OPT Employment Specialist Jobs
Employment Specialist roles involve career counseling, job placement, and workforce development work that maps directly to degrees in human resources, counseling, social work, and psychology. OPT students have 12 months of work authorization, with STEM OPT extension available if your degree qualifies. Employers in workforce agencies, nonprofits, and university career centers regularly hire for these positions.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Downtown LA Law Group is seeking to hire a new associate for our Employment Law division. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in the field.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As an attorney in this role, you will be responsible for managing cases from filing through to trial, including settlement negotiations, depositions, court appearances, motion practice, and trial proceedings. You will have access to paralegal and secretarial support, as well as law and motion assistance, allowing you to concentrate on strategy and litigation.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Juris Doctorate degree and current good standing with the CA State Bar
- Minimum of two (2) years of experience in employment law
- Working knowledge of personal injury laws and procedures
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong multitasking and critical thinking skills
- Superior analytical and legal research skills
- Excellent interpersonal and social skills
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Our office is a busy and fast-paced environment, but also a fantastic place to work. We are dedicated to fighting for our clients and seek individuals who share this mindset. We offer competitive pay plus commission, generous referral bonuses, paid time off, benefits, and a robust work culture.
LOCATION
- Ability to Commute: Los Angeles, CA 90013 (Preferred)
- Ability to Relocate: Los Angeles, CA 90013: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)
- Work Location: Hybrid remote in Los Angeles, CA 90013
COMPENSATION
- Pay: $120,000.00 - $500,000.00 per year
BENEFITS
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
INTRODUCTION
Downtown LA Law Group is seeking to hire a new associate for our Employment Law division. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two (2) years of experience in the field.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As an attorney in this role, you will be responsible for managing cases from filing through to trial, including settlement negotiations, depositions, court appearances, motion practice, and trial proceedings. You will have access to paralegal and secretarial support, as well as law and motion assistance, allowing you to concentrate on strategy and litigation.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Juris Doctorate degree and current good standing with the CA State Bar
- Minimum of two (2) years of experience in employment law
- Working knowledge of personal injury laws and procedures
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong multitasking and critical thinking skills
- Superior analytical and legal research skills
- Excellent interpersonal and social skills
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Our office is a busy and fast-paced environment, but also a fantastic place to work. We are dedicated to fighting for our clients and seek individuals who share this mindset. We offer competitive pay plus commission, generous referral bonuses, paid time off, benefits, and a robust work culture.
LOCATION
- Ability to Commute: Los Angeles, CA 90013 (Preferred)
- Ability to Relocate: Los Angeles, CA 90013: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)
- Work Location: Hybrid remote in Los Angeles, CA 90013
COMPENSATION
- Pay: $120,000.00 - $500,000.00 per year
BENEFITS
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
See all 86+ OPT Employment Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Employment Specialist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Employment Specialist
Target workforce development organizations
Nonprofits, government-contracted workforce agencies, and community colleges hire Employment Specialists regularly and tend to have more flexible sponsorship policies than corporate employers. These organizations often have experience navigating work authorization for mission-driven hires.
Connect your degree directly to the role
Employment Specialist positions typically require a degree in counseling, social work, psychology, or human resources. In your application materials, make the connection explicit between your field of study and the role's core responsibilities like career assessment and job coaching.
Highlight case management experience
Employers hiring Employment Specialists want evidence of structured client interaction. Internships, practicums, or volunteer roles involving intake assessments, service plans, or client caseloads are strong differentiators that demonstrate you can handle the job from day one.
Apply early in your OPT window
Starting your search in the first few months of OPT authorization gives employers and their HR teams time to process your work authorization documentation without urgency. Late-stage OPT applications with weeks remaining often get deprioritized by cautious hiring managers.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility upfront
If your degree is in a STEM-designated field like applied psychology or information systems, confirm your eligibility for a 24-month extension before interviewing. Communicating a longer authorization runway directly reduces employer hesitation about investing in onboarding and training.
Prepare a clear work authorization one-pager
Many Employment Specialist hiring managers work in social services or education, not corporate HR, and may be unfamiliar with OPT. A brief, jargon-free summary explaining your authorization period, what employers are required to do, and E-Verify obligations removes common friction points early.
Employment Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as Employment Specialists?
Yes. Employment Specialist roles qualify for OPT as long as the position is directly related to your field of study. Degrees in counseling, social work, human resources, or psychology typically satisfy this requirement. You'll need to ensure the job description aligns with your major before accepting an offer, as unrelated work can jeopardize your F-1 status.
Where can I find Employment Specialist jobs that accept OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters jobs by work authorization compatibility. Workforce development agencies, nonprofit career centers, and university employment offices post these roles most frequently. Migrate Mate lets you browse Employment Specialist openings without having to manually filter out employers unwilling to work with OPT candidates.
Do Employment Specialist roles qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Only if your underlying degree is in a STEM-designated field. Most Employment Specialist positions are tied to degrees in counseling, social work, or human resources, which are not STEM-designated. However, if you studied applied psychology, organizational behavior, or a data-focused HR discipline listed on the STEM OPT designated degree program list, you may qualify for the 24-month extension.
What types of employers hire Employment Specialists on OPT?
The most common employers are government-contracted workforce development agencies, community action nonprofits, university career centers, vocational rehabilitation programs, and state labor departments. These organizations regularly work with candidates who have temporary work authorization and are more accustomed to the E-Verify process and OPT documentation requirements than smaller private employers.
What should I tell an employer who is unfamiliar with OPT authorization?
Explain that OPT is federally authorized work permission for F-1 students, that it requires no sponsorship or petition filing from the employer during the initial 12-month period, and that employers simply verify your Employment Authorization Document through E-Verify. Providing a brief written summary of these points early in the hiring process tends to resolve most employer hesitation quickly.