Job Specifications of Guidance and Career Counselors

Guidance counseling and career counseling are professions that are interdependent. Both guidance and career counseling professionals work for students and promote their educational causes. Career counselors generally work with university, college and high school students and help them choose career that matches their educational or vocational abilities. Guidance counselors mainly help and guide students belonging to all levels – from grade school to university. Guidance and career counselors may work independently or be professionally associated with government and private organizations like placement service and unemployment office.

Job specifications of guidance and career counselors

Professional aspects of both guidance counselors and career counselors are similar to much extent barring a few differences.

Guidance counselors usually help the students in evaluating their interests, abilities and personalities in order to widen their career and academic targets. These professionals advise the students and assess their efficiency through different techniques like counseling sessions, interviews and aptitude evaluation tests.

Career counselors generally work outside the settings of traditional schools. Their main object is to help students in deciding, determining and shaping their professional career. Career counselors give career related advices to students after taking into consideration several factors like their educational backgrounds, vocational skills, working history, personality attributes and interests.

Employment outlook

Guidance counselors are professionally associated with academic boards in order to ensure improved learning conditions for students. Some of the other work responsibilities of guidance counselors include improving the counseling programs of schools, relationship between parents and teachers and atmosphere of schools. Career counselors generally run private practice.

Education and certification

If you plan to choose guidance and career counseling as career option after obtaining your master’s degree, you should attempt for a certification and a license. In USA, a guidance counselor who wants to work in a school setting is required to obtain certification. Some American sates also require a licensure for working as guidance counselor. Professionals who have master’s degree and a two-year working experience can only qualify for counseling test required for obtaining licensure.