Guidance Counselor Job Description

High School Guidance Counselors

Guidance Counselors help students with personal and academic situations. They offer counseling to students, conduct group counseling sessions to help students develop their academic skills, and give career advice and guidance to high school students. The Guidance Counselor will talk to students about any behavioral problems or societal issues that may be negatively impacting the child's personal or social life.

Guidance Counselors need education. A bachelor's degree in counseling is the most common essential education requirement, though higher degrees may be preferable or required for some Guidance Counselor positions. A master's degree in social services or psychology can help a candidate become more experienced.

Most Guidance Counselor positions require some experience. For applicants with only general social work experience, they need to demonstrate knowledge of academic counseling in order to be relevant. A minimum of three years of experience is required for mid-level positions that pay near the average salary.

Good listening and communication skills are required of guidance counselors, as they pay close attention to students' thoughts, challenges and opinions. They should show their compassion and care to the students to make them feel more comfortable in a counseling environment. Guidance Counselors should have the ability to identify a problem and come up with a solution that improves the students' personal or academic life.

Guidance Counselors work with 6th through 8th graders to give them guidance and advice for their academic and personal lives. They will help students develop study skills and educate them on topics like drug or alcohol abuse. Middle School Guidance Counselors are more focused on career counseling than High School Guidance Counselors.

The Education Required to Work in School Counseling

Guidance counselors help students develop the skills needed to succeed. Counselors help students overcome obstacles that may affect their learning. Public school counselors must have a state-issued license or certification to practice, although requirements vary by state.

A master's degree in school counseling is required for licensure or certification, as well as an internship or a successful completion of an exam. Some states require applicants to have classroom teaching experience or hold a teaching license before being certified. Most states require a criminal background check for people who want to work in the industry.

The American School Counselor Association has information about requirements for each state. The experience required to get a school counselor job varies by state. A more experienced candidate has an advantage over a less experienced candidate when it comes to job postings.

Counselors who have already put in the time in the profession may be able to take less desirable assignments than people who are new to the field. There is more competition for jobs in high-performing schools. Counselors need private space to meet with students and others involved in their development, so they use an office.

Communication and Communication Skills for a Counselor

A counselor needs to listen to what is being said, but also how it is said, why it is being said, and what it means in the context of that particular client. Think about delivery, context and content. A counselor needs to be able to listen between the lines for things that aren't being said.

What a client doesn't say in a session can be said in the same way as what is said out loud. A counselor should know how to listen without judgement. Clients will come to you with difficult and complicated issues, and they will need to feel like they have the space to say what they need to, without fear of shame or feeling as though their counselor has jumped to a conclusion.

A counselor needs to be accessible to clients in order to gain their trust, but he or she also needs to be genuine and compassionate in his or her communication, listening, and professional persona. Figuring out when a counselor and client are not a good fit is one of the most important aspects of flexibility. Being able to communicate when things aren't working and then offering to refer the client to another professional who may be able to better aid them is one hallmark of a good counselor.