Make a Career of Career Counseling
By Kathy A. Johnsonkathy.johnson@medicalhealthcarecareerschools.com
Medical Healthcare Career Schools Columnist
If you're interested counseling, one specialty to consider is career counseling. Demand for career counselors should grow, according to the 2004-2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), because people no longer stay in one job for a lifetime, and are more likely to "manage" their careers.
Because of the complex issues involved, "Career counseling requires the expertise of a trained professional," noted the National Career Development Association. Career counselors offer services such as testing to determine aptitudes and personality traits; help in developing career plans, writing resumes and job hunting; and support for those undergoing career stresses like losing a job, reentering the job market, or pursuing a new career direction.
Career counselors work in a variety of settings. For example, National Certified Counselor Kathy McElvenny has worked at a university doing career counseling for students, worked briefly in human resources ("There's a lot of counseling involved in human resources," she noted.), and worked for the county of Charleston, SC, helping retrain 26,000 civilian employees who lost their jobs when a Navy base closed.
Education requirements
After obtaining a bachelor's degree, a good place to further your counseling education is in a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).Additional training and certification is available through institutions such as the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), which offers designations including National Certified Counselor and National Certified Career Counselor.
The next step
Continuing education is especially crucial in career counseling, according to McElvenny. "If you want to be a good counselor, you have to go beyond your university education. Shadow someone who is a career counselor, attend workshops - there are always new resources and tests coming out," she said.Career counselors help people understand their skills and personality traits, and then find suitable work. If this sounds appealing, you may want to make a career out of career counseling.
