*Do you want your work to feel like a calling where you make a difference every day?
*Do you believe the college admissions process should be an exciting journey for families, not an anxiety-inducing rite of passage?
*Are you looking for the training, resources, and support to do the very best college admissions counseling of your career?
Collegewise is looking for our next great addition to become the Director of College Counseling in our Singapore office. Prior experience working at a highly selective college in admissions, academic advising, student affairs, or another related field is preferred.
First, a quick introduction
Collegewise believes that the college admissions process has spun out of control for high school students and their parents. And we’re out to change all of that. Together, we’ve built the nation’s largest college counseling organization with over 50 highly trained counselors injecting guidance, perspective, and occasional cheerleading into the admissions process for the families who join our programs. Since 1999, we’ve helped over 12,000 A-students, C-students, and everyone in between find, apply to, and attend the right colleges for them.
What’s the job?
First, you will be a Collegewise counselor, working with your own caseload of 25–50 students—most of whom are juniors and seniors—to help them find and apply to the right colleges for them.
You’ll also be in charge of leading and growing a Collegewise office. You’ll make sure that families who hire us have a fantastic experience in our program. You’ll manage one or more counselors in your office to help keep them engaged and successful at work. You’ll speak in public and build positive relationships with high schools and community-based organizations. You’ll have a lot of responsibilities, with the trust, room to work, and support you need to be successful.
Counseling, managing, and leading are distinct but equally important skillsets here, and directors will have the opportunity to learn and grow in all three areas. You’ll complete an initial 40-hour training, followed by mentoring and ongoing professional development to help you thrive and progress in your career here. Even our most veteran employees don’t coast on experience. We all want to keep getting better all the time. And we think that our drive shows in our work. We’re not just growing rapidly; if you browse our counselors’ bios, you’ll see hundreds of glowing testimonials from families who gave us permission to put their full names next to their expressions of thanks.
What’s the downside?
Every job has its less-than-perfect components, and we think applicants have the right to know what those look like here.
Sometimes we work in the evenings and on Saturdays, especially during the busy fall season. This is not a place where you’ll be expected to put in 80-hour weeks or to answer emails while you’re playing with your kids, but it’s not your basic 9-5, either.
Some families are more difficult to please than others, and you’ll occasionally need to navigate those challenges. Thankfully, those cases are the exception rather than the norm here.
We’re running a business, and you’ll be responsible for your office’s financial performance. We’re not going to ask you to be (or train you to become) someone who says things like, “What’s it going to take for me to put you in this counseling program today?” In fact, we’ve learned that the best sales technique is simply to be so good that our customers can’t help but tell their friends. But the financial aspect would likely be a source of stress for someone who just wants to counsel kids without other responsibilities.
Do the right thing, make a difference, and treat people right
You wouldn’t be crossing over to the for-profit version of the dark side by joining us. We have an excellent reputation with both high school counselors and admissions officers. We present at conferences. We speak at high schools and community events. We give away free advice every day on our blog. We tell the truth, we treat people right, we recycle, and we have at least three confirmed vegetarians here. We’re biased, but really, this is a pretty great place to come to work every day.
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for someone who makes work a way of life without making it your actual life. Someone who’d rather be challenged by something important than phone it in for something mundane. You want to commit to a calling that matters to you, and you have high expectations of yourself, your job, and your employer.
Drawing on your deep experience, you’re able to speak confidently and eloquently about the highly selective college admissions process, particularly at the institution(s) where you’ve worked.
You’ve got an inner drive to get things done. For you, each work day starts at zero, and you need to accomplish something tangible by the end of the day to feel good about yourself.
You have a healthy balance of confidence and humility. You’re quick to meet a challenge and to accept responsibility. You don’t believe you have all the answers, you can admit when you’ve made a mistake, and you’re always up for learning and becoming better at everything you do.
You’re astute. You’re able to read people and situations. You’re a clear thinker and communicator who likes to explain, write, host, and speak in public. And these skills help you make a great first and last impression.
You win people over easily and earn trust quickly. Whether you’re working on a project with a coworker, meeting with a student about a college list, or talking to a concerned parent on the phone, people enjoy and benefit from their interactions with you.
And most importantly, you believe in the vision of Collegewise. You’ve seen or experienced the anxiety that the college admissions process can wreak on families. You want to be a supportive guide and an enthusiastic cheerleader for kids and parents. You’re passionate about what Collegewise stands for and support our mission to help as many families as possible transform their journey to college.
Salary and start date
This position starts at $6k-$12k per month depending on experience, with annual bonuses and room for future growth in both salary and responsibility. We’d like our new director to start as soon as possible, but we can adjust the start date to accommodate the right person.
What’s the next step?
If your interest is piqued, we hope you’ll get to know us a little better on our website. Find out more about what we do, who you’d be working with, and what we believe. If you like what you read and think you could find a professional home here, please email a résumé and cover letter to jobs@collegewise.com, and use the subject line “Director of College Counseling: Singapore.”
Like a great college essay, a great cover letter helps us get to know who you really are. You’re more interesting than a generic insert-name-of-company-here letter paints you to be. So please be yourself—smart, thoughtful, maybe even funny. You might also consider checking out our five tips for job-seekers.
If you have questions about the job, please email us at the above address rather than call us. We promise to respond to you quickly.
Thanks for reading our post. We’d love to hear from you, but if we don’t, we hope you find the perfect professional fit someplace else.