How to Become a College Career Counselor

A college career counselor assists students with their career goals. The counselor uses interviews, counseling sessions and a variety of aptitude, assessment and career tests to evaluate a student’s interests, strengths and skills. A college career counselor also informs students of the educational and training requirements for careers, assists students with developing their job search skills, helps students prepare a resume and cover letter and assist them with locating a job. If you are interested in becoming a college career counselor, there are a few things that you must do.

Things You'll Need

• Bacherlor's degree
• Master's degree in counseling

Instructions

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree from a 4-year university. Your bachelor’s degree should be related to counseling, psychology, education or social work.

2. Enroll in a graduate level counseling program. In order to work as a college career counselor, you must have a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited institution. Be sure to verify the school’s accreditation credentials.

3. Take the appropriate counseling courses. You should complete counseling and education courses that are relevant to your interests, such as career development courses, career assessment and measurements courses, as well as courses focused on counseling theories and techniques and student personnel administration.

4. Complete a college credit practicum and internship for your major. While pursuing your master’s degree in counseling, you must complete a supervised, counseling practicum and/or internship as part of your degree requirements. This gives you the experience that you need to become a successful college career counselor.

5. Earn your master’s degree in Counseling. To receive a master’s degree in counseling you must compete and pass all of the required courses for your major. The amount of college hours needed varies from institution to institution, but many programs require counseling students to complete approximately 48 college credit hours.

6. Prepare your resume and cover letter. In order to apply for jobs you need a current resume highlighting your education, skills and work experience. Your cover letter should focus on your goals, interests and any additional qualifications.

7. Locate and apply for college career counseling jobs. You can contact the American Counseling Association to inquire about careers in counseling. You can also contact the Human Resources department at various colleges and universities to learn about job openings, or visit a local employment agency.

Tips & Warnings

• Create a list of 3 to 5 professional references. Make sure that you have an updated telephone number and mailing address for each one. You will need this information when you apply for jobs.