Ask a high school girl about her ambitions and her answers would vary with the movement of the sun in the sky – she would want to be an actress by the morning, a doctor by the afternoon, a singer by the evening and a fashion designer by the night. It may sound funny but the underlying fact behind this indecisiveness is that the youth of today is bombarded by newer, cooler and off-beat career options from all directions and it is obvious that they need a guide to come out of this perplexing situation. And that guide is a career counsellor. Career counselling involves patiently listening to the client’s educational qualification, skills and achievements and making a logical connection to the various possibilities in the career world. Infusing confidence, inspiration and self-belief in the client is the way to go and helping them in job searches, applications and interview processes is the general modus operandi of career counsellors. Read the following article to learn about the step by step procedure of becoming a career counsellor.
Becoming A Career Counsellor
Requirements
Eligibility
A bachelor’s degree in any field is a must for this career. A graduate degree in counselling, social work or psychology is considered beneficial. Career counselling diplomas can also be pursued after 10+2 in areas such as human growth and development, relationships, social and cultural diversity, group work, assessment, career development, professional identity and research and program evaluation.
Courses Required
- A master’s or a post graduate degree in career counselling from an accredited University can make yours a stellar resume.
- Typical courses include career and job searches, group counselling, counselling theory and career development.
- Licensure requirements for Career Counsellors vary by state and type of employment.
Skills Required
- The following skills are required to become a career counsellor
- The passion to help others, a broad mindedness to accept them and approachability
- Ethical conduct and trustworthiness
- Excellent communication skills esp. listening skills
- Ability to infuse confidence and a sense of direction in others
- Good analytical skills and critical thinking are important. It is not easy to link the client’s qualities to his/her possible career path all the time so a good reasoning ability is a must to connect the dots.
- Awareness and an updated knowledge of the latest career options available in the market and the ways to go about them is obviously the basis of this profile.
Roles And Responsibilities
- Career counsellors obviously provide career counselling services and their main focus is to help individuals with their career decisions.
- They look at and assess an individual’s education, skills, interests, personality traits, work history and training etc to know where the individual is best suited. They may also set up achievement and aptitude tests to help people make decisions regarding their career.
- They work with people to help them increase their skills for the jobs they seek and often help them search and apply for the same.
- Preparing the client for a job interview and a technical round of questionnaire is also included in the job description of a career counsellor.
Career Prospects
Opportunities exist in private job-training centres, career information centres, vocational rehabilitation centres, local and national government agencies, armed forces, welfare organizations, business corporations and in schools, colleges and universities. People who have been laid-off and people who want to gain new skills or pursue a new career are the general clientele of career counsellors. With a changing economy and a growing trend towards multiple career changes, there is no dearth of jobs for career counsellors. They can be self-employed with a private practice also. A career counsellor with a private practice must not only be professionally qualified but also adept in marketing, management as well as in establishing a wide network of contacts – they must always stay updated with the latest trends in the job market and the knowledge current.
A career in Career Counselling is fulfilling and rewarding. You get to meet new people and face different challenges with every person you help get placed. A good and qualified career counsellor earns a fortune and the love and respect of his clients as well.
