-time only, includes evenings/weekends for fairs or employer visits, and any travel expectations.
How is success measured?
Explain typical KPIs such as destination data, progression rates, participant feedback, employer engagement numbers or case closure targets.
Where to post a Careers Advisor job
This role suits broad and specialist channels. Use national and regional job boards plus education-specific sites for school, college or university roles, and community or charity-focused boards for adult provision. Share with professional networks—local LMI hubs, CDI communities, teaching unions and employer engagement groups—and promote via employer partners and campus communications to reach candidates with relevant sector experience.
Careers Advisor job description FAQs
Do Careers Advisors need a formal qualification?
A formal career guidance qualification (for example the Level 6 Diploma) is widely recognised and valued, but many employers hire experienced advisers without it and support them to train. Consider whether you will require the qualification at appointment or offer it as funded CPD.
When should I require a DBS check?
Request an enhanced DBS check for roles involving regulated activity with children or vulnerable adults. If you’re unsure, consult HR or DBS guidance; advertise whether a check is required or will be requested upon appointment.
How should I measure the role’s impact?
Use a mix of quantitative and qualitative KPIs: destinations/progression rates, number of employer contacts and placements, participant feedback, attendance at events and successful referrals to specialist services.
What contract type attracts the best candidates?
Permanent, full-time posts usually attract a wider pool, but many candidates seek flexible, part-time or term-time roles. Be explicit about hours and any event or travel requirements to target suitable applicants.
Should Careers Advisors be involved in safeguarding?
Careers Advisors should be trained to recognise safeguarding concerns and know referral routes; they are not a substitute for designated safeguarding leads but must liaise promptly where issues arise.
Ready to advertise your Careers Advisor role?
Use the advert copy and requirements here as a starting point, customise the placeholders for your organisation and publish across the channels most relevant to your setting to attract suitable candidates.
