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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Professional - Nonclinical
Req #: 76144
Summary:
The Vocational Services Employment Specialist IV role is responsible for assisting individuals with complex disabilities to find and keep employment. The Specialist collaborates as a member of a mental health clinical and rehabilitation team and incorporates rehabilitation and supported employment technologies in the career development of a client.
Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
- Education: Master's Degree in education, counseling, or social services or Bachelor's degree plus five years' experience in vocational counseling / rehabilitation required.
- License/Certifications: Current Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and/or DMH Employment Specialist Certification or obtain certification within six months from hire date required.
- Experience: Five years' experience in related field required.
Hiring Scam Alert
MaineHealth will never request financial information during the interview or pre-hiring process. All legitimate communications will come from an email address ending in @mainehealth.org. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately to mhcareers@mainehealth.org.
Additional Information
With a career at any of the MaineHealth locations across Maine and New Hampshire, you’ll be working with health care professionals that truly value the people around them – both within the walls of the organization and the communities that surround it.
We offer benefits that support an individual's needs for today and flexibility to plan for tomorrow – programs such as paid parental leave, a flexible work policy, student loan assistance, training and education, along with well-being resources for you and your family.
MaineHealth remains focused on investing in our care team and developing an inclusive environment where you can thrive and feel supported to realize your full potential. If you’re looking to build a career in a place where people help one another deliver best-in-class care, apply today.
If you have questions about this role, please contact lauren.robare@mainehealth.org.
Description
Professional - Nonclinical
Req #: 76144
Summary:
The Vocational Services Employment Specialist IV role is responsible for assisting individuals with complex disabilities to find and keep employment. The Specialist collaborates as a member of a mental health clinical and rehabilitation team and incorporates rehabilitation and supported employment technologies in the career development of a client.
Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
- Education: Master's Degree in education, counseling, or social services or Bachelor's degree plus five years' experience in vocational counseling / rehabilitation required.
- License/Certifications: Current Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and/or DMH Employment Specialist Certification or obtain certification within six months from hire date required.
- Experience: Five years' experience in related field required.
Hiring Scam Alert
MaineHealth will never request financial information during the interview or pre-hiring process. All legitimate communications will come from an email address ending in @mainehealth.org. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately to mhcareers@mainehealth.org.
Additional Information
With a career at any of the MaineHealth locations across Maine and New Hampshire, you’ll be working with health care professionals that truly value the people around them – both within the walls of the organization and the communities that surround it.
We offer benefits that support an individual's needs for today and flexibility to plan for tomorrow – programs such as paid parental leave, a flexible work policy, student loan assistance, training and education, along with well-being resources for you and your family.
MaineHealth remains focused on investing in our care team and developing an inclusive environment where you can thrive and feel supported to realize your full potential. If you’re looking to build a career in a place where people help one another deliver best-in-class care, apply today.
If you have questions about this role, please contact lauren.robare@mainehealth.org.
See all OPT Employment Specialist Jobs
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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.