Guidance Counselor

Guidance Counselor Career Information

Guidance counselors, also called professional school counselors, work with students and their families in educational settings to help students succeed in life, school and work. They advise individual students, as well as providing training and guidance to the entire student body. If you want to become a guidance counselor, read on to find out whether this job is right for you.

Guidance Counselor Job Description

In addition to spending your time working with struggling students, as a guidance counselor, you'll also develop and implement effective school counseling curricula, work with teachers and staff to support student success, and provide services to students of all levels.

The leading guidance counselor advocacy group, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), tasks guidance counselors with helping all students achieve in the areas of academics, personal and social development, and career readiness. To meet these goals, guidance counselors perform a wide range of tasks throughout the school year:

• Education: Offer study and test-taking skills, college application aid, career information and substance abuse training
• Counseling: Provide individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and referrals
• Social Advocacy: Teach relationship skills, diversity training and conflict resolution

The Benefits of Being a Guidance Counselor

As a guidance counselor, you'll enjoy a diverse work environment and an ever-changing work load. Boredom is rare for guidance counselors. You'll find new challenges, programs and events around every corner, and there are always students to work with. Your dedication will have a tremendous impact o the morale of your elementary school, middle school or high school. Whether you act as the sole guidance counselor for a small school, or on a team of guidance counselors at a large school, you'll always know that your efforts will help the growth of hundreds of students.

Guidance Counselor Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Guidance counseling offers endless opportunities to affect the lives of others, but the job can, at times, be a challenge. Guidance counselors who want to invest heavily in the lives of their students might find themselves wanting to work extra hours to complete all their work. To set yourself up for success, try aligning your goals with realistic expectations from the get-go. Take a holistic approach, and remember to congratulate yourself for small wins, and refer tough cases to school psychologists or other professionals.

As a professional school counselor, you'll have a unique opportunity to intervene with struggling students and help them improve their lives. You'll also help the students in your school succeed in school, employ useful life skills and find fulfilling jobs. If you're interested in becoming a professional school counselor, learn about the guidance counselor requirements you'll need to enter this great career.

Or read about the school guidance counselor salaries you can make in schools across the country.