Academic Advisor

Academic Advisor evaluates outcomes and this page lists 20 real tasks that explain how to measure success and report results. The items show what evidence to collect and how to present it. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

20evidenced tasks
20ready prompts
5tools of the trade
21-1012.00O*NET-SOC code
353,310hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$64,330median pay/yr (US)
Open Academic Advisor in the interactive atlas →

What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors in the U.S. earn more than $64,330 a year — the middle 80% land between $45,020 and $104,770. About 353,310 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$64,330typical pay / year
353,310people in this work
$104,770+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →

The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Care2

Refer students to outside counseling services.

+
Refer student Carlos Mendes to community mental health services: compile his intake summary, identify three…
Refer student Carlos Mendes to community mental health services: compile his intake summary, identify three recommended local providers that accept his insurance, send referral details and next steps to Carlos with a copy to his academic advisor, and confirm appointment scheduling support.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookESCOjob descriptionsO*NET

Provide crisis intervention for students

+
Respond to the urgent referral for Maria Gomez: contact her within one hour, document presenting issues and…
Respond to the urgent referral for Maria Gomez: contact her within one hour, document presenting issues and immediate safety risk in her file, arrange an emergency counselling appointment today, and notify the dean and her parents if she consents or if safety requires.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
Coordinate2

Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.

+
Plan and lead the spring recruitment campaign targeting first-year and transfer prospects: schedule three…
Plan and lead the spring recruitment campaign targeting first-year and transfer prospects: schedule three campus visit days in March and April, prepare session outlines, assign staff roles, book the admissions table, and draft the outreach email to send by Feb 15.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordESCOO*NET
N

Collaborate with teachers and families on student goals

+
Set up a joint meeting with Ms. Ramirez and Andre's English teacher next Thursday at 3pm to review his…
Set up a joint meeting with Ms. Ramirez and Andre's English teacher next Thursday at 3pm to review his learning goals, share assessment notes, agree on accommodations, and email the family a one-page action plan afterwards.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
Keeping the record1

Maintain accurate student records

+
Update each active student's academic file with this semester's course changes, flags for missing…
Update each active student's academic file with this semester's course changes, flags for missing prerequisites, verified contact details, and note planned graduation term so records are current before degree audit runs on May 1.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
Analysing1

Evaluate students' abilities and interests

+
Conduct an assessment of Andre Liu this week: administer interest and skills inventories, summarise results…
Conduct an assessment of Andre Liu this week: administer interest and skills inventories, summarise results with recommended majors and career options, and book a follow-up advising meeting to review the plan within two weeks.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work14

Monitor educational developments

+
Scan recent government policy updates, accreditation board notices, and top-tier education journals from the…
Scan recent government policy updates, accreditation board notices, and top-tier education journals from the past month, flag changes affecting program requirements or funding, summarise implications for our majors, and add recommended advisor talking points for next Wednesday's team meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOsee the evidence ↗

Job market offers

+
Gather current entry-level and mid-career job postings in our disciplines, note required skills, salary…
Gather current entry-level and mid-career job postings in our disciplines, note required skills, salary ranges and locations, match gaps to our curricula, and produce a one-page report with three actionable suggestions to discuss with students at Friday's career workshop.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordESCOsee the evidence ↗

Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.

+
Compare Maria Gomez's transcript to the college graduation checklist, note any missing core courses or GPA…
Compare Maria Gomez's transcript to the college graduation checklist, note any missing core courses or GPA shortfalls, confirm transfer credits posted, then draft a one-page recommendation letter highlighting her research, leadership, and internship performance for the chemistry faculty review.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.

+
Identify final-year students who match TechWorks' engineering trainee profile, verify they meet minimum GPA…
Identify final-year students who match TechWorks' engineering trainee profile, verify they meet minimum GPA and availability, prepare a referral packet with resume and transcript summary, and email it to Maria Santos at TechWorks and the campus career center coordinator.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordO*NET

Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees.

+
Block two hours next Thursday for the accreditation roundtable, review the conference agenda for sessions on…
Block two hours next Thursday for the accreditation roundtable, review the conference agenda for sessions on advising best practices, list three workshops to attend, and confirm committee attendance to Dean Alvarez with notes on expected takeaways.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.

+
Assess Abdul Rahman's accommodation plan, order the specified speech-to-text device, schedule training with…
Assess Abdul Rahman's accommodation plan, order the specified speech-to-text device, schedule training with disability services and the student, and update the access note so faculty know restroom and classroom assistance arrangements.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.

+
Draft the summer supervision schedule for two new advisors and three interns, outline training topics for the…
Draft the summer supervision schedule for two new advisors and three interns, outline training topics for the first week, assign mentor pairs, and send the plan to Laura Chen and HR for approval before Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET

Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.

+
Confirm sponsorship for the student debate club, reserve the seminar room for weekly meetings, allocate a…
Confirm sponsorship for the student debate club, reserve the seminar room for weekly meetings, allocate a $300 student activities budget, and notify club president Diego Morales and Student Life about insurance and advisor duties.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Analyze data to identify factors affecting performance

+
Analyze student performance records, attendance, assessment scores and advising notes for the last two…
Analyze student performance records, attendance, assessment scores and advising notes for the last two semesters, identify the strongest predictors of course failure or success, produce a one-page summary with charts and actions for at-risk students by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions

Report cases of neglect or abuse

+
Prepare and submit a formal report of suspected neglect or abuse for student Maria Lopez, include incident…
Prepare and submit a formal report of suspected neglect or abuse for student Maria Lopez, include incident dates, witness statements, actions taken so far, mandatory reporter contact details and request a safeguarding referral by end of day today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions

Help identify options for future careers

+
Review James Carter’s interests, grades and labour-market trends, list five realistic career options with…
Review James Carter’s interests, grades and labour-market trends, list five realistic career options with required qualifications, short training routes and next three steps he can take in a one-page handout for our meeting on Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO

Assist beneficiaries in the development of their curriculum

+
Work with Aisha Khan to map her degree requirements and elective choices against her career goal of public…
Work with Aisha Khan to map her degree requirements and elective choices against her career goal of public policy, produce a recommended semester-by-semester curriculum plan with course codes and contingency options before her registration deadline next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESCO

Make suggestions for lifelong learning including study recommendations

+
Recommend lifelong learning steps for Robert Nguyen: suggest three short courses, two professional…
Recommend lifelong learning steps for Robert Nguyen: suggest three short courses, two professional certifications and a study schedule tied to his full-time job, explain expected time and cost for each and deliver the advice sheet by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO

Assist the individual in the search for a job

+
Support Emma Brooks’ job search by drafting three tailored cover letters and a one-page CV version matched to…
Support Emma Brooks’ job search by drafting three tailored cover letters and a one-page CV version matched to her top three industry targets, then compile a prioritized outreach list of ten employers with contacts by Friday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCO

Says who?

These are the pages we read to build this. Open any of them and check us.

The logs, files & records this job keeps

Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.

Related careers

Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.

The rest of the map

Same library, five ways in.

Copyright © LLOS.ai · 2026 — original pedagogy, voice, and design — all rights reserved.
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses