Study Abroad Outreach & Recruitment, Counseling Services Coordinator

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Study Abroad Outreach & Recruitment, Counseling Services Coordinator, University of Washington

About the Position 

This position is in Study Abroad Outreach & Recruitment as a Counseling Services Coordinator at the University of Washington. The aim of this position is to increase awareness and engagement with study abroad programs at the University of Washington. The position has two main parts: 80% is student outreach and recruitment and 20% is study abroad advising. Study abroad outreach and recruitment consist of creating strategic marketing, coordinating study abroad events, managing content creation for social media, developing visually appealing promotional materials, building partnerships across UW campuses and with other institutions, maintaining the UW Study Abroad website, and organizing the Study Abroad Fair. Study abroad advising involves educating students about the variety of study abroad programs and taking the advising experience to improve student outreach. The goal is to formulate resources and initiatives to increase student awareness and create globally competent students by encouraging them to study abroad. This position combines oral and written communication skills, proficiency in a second language, and knowledge of different cultural perspectives with marketing and technology to increase student awareness about the different study abroad opportunities available to them. The job requires experience working with students, with study abroad programs, and in communications/marketing/public relations/related fields. A universal theme for any career is that a person needs good communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Having proficiency in another language is not required for many jobs, but it sets a person apart from other candidates by broadening their ability to communicate with and understand people.

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Question & Answer

How did you find this position? 

I found this position on Indeed by searching for careers that combined language and cultural knowledge with working to support students in higher education. After doing research on the What can I do with my major tool? and other tools, I gathered ideas for careers that combined my interests in language, travel, and higher education.

Summarize the Minimum Qualifications in your own words and emphasize the skills relevant to language majors.

This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree in communications, marketing, public relations, or a related field, along with two to three years of relevant experience. Important skills include creating content for social media as well as conducting outreach to student audiences. Proficiency in WordPress and strong written and public speaking skills are crucial. The role also values creativity and strong organizational skills. Being able to create clear, engaging communication across platforms for diverse audiences is key for this role.

Summarize the Preferred Qualifications in your own words and emphasize the skills relevant to language majors.

Preferred qualifications for this role include experience working with institutional student databases, Terra Dotta or other CRM systems, Marketo for communication management, and familiarity with MS Office tools and Google Suite. Experience in study abroad, international education, or advising is also preferred along with project management in an educational setting. Skills like managing international education programs, advising students on global opportunities, and organizing cross-cultural experiences are particularly important because they emphasize communication, cultural awareness, and program coordination in a global context.

What are some other skills that are important for success in this field? 

For success in this field, it will be important to understand how to work with people from around the world. Cultures around the world communicate differently so understanding how they communicate and being able to effectively collaborate with them is key in being able to help, support, and prepare students in the U.S. to live and learn abroad and important for understanding how to promote programs to a diverse group of students. Understanding how different cultures think can help the marketing and communication methods needed for this position, be clear and effective for a diverse audience.

What might be helpful to prepare for a language major to prepare for this field or position?

Getting a graduate degree to have more specialized skills and knowledge related to communication and working with diverse students and organizations would be important for this job. The job also requires previous experience working with students, with study abroad programs, and in communications/marketing/public relations, before applying, it would be important to gain these experiences.

How is proficiency in another language useful or important in this position?

Being fluent in another language is not a requirement, however it gives a significant advantage. The main part of the job is marketing study abroad so understanding other countries’ cultures, having experience in other countries, and having proficiency in another language would be beneficial when working to promote different programs and opportunities around the world to students. Another responsibility of the job is being able to build and maintain relations with study abroad programs throughout the U.S. and other countries, so proficiency in another language gives the tools needed to effectively communicate with people from diverse backgrounds.

How is the ability to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds useful or important in this position?

Being able to understand students’ different cultural backgrounds allows you to best support their goals and needs. Cultures around the world communicate differently so understanding how they communicate and being able to effectively collaborate with programs in the U.S. and around the world is key to being able to help, support, and prepare students in the U.S. to live and learn abroad. In the workplace, being able to understand and work with people from different cultural backgrounds creates an inclusive and welcoming work environment which results in effective work for the students this position aims to support.

Anything else interesting to share about the position?

Technology plays a significant role in this position. The goal is to effectively reach and engage with students through virtual and in-person engagement. The job responsibilities and requirements include technology competence, like creating social media content and digital marketing tools as well as experience with student databases and systems, WordPress, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite. Being familiar or proficient with these forms of technology is important for this position, so taking technology courses to gain experience would be beneficial.

About the author

name: Molly McMulkin

institution: Boise State University

Molly is pursuing a Spanish major, Psychology minor, and Certificate in Content Production at Boise State.