Guidance Counselor Careers Information
Guidance counselors are given the task of attending to our school children’s emotional well-being, making sure they are doing well in their courses, and helping them navigate the complex of processes of applying for college or vocational school. They must be highly empathic to the myriad problems children and young adults face and yet able to compartmentalize their sympathies lest the emotional requirements overwhelm them and they burn out. A good guidance counselor will use his training to help students in need and all students learn to be good and productive citizens.
Guidance Counselor Careers & Degrees
- Post University: Online
- Master Degree: M.S. in Human Services - Alcohol and Drug Counseling
- Master Degree: M.S. in Human Services - Clinical Counseling
- Masters: Human Services / Alcohol and Drug Counseling
- Masters: Human Services / Clinical Counseling
Grand Canyon University: Online
- B.S. in Addiction Counseling
- B.S. in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency, and Substance Abuse
- M.S. in Addiction Counseling
- M.S. in Professional Counseling
South University: Columbia
Guidance counselors fall into two basic categories: elementary school guidance counselors and secondary school guidance counselors. For those who work in elementary schools, they must work with young children to make sure their social and educational development is on par with their peers. These counselors will observe and work with students who have development problems or refer them to specialists. They must also be on the lookout for potential abuse and might aid teachers in instructing their students in appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
Guidance counselors who work with middle and high school students generally spend less time on a student’s development. Instead, they work more on helping them choose their curriculum, keeping up with their classwork, and planning their future. These guidance counselors will help students sign up for admissions tests like the SAT and get their college/vocational school applications in order. They will help with emotional, social, and substance abuse issues as needed, though at this age their intervention may be more punitive than when the students were younger. Guidance counselors may be found at some universities, colleges, and vocational schools; they will be akin to their secondary school counterparts, though will likely spend even less time on emotional/psychological issues and more time on curriculum choices and career options.
Guidance Counselor Careers Path
Guidance counselors must earn at least a Master’s degree in counseling services, often from a psychology, human services, or education department, in order to work. A counselor will likely specialize in counseling a specific age group, such as elementary or high school, since the needs of students differ depending upon their age and education level. All states require their guidance counselors to become licensed.
Though particular requirements differ, most state want their counselors to have taken a certain number of graduate level education courses; many also want their counselors to have teaching certificates and some require that they have classroom teaching experience. New guidance counselors may be hired straight into a position or spend time working under a more experienced counselor.
Guidance Counselor Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Highly empathetic, excellent communication skills, good with children and/or young adults, able to deal with tough emotional issues, likes helping others, patient, team player, able to juggle many roles, good under stress.
Guidance Counselor Interview
Read More from a Guidance Counselor…
Guidance Counselor Careers: Salary Expectations
The average salary for all counselors is $51,050 a year, with the middle fifty percent earning between $38,740 and $65,360. Those guidance counselors who work at elementary and secondary schools average $57,800 a year. For junior colleges the average is $50,440 a year while at colleges, universities, and vocational schools, the average is $43,980. Counselors with more education and experience may be able to move into supervisory roles to earn more money, especially in larger schools or districts that employ multiple counselors.
Guidance Counselor Careers: Job Outlook
The job outlook for guidance counselors is good in the coming years. Though school budgets are often tight, most school districts feel it is important that their students receive all the help they can get, inside and outside the classroom. This is especially important as our society increasingly relies on its schools not only to educate the young, but also attend to their social development. Therefore, more federal grants are becoming available to help provide for guidance counseling when a school does not have the money itself. Job prospects in more rural areas are especially good.
Slightly off the Footpath
- Human Resources
- Teacher
- Social Worker
- Marriage and Family Therapist
- Substance Abuse Counselor
Source: bls.gov/OCO/ocos067.htm
