Working Title: UCC Employer Services Graduate Assistant
State Role Title: Graduate Assistant
Position Type: Graduate Assistant
Position Status: Part-Time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Student Life and Involvement
Department: 100358 - University Career Center
Pay Band:
Pay Rate: Stipend
Specify Range or Amount: $10,301
Is this a JMU only position? N/A
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? N/A
Beginning Review Date: 03/24/2026
About JMU:
Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.
JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.
JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.
General Information:
The University Career Center Employer Services team is accepting applications for our Graduate Assistantship. This position is contracted for the 2026-27 academic year, with the ability to extend the contract through 2027-28. The University Career Center works with students, alumni, employers, faculty, and staff to provide comprehensive career services. We assist employers in connecting with JMU students through recruitment and educational opportunities. We collaborate with JMU faculty and staff to develop educational career pathways that help students tell their curricular and co-curricular stories in their job and internship searches. We also help students make educated career decisions and develop life-long professional career readiness skills.
The University Career Center works to provide program development/workshop delivery on topics including resume and cover letter writing, job and internship strategies, interviewing, networking, career fair preparation, and employer engagement. We work with employers who recruit college students for jobs and internships. You will play a vital role in helping our team prepare to host some of the largest events of the year and ensure we are able to provide employers and students a great experience at JMU.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Participate in August pre-service training prior to the start of Fall semester (2 weeks before classes start) including Employer & Faculty Forum.
Attend graduate student staff meetings and participate in departmental staff meetings.
Collaborate with Employer Services team and in planning, promoting, and executing career workshops, events, and career fairs utilizing Handshake
Organize and create career fair maps and other marketing materials
Communicate with employers and recruiters wanting to connect with JMU students as well as making students aware of opportunities
Use of creative marketing tools (Adobe Express, Canva, etc.) for Employer Newsletters and employer-related events.
Conduct research on career trends, graduate outcomes, and employer data.
Facilitate presentations on career-related topics often in partnership with employers.
Participate in departmental professional development to learn best practices in career advising, career services, employer relations/college recruiting, and stakeholder cultivation.
Interact and coordinate with employers on student outreach involving programming and events for students.
Collaborate with University Career Center liaisons to connect to faculty and students by college.
Effectively work in group/team setting
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
Must be enrolled in James Madison University as a full-time graduate student
Must commit 20 hours per week to on-site office work and be physically present for career fairs and other employer-related events
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ability to adapt to challenges and offer solutions for changes as they arise
Demonstrate strong organizational, interpersonal, management, and time management skills.
Additional Posting Information:
Conditions of Employment:
Students may apply to a graduate assistantship prior to being accepted into a graduate program. However, to be eligible to receive an assistantship upon entry into a graduate program, the following criteria must be met:
The student must be conditionally or unconditionally accepted into a graduate program. Students who are provisionally accepted will not be eligible until they achieve conditional or unconditional acceptance into their program.
The students must have an official transcript on file indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or agency
After receiving an assistantship, the student must maintain at least a 3.0 graduate GPA in order to retain or reapply for the assistantship.
These are minimum criteria. Graduate program coordinators have the right to impose additional criteria if they see fit.
EEO Statement:
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.
Reasonable Accommodation:
If you are a student with a disability and need assistance please contact the Office of Disability Services at (540) 568-6705 or disability-svcs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the Office of Disability Services, located in the Student Success Center, Suite 1202 and they will be happy to assist you.