School and Career Counselor

If you like interacting with people, and enjoy troubleshooting the queries of students and clients. If you are compassionate and empathize with those in stressful situation, then becoming a school and career counselor might be the perfect career option for you.

Who is a School and Career Counselor?

School and Career Counselor, nowadays play a vital role in the education and career of a student or a client. On a day-to-day basis, school counselors are involved in imparting moral education, career planning, and violence prevention.

Role of a School and Career Counselor

Counselors help students in many areas of academic achievement, personal/social development and career development, ensuring today's students become the responsible and well informed citizens of tomorrow. Other duties may include:
  • Answer queries of students, parents and other clients
  • Provide one-to-one counseling if required
  • Asses students’ abilities and areas of interests through aptitude assessments and interviews
  • Help students set academic and career goals and develop strategies to achieve them
  • Work with students to develop skills such as organization, time management, and effective study habits
  • Develop a plan-of-action, involving teachers, administrators, and parents to help students to succeed
  • Conduct  classes on topics such as drug abuse, bullying, career planning and  admission to college after graduation.
The duties of school counselors may vary depending upon the ages of the students they work with.

Elementary school counselors: Help elementary school students in developing the knowledge, attitudes and skill necessary to become healthy, competent and confident citizens.

Middle school counselors: Counselors along with school staff, parents and the community work to  enhance the learning process and promote academic achievement of the students. Counselors play an important role in a middle school student's life especially because, it is during these years that the students are confused about their increasing curiosity about their world and an emerging self-identity

High school counselors : High school years are full of energy, excitement, frustration, disappointment and hope. School and career counselor programs are essential for students to achieve personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals and  responsible citizens of the world.

Skills Required to be a School and Career Counselor

Compassion: Being compassionate is a quality that helps counselors in their work while dealing with people who are in or going through stressful and difficult situations.

Listening skills: Important quality for rehabilitation counselors.Having good listening skills helps the counselors to listen and  understand the clients about their problems, concerns, and values.

People skills: Ability to work with different types of people is necessary for counselors to help them work  with clients, families, employers, and other professionals.

Speaking skills: Ability to speak clearly, express ideas and perceive information  in such a way that is easily understood by the clients, families, employers and other professionals.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Make impact on the lives of students
  • Rewarding work
  • Job satisfaction
  • Good career choice if you like interacting with people
Cons
  • Will end up in classroom though not always but sometimes, if you are not interested in teaching then you might not like the job
  • Multitasking
  • Extended working hours

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