Employment Specialist

Remote

🤝 HR

Employment Specialists are often hired by nonprofits, educational institutions and community service organizations to help underrepresented people find work. They use their empathy, organizational and communication skills and knowledge of mental health and social work to connect job seekers with employment opportunities. These professionals get to know clients’ aspirations and strengths to help them feel more confident and comfortable as they seek a new career. In many cases, they help job seekers gain the necessary training or knowledge to enter their chosen roles. Exceptional communication skills allow them to contact prospective employers on clients’ behalf, as well as support and guide the job seeker as they seek work and maintain employment.

What does a Employment Specialist do?

An Employment Specialist, or Employment Advisor, helps people find suitable jobs. They usually focus on assisting individuals with mental health issues, disabilities or those from other underrepresented groups such as refugees. Their main duties include establishing trusting relationships with clients, helping them understand their rights in the workplace and connecting them with job development and vocational opportunities.

Responsibilities

A Employment Specialist should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Employment Specialist should be able to execute:

Identifying benefits such as SSI and Medicaid, and determining how employment might impact eligibility
Discussing a client’s preferences for disclosure of health status to prospective employers
Conducting job searches or seeking opportunities for vocational skill development on behalf of a job seeker
Making contact with prospective employers, learning about job requirements, explaining the program and describing the job seeker clients
Scheduling and overseeing follow-up support to help the client maintain their employment
Providing educational support to employers (with consent from the client) to ensure their needs and rights are respected

Required Skills

A competitive Employment Specialist will have certain skills and qualifications, including:

Knowledge of working with underrepresented groups, including people with developmental disorders, mental health issues or substance use disorders
Exceptional people skills and the ability to build strong relationships with individuals from any background
Ability to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team
Confidence and assertiveness that allows them to make contact with employers who might never have heard of such a program
An understanding of how health can impact a person
Excellent written and verbal communication skills they can customize depending on audience

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