Skills for a Career Counselor

Career counselors help individuals make life and career decisions by understanding themselves and their place in the work world. Career counselors work with individuals in a variety of settings, including transitioning to first jobs, pursuing advancement opportunities and finding new career fields. Career counselors don't tell the people they serve what to do but rather guide them in exploring options and preparing for careers that interest them.

Benefits of Career Counseling

As explained by Boise State University, career counseling can benefit anyone, no matter their age or background. Career counselors guide high school, college and vocational school students in identifying the courses and majors that prepare them for the workplace. Career counselors can also explore the opportunities available to people with a specific set of skills, education and interests.

Employment website Zippia cites evidence that the average person changes jobs 12 times in a lifetime. People change jobs for a variety of reasons, including a change of geographic location, opportunities for advancement, better working conditions, personal considerations, or pursuit of a new career field. Adults who have been in the workforce for several years may feel just as confused as high schoolers about their options. Career counselors have the skills and resources to help these individuals plan their futures and pursue their goals.

Career Counselor Education Requirements

Although there are no legal requirements for practice as a career counselor, many employers, particularly in academia, prefer candidates who possess a master's degree. Employment website Indeed recommends a bachelor's degree in a human services field such as psychology or sociology. A degree in a human services field is generally a prerequisite for admission to a graduate program in counseling or career counseling.

Some states require career counselors to be licensed. Certification through the National Career Development Association (NCDA) is not necessarily a requirement for employment, although the Certified Career Counselor (CCC) credential can enhance employment and salary opportunities.

Career Counselor Competencies

Career counselors need to have a core understanding of – and the ability to apply – theories of counseling practice. They typically have expertise in the selection and evaluation of various instruments that assess individuals' personality types and interests, such as the Myers-Briggs personality inventory, the Holland Codes, and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB).

Career counselors keep current on information relating to careers, including education and training programs and trends, labor market information, and resources that provide detailed information on occupational fields and individual occupations. Such information can include job descriptions, salary data, employer requirements and job outlook.

Skills for a Career Counselor

Counseling is a broad field with a variety of applications. Good counselors, no matter their area of specialization, share important traits. These soft skills are important, but they are difficult to quantify and cannot always be taught. The following list includes some identified by the NCDA and Lesley University:

• Confidentiality
• Empathy
• Excellent listening, speaking and nonverbal communications skills
• Flexibility and ability to self-reflect
• Genuine interest in other people
• Organization
• Patience
• Sense of humor
• Trustworthiness
• Understanding of familial and cultural influences on work roles and career choices

Salaries for Career Counselors

The employment website Indeed puts the average 2022 salary for career counselors at ​$40,497​ per year. As with most jobs, there are wide variations in earnings, depending on factors such as education, experience, employer and geographic location. Government and university-based positions typically pay more. Career counselors for the U.S. Department of Defense, for example, average ​$80,996​. At Rutgers University, career counselors average ​$71,510​.

References

• Boise State University: What Is Career Counseling?
• Zippia: Average Number of Jobs in a Lifetime (2022)
• Indeed: How to Become a Career Counselor in 5 Steps
• National Career Development Association
• Lesley University: 6 Critical Skills Every Counselor Should Cultivate
• Indeed: Career Counselor Salaries in the United States