How To Become A Guidance Counselor
A guidance counselor is a teacher who helps students make decisions about their future. They may help students plan for college, apply for scholarships, or find the right career path. Guidance counselors also work with parents and other teachers to create a safe and supportive environment for students at the school.
To become a guidance counselor, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree in education or social sciences. You’ll also need to pass your state’s teacher certification exam and complete any required coursework in counseling.
After earning your degree and passing your state’s certification exam, you can start looking for jobs as a guidance counselor. Most schools offer part-time or full-time positions that are paid by an hourly wage or salary.
How To Become Guidance Counselor
A guidance counselor or school counselor is an advocate for student success during their K-12 education. They are professionally trained to enhance the student experience and create a safe learning environment. In this article, we explain what a guidance counselor does and how to become one, as well as list their average salary.
Showcase your skills with help from a resume expert
What does a guidance counselor do?
School guidance counselors are responsible for assisting students throughout their education. They generally meet with and counsel students in areas such as personal and social development, academic achievement and career choices and decisions. The responsibilities of a guidance counselor may vary depending on the age groups they work with.
Some of their responsibilities may include:
- Advising and assisting students with academic development in a one-on-one or group session
- Evaluating student’s qualities and positive attributes to provide advice about their direction and future
- Implementing mentoring methods and counseling strategies to assist students
- Identifying behavioral problems in students and recommending solutions to resolve the issues
- Assisting students who may be experiencing mental, emotional, social and physical growing pains
- Providing academic resources about study programs and facilities to potential students
- Conducting educational and training workshops for school faculty
Read more: What Is a Guidance Counselor?
Average salary
The salary of a guidance counselor will vary depending on the institution they work for, their level of expertise, the age groups they counsel and their geographical location.
- Common salary in the U.S.: $49,007 per year
- Some salaries range from $35,000 to $58,900 per year.
Top job searches near you
How to become a guidance counselor
There are several steps you must take before you can become a qualified guidance counselor. Here are the most common steps you can follow to become a school guidance counselor:
- Complete your bachelor’s degree.
- Obtain your master’s degree.
- Complete an internship.
- Pass your state’s required exams.
- Earn additional certifications.
- Continue education.
1. Complete your bachelor’s degree
You must complete your bachelor’s degree through an accredited program to meet prerequisite requirements for becoming a guidance counselor. Your undergraduate degree should be in a counseling or education-related field such as behavioral or social science.
It is important to take classes that will teach you about mental health foundations, student services, learning theory and educational systems. This will help you be prepared for the advanced degree you will need in school counseling.
Completing your bachelor’s degree will take about four years to complete depending on your enrollment status.
Related: 12 Counseling Career Paths To Consider
2. Obtain your master’s degree
Most states require school counselors to have a master’s degree from an accredited program in school counseling or a related field. You can expect to learn about topics such as human development, counseling theories, counseling ethics and learning and behavioral disorders. This advanced degree in school counseling will take you about two to three years to complete.
3. Complete an internship
During your graduate education, you will be required to complete an internship to gain hands-on experience in the school counseling field. You will be required to intern at a K-12 school setting with a focus on direct student contact.
This will help prospective guidance counselors to integrate their acquired classroom knowledge into real, supervised hands-on training. Completing an internship will help you to enhance your professional school counseling skills in the student social and emotional, academic and career counseling areas.
School boards may charge you a fee, depending on the state you live in, to be placed into a school for an internship with a designated school counselor to oversee you and your work.
4. Pass your state’s required exams
Many states and school counseling programs require you to pass a specific examination for certification or licensure. You may want to check your state’s requirements for more information.
5. Earn additional certifications
You may choose to earn additional certifications that help your resume stand out to potential employers. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) offers several specializations and certificates such as bullying specialist, career development specialist, mental health specialist, trauma and crisis specialist, cultural competency specialist, college admissions specialist and others. These specializations can prepare you for a variety of school counseling responsibilities that you may have.
6. Continue education
Depending on state requirements you may be required to maintain your licensure or certificate with continuing education classes. You may also pursue continuing education to stay up to date on changes and updates in the counseling and education fields that are closely tied to school counseling.
Related: How To Become an Academic Advisor
Frequently asked questions
What is the typical day like for a guidance counselor?
The typical day for a school counselor includes working in a school and communicating with children and adolescents in a positive way to provide them with the necessary tools to succeed in school. A guidance counselor will also communicate with other school faculty on a day to day basis to solve problems and determine the proper class schedules for certain students. They may also enter classrooms to teach students about bullying, eating disorders or abuse.What types of schools do guidance counselors work in?
Certified guidance counselors may work in elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. These schools may be private schools, public schools or charter schools.Do guidance counselors perform other types of counseling?
Guidance counselors will only perform the counseling necessary for the school setting. They do not perform long-term mental health counseling. They use a combination of therapeutic models to support the overall student body with guidance, academic stressors and emotional or relationship issues throughout the school year that may develop.What skills do I need to become a successful school counselor?What is the typical schedule of a guidance counselor?
