Educational Counselor
An educational counselor, often known as a guidance or school counselor, plays a vital role in supporting students' academic, social, and emotional development from elementary through postsecondary education. These professionals provide personalized assistance in creating realistic educational and career goals, resolving conflicts, and navigating personal challenges, including family issues and mental health concerns. Many educational counselors work within school settings, focusing on specific age groups, while others may specialize in vocational or career counseling, often in separate offices.
To pursue a career as an educational counselor, individuals typically need to obtain a master's degree in counseling or a related field and may be required to achieve state certification or licensure. The profession is characterized by a commitment to ethical standards, especially when dealing with minors, ensuring the protection of student privacy. Educational counselors are known for their problem-solving skills, empathy, and ability to connect with a diverse range of students and their families. The job outlook for educational counselors is favorable, with a median salary of about $61,710 per year, and many positions offer flexible working hours to accommodate student needs. Overall, educational counselors contribute significantly to the educational system by fostering an environment where students can thrive academically and personally.
Educational Counselor
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Education & Training, Human Services
Interests: Helping others, working with students, solving problems, human behavior
Earnings (Median Yearly): $61,710 per year $29.67 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 5% (Faster than average)
Entry-Level Education Master's degree
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training None
Overview
Sphere of Work. Educational counselors, also called "guidance counselors" or "school counselors," provide educational and career counseling to students from elementary school through the postsecondary level. They may also assist students with their social and personal development, particularly those students with unique abilities and challenges. Most educational counselors work from an office located within a school setting, specializing in counseling a particular age range of students; some educational counselors specialize in career counseling and work in or maintain offices off campus.
Educational counselors support students in their efforts to succeed academically and develop realistic career goals, learn to resolve conflict and develop relationships with peers, and cope with family abuse, addiction, or other health issues. The overall goal of an educational counselor is to help students (or other clients) attain the highest possible developmental skill level based on each student’s needs and challenges. In the course of their work, the educational counselor must also take care to protect each student’s right to privacy and must adhere to strict professional ethics and legal standards articulated by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Work Environment. Educational counselors spend their workdays seeing students in school settings, college and university career counseling offices, job training and placement programs, and private counseling practices. Most educational counselors work from a private office within a school or college, although vocational counselors may work independently. Given the diverse demands of educational counseling, educational counselors may need to work days, evenings, and weekends to meet student, client, or program needs, but in general they should expect to be at work during school hours.
Occupation Interest. Individuals drawn to the educational counseling profession tend to be intelligent and have the ability to quickly assess situations, find resources, and solve problems. Further, they should demonstrate caring and find satisfaction in helping others. Those most successful at the job of educational counselor display traits such as time management, knowledge of human behavior, initiative, and concern for individuals and society; they should also be capable of inspiring students’ trust, confidence, and respect. Educational counselors should also be comfortable working with a wide range of people, including those considered at-risk and those from diverse cultural, social, and educational backgrounds.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. The daily occupational duties and responsibilities of educational counselors will be determined by the individual’s area of job specialization and work environment. Specialties of educational counseling include school counseling, vocational counseling, and college career planning and placement counseling.
An educational counselor’s primary role is to provide academic, social, and emotional support—both practical and empathetic—to students. Some ways in which an educational counselor can accomplish this goal include using scientifically-researched intervention strategies with a student in crisis, helping a student evaluate his or her talents and interests to conceive realistic career goals, and serving as a mentor for students while maintaining the professional distance advised by ASCA ethical guidelines. Educational counselors may help a student cope with family issues or problems that are interfering with the student’s educational or developmental goals, listen to and share coping strategies with a student who is being bullied by a peer, monitor a peer counseling group, and conduct routine interviews with high school students regarding future college and career goals. Although high school educational counselors do more career counseling than elementary-level education counselors, both types of students benefit from conversations about which career options best fit their emerging talents and abilities.
In addition to the range of responsibilities described above, all educational counselors are responsible for completing student and client records and required documentation, such as referral forms, on a daily basis.
Employment Counselors (045.107-010). Employment Counselors are concerned with career planning, placement, and adjustment to employment of youths and adults.
College Career Planning and Placement Counselors (045.107-010). College Career Planning and Placement Counselors assist college students in examining their own interests, values, abilities, and goals in exploring career alternatives and in making career choices.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. The immediate physical environment of educational counselors varies based on their caseload and specialization. Educational counselors spend their workdays seeing students in elementary, junior high, and high schools, college and university career counseling offices, job training and placement programs, and private counseling practices.
Human Environment. Educational counselors work with a wide variety of people and should be comfortable working and talking with children of all ages, although most school counselors eventually focus on a specific age range of students. Educational counselors frequently interact with students, teachers, colleagues, supervisors, students’ parents and other family members, unemployed people, and individuals living with mental, physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities. The ethical standards upheld by educational counselors are strict and specific due to the nature of counseling students under the age of eighteen and also the fact that some students may experience family abuse or face potential legal issues.
Technological Environment. Educational counselors use a range of telecommunication tools to perform their job and should be comfortable using computers to access student and client records as well as job listings and forums. In addition, educational counselors must learn how to maintain confidential records without compromising the privacy or future aspirations of juvenile clients. This may involve using a private recordkeeping system rather than storing information in a computer or database.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in pursuing a career as an educational counselor should prepare themselves by developing good study habits. The study of foreign languages, public safety, sociology, psychology, and education will provide a strong foundation for college-level work in the field of educational counseling. Due to the range of educational counseling job requirements, high school students interested in this career path will benefit from seeking internships, volunteer opportunities, or part-time work that expose the students to diverse educational programs and professions.
Postsecondary. Postsecondary students interested in becoming educational counselors should work toward a master’s degree in counseling or a related field such as psychology or sociology. Classes in education and foreign languages may also prove useful in their future work. Postsecondary students can gain work experience and potential advantage in their future job searches by securing internships or part-time employment in career placement or job training programs. State certification or licensure may be required as well.
Related Occupations
− Clergy
− Marriage and Family Therapist
− Parole and Probation Officer
− Religious Activities and Education Director
− Social and Human Service Assistant
− Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Bibliography
"School and Career Counselors and Advisors." Occupational Outlook Handbook. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dept. of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/school-and-career-counselors.htm. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.