How to Become an Admissions Counselor
Colleges hire admissions counselors to spread the word about their college in the hopes of recruiting students to their campus every year. An admissions counselor's job includes visiting high schools and junior colleges to present information to these students about the campus she represents. Admissions counselors also actively participate in helping students with certain procedures, including applying for financial aid as well as admission to the college. Several requirements must be fulfilled in order to become an admissions counselor for a university.
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Instructions
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Go to college to obtain your bachelor's degree. You can specialize in any field, but marketing, business and management would work best with the position. If you have plans of advancing in the admissions field, you will want to consider a master's degree at a later time.
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Apply for jobs in the admissions department of your university while in college. These include jobs as a tour guide, an admissions counselor's assistant or an admissions secretary. These jobs can give you a level of experience that will lend itself to your application once you graduate from college.
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Get your feet wet with public speaking during college by taking speech classes, or joining debate teams or speech teams. Learn how to present information in a fun and persuasive way as this will undoubtedly grant you more credibility once you apply for admissions counseling jobs at universities.
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Learn another language while at college. This will make you an even better candidate for the position as you will be able to communicate with more students by becoming bilingual.
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Become knowledgeable in computer programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint as you will need to use these on a-day-to day basis once you get the job. Learn how to use Internet networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace to further demonstrate your ability to communicate with prospective students.
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Apply for any admissions counselor positions that appeal to you. Pick a college that you would be proud to represent. Research the school. Study every academic department, the design of the school, the student life and the school's location. Once you get the interview, you will be well-versed in the school's strengths and weaknesses.
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List people you worked with in your college's admissions department as references. They will help you to get the job you want as they can speak about your abilities when you worked in admissions.
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Prepare for the interview by going over key facts about the university and perhaps even making a PowerPoint presentation on the strengths of the college. You will also want to wear something that makes you look professional.
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Present yourself as a confident, energetic and business-minded person who knows how to manage others during the interview. Speak about your time in the admissions department while in college and also bring up your other strengths. Be friendly and personable.
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