College counselors are very important to students who attend the colleges they work for. Every student who attends college must meet with a counselor to determine where their education is heading at some point and time.
If you’re considering different types of counseling careers, you may want to take a look at what makes college counseling jobs unique. And, of course, you'll need to know how to find the education required to become a college counselor—you can now obtain a certificate to become a counselor from an online university; you can also participate in a full-blown online degree program if you prefer.
Here are some tips to help you learn about the qualifications and requirements for college counselors.
What is a college counselor?
A college counselor is someone who is professionally certified to dole out advice on matters concerning college life, e.g. admissions, courses, expectations and coping mechanisms, among other things. Often, a college counselor also acts as a sounding board for students who feel confused about where they ought to be in life. It will be your job to help them find the path they need to take to achieve the goals they want in college. You will often have to counsel students who fail academically because they spend too much time partying, or cannot keep up with the course load. You will need to be sincere and understanding for some students, but hard and matter of fact with others.
Who is the ideal candidate for college counseling?
As a professional career, individuals who want to become college counselors should love meeting people, empathizing with people, have a genuine interest in people, be outgoing and optimistic. This is definitely not a job for someone who finds joy in putting people down. Aside from counseling people on navigating the landscape that is college, individuals who go into college counseling should love to organize get-togethers and parties for people to mix and meet as well as formal events to create networking opportunities and possibilities. You must also possess the ability to listen to people. This is one of the main characteristics that counselors need in order to be successful at their jobs.
What responsibilities do college counselors perform?
Many employers prefer someone who can take on various roles despite the college counselor job designation. Colleges also expect counselors to preform duties such as being a student advisor, camp counselor and student body facilitator. You can also be expected in some cases to take on additional duties such as being a house mother or father, and talking to students who are in need of someone to talk to about personal issues.
What kind of educational or academic pursuits lead to a career in college counseling?
Psychology or education backgrounds will prepare someone who wants to pursue this line of work. In order to obtain a psychology or education background you must obtain at least a bachelor’s degree, and often most schools will require a master’s degree. While most schools will differ in their requirements as to what they expect in an applicant to be a college counselor, most require some teaching background. This means you will probably have to spend a few years teaching, and obtain certification to counsel children and young adults. Certification will vary from state to state, so based upon which state you live in you will need to research this. If you move out of state, you will also need to obtain certification in that state as well. There is no specific rule about preferred schools as a pre-requisite to being accepted as a college counselor since more weight is placed on experience and track record after graduation. However, certification and a license to practice will be required. A master’s degree in school counseling is preferred as well as continuing education to keep the certification active.
After applying for a job as a college counselor, what happens next?
While waiting for your application to be accepted, you can:
- Go into short term seminars or training sessions.
- Set up side jobs related to counseling, such as summer camps.
- Send in your application to more colleges to increase your chances of getting hired. Go ahead and visit the Web sites of the NAIS or the National Association of Independent Schools and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Go to as many interviews as you can. Expect to go through a couple rounds of interviews with a representative from the college’s human resources department and then from a panel of college counselors together with the student advisory services head.
How much do college counselors earn?
College counselors can earn around $30,000 annually from most community colleges. However, the more renowned the college at which you work, the more money you can earn for the job. For example, at Harvard or Notre Dame you can earn anywhere from $50-60,000+ per year.
College counselors are a vital component to both students and the colleges they serve. You must have a desire to help people, and be very detail oriented. Your influence can help a student go from failing to passing, or you can even help students decide what career best suits them. This is a very rewarding career on a personal level because you’re able to help guide students towards fulfilling their dreams.