Jessica J.

Lead Undergrad Advisor
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Jessica J.
English and Related Literature
Film and Literature
Undergraduate
2014
United States

My employment

Lead Undergrad Advisor
Across the Pond
United States
Education
2014

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A day in the life of a Lead Undergrad Advisor in the United States

How studying in the UK affected my job seeking

How I searched for jobs:
I actually utilized my company when applying for UK universities and was quite thrilled with the service they offered. Across the Pond sent out an email to its recent students saying they were hiring new student advisors and I was quite keen to join a company that provides a free, worthwhile service in an industry I feel very passionate about.

Attitudes to study in the UK:
My UK experience was crucial when apply for my job as my role now is to advise US students applying to UK universities. I had the experience of applying and going through the entire process myself and on top of that I had my masters degree from a first-class university, which made me extra appealing to my employer.

Challenges in looking for jobs:
I actually got my job before I even graduated so I was quite lucky to return to the US and begin work immediately.

Where I hope to be in 5 years

Eventually I hope to move further up in management (I was just promoted from Student Advisor to Lead Undergrad Advisor after nine months with the company) and head up one of the major divisions of my company.

My advice to students considering work

Use any and all avenues - reach out to old friends, employers, and professors to network and find openings. Online search engines and LinkedIn can be great but most of the time it's who you know rather than what you know!

Volunteer or try to get involved with international admissions at York! I was an International Ambassador and that was fabulous training for learning how to chat with international students and also the overall application process.

My advice about working in my industry

Volunteer or try to get involved with international admissions at York! I was an International Ambassador and that was fabulous training for learning how to chat with international students and also the overall application process.

What I do

I work one-on-one with students applying to UK universities from North America. I email with them daily helping them with their applications, visas, and funding. I often will look over their personal statements and CV's in order to help them have the strongest application possible. I also help run informational webinars for our students.

Skills I use and how I developed them



Extracurricular skills:
I use communication and multi-tasking more than anything. I have over 1,000 students registered to just me so there is a lot of information to record and remember. During my masters multi-tasking was always important when balancing workload for my classes and then later during my dissertation.

What I like most

I get to interact with students eager to study abroad on a daily basis. I also get to work from home (all of our work is done remotely) and set my own schedule.

What I like least

Many times our students struggle to find funding and scholarships so having students unable to pursue an offer made by a uni is always disappointing.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Jessica’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Jessica a message to find out more about their career journey.

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