Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
Overview
SaveJob Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
Advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $97K |
| Median: | $58K |
| Low: | $35K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
- Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
- Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
- Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
- Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.
- Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.
- Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
- Refer students to outside counseling services.
- Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
- Evaluate students' or individuals' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics, using tests, records, interviews, or professional sources.
- Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
- Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Provide students with information on topics such as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs.
- Conduct follow-up interviews with counselees to determine if their needs have been met.
- Instruct individuals in career development techniques, such as job search and application strategies, resume writing, and interview skills.
- Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.
- Establish and enforce administration policies and rules governing student behavior.
- Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops, and serve on committees.
- Plan and promote career and employment-related programs and events, such as career planning presentations, work experience programs, job fairs, and career workshops.
- Plan and conduct orientation programs and group conferences to promote the adjustment of individuals to new life experiences, such as starting college.
- Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
- Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.
- Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.
- Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.
- Interview clients to obtain information about employment history, educational background, and career goals, and to identify barriers to employment.
- Provide information for teachers and staff members involved in helping students or graduates identify and pursue employment opportunities.
- Collaborate with teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of school programs and in the preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings.
- Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.
- Establish contacts with employers to create internship and employment opportunities for students.
- Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.
- Establish and supervise peer-counseling and peer-tutoring programs.
- Observe students during classroom and play activities to evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.
- Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
82%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language
78%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Therapy and Counseling
72%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Education and Training
69%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administrative
63%
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Psychology
63%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Administration and Management
58%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sociology and Anthropology
57%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Computers and Electronics
55%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Public Safety and Security
53%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
88%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness
83%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation
80%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
78%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
75%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
75%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Learning Strategies
75%
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
85%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
85%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity
75%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
75%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Fluency of Ideas
73%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Speech Recognition
73%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Top 10 Work Activities
Getting Information
96%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
95%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
95%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
92%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
89%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Working with Computers
89%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
87%
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Processing Information
86%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
85%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Documenting/Recording Information
83%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Detailed Work Activities
- Complete documentation required by programs or regulations.
- Counsel clients regarding educational or vocational issues.
- Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.
- Counsel clients regarding interpersonal issues.
- Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
- Evaluate characteristics of individuals to determine needs or eligibility.
- Write reports or evaluations.
- Help clients get needed services or resources.
- Refer individuals to educational or work programs.
- Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress.
- Teach life skills or strategies to clients or their families.
- Assess individual or community needs for educational or social services.
- Refer clients to community or social service programs.
- Plan programs to address community mental wellness needs.
- Present social services program information to the public.
- Maintain professional social services knowledge.
- Lead classes or community events.
- Advise others on social or educational issues.
- Collaborate with other professionals to develop education or assistance programs.
- Promote educational institutions or programs.
- Evaluate potential problems in home or work environments of clients.
- Confer with family members to discuss client treatment plans or progress.
- Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments.
- Develop educational programs.
- Assist clients in handling details of daily life.
- Develop educational policies.
- Train staff members in social services skills.
- Supervise workers providing client or patient services.
- Compile data or documentation.
- Analyze market conditions or trends.
- Update professional knowledge.
- Develop working relationships with others to facilitate program activities.
- Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence.
- Monitor student performance.
- Assess educational needs of students.
Education
Interests
Social
100%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
61%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Artistic
49%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Conventional
49%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Investigative
48%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Realistic
15%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Work Values
Relationships
100%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Achievement
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Independence
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.