About Career Counselor
According to Business World, there is a gap in the sector of career counseling in India. It appears that career counselors are not yet regarded as a distinguished profession in India.
Students should be permitted to pick their own professional path without being guided. It is crucial to be aware of your job options, but a trained career counselor can assist you in making the best selections. In terms of career, time is a significant resource. Making the proper professional selections at the appropriate time might open up a whole new universe of opportunities.
So, if you want to assist children to choose the right professional path, this is a decent career path for you.
Career counselors are crucial counseling specialists that help clients with career changes, aptitude evaluations, professional growth, and overcoming obstacles to reach their goals. Becoming a career counselor necessitates extensive schooling since many businesses demand these professionals to have a master's degree in order to work in the area.
Professional counseling is a type of therapy that assists individuals in determining the best career path for them. Career counseling is provided by specialists who give expert advice regarding an individual's potential, aptitude, motivations, and shortcomings. They do this through the use of well-designed evaluation instruments. These instruments can be used to evaluate both subjective and objective elements. Professional counselors help people develop career objectives after carefully examining their interests and aptitudes.
Who exactly is a Career Counselor?
Counseling is a broad field that assists individuals. It seeks to improve their mental health and overall well-being. There are many various forms of counseling offered to address different aspects of a person's life, such as Marriage and Family Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, Mental Health Counseling, Substance Abuse Counseling, and Guidance and Job Counseling.
A career counselor is a professional who uses career development theories as well as informal and formal evaluations to assist people in identifying and leveraging their talents and abilities in order to attain career objectives.
A career counselor frequently works with high school and college students, transitional career veterans, and military veterans moving to the civilian economy. Essentially, career counselors will assist individuals in setting career objectives, identifying opportunities to improve critical skills, and assisting others in their overall professional and career development. Furthermore, career counselors are vital experts who may offer others the tools and resources they require to attain their professional objectives.
There are various crucial elements to consider if you want to become a career counselor.
Career Counselor Eligibility
You can pursue an undergraduate degree program after completing your 12th grade in any topic. To become a counselor in India, you must first have a bachelor's degree (BA / B.Sc) in Psychology / Clinical Psychology / Counseling Psychology or a related field.
A master's degree in social work, psychology, or counseling is usually required in most states. Continuing your education will help you prepare for licensure as a marital and family therapist or clinical mental health counselor, as well as strive towards industry leadership responsibilities.
How to become a Career Counselor?
Considering that anyone from any background can become a career counselor diminishes the value of professional career counselors. Regardless of popular belief, the truth remains that many students are passing up employment chances due to poor guidance. Do you have counseling skills and want to assist individuals to make the best professional decisions? Then you should consider a career in career counseling.
In India, there is a growing demand for professional career counselors as awareness grows. Schools and colleges are increasingly aware of the problem and are willing to establish a separate counseling centers.
In India, you may become a career counselor by enrolling in a professional career counseling program. This program will give you the necessary skills and information for the work, as well as the certification of a qualified career counselor.
Step-1: Select any stream at the 10+2 level: At the plus two levels, students may choose any stream. A decent score is required for entrance to the UG level.
Step-2: Obtain a Bachelor's Degree in any field: Students who wish to work as career counselors must have a bachelor's degree. A graduate degree in psychology or any similar discipline, on the other hand, will be extremely beneficial. Students must also make an effort to learn about other possible job paths. They will benefit from honing their presentation and communication abilities.
Step 3: Pursue a Postgraduate Degree in Counseling Psychology: You can finish UG and then pursue a two-year MSc in Counseling Psychology. This will offer you a general understanding of counseling and psychology. Admission to the master's program will be based on merit or entrance examination.
Step 4: Ph.D.: You can earn a doctorate in counseling psychology before pursuing a Ph.D. The Ph.D. program will take at least three years.
- A background in psychology is undoubtedly advantageous. Knowledge of psychology aids in matching applicant profiles to work interests.
- Human resources and computer programs might be pursued to better prepare for the work of career counseling.
- In addition to the basic training, you will need some personal attributes such as patience, empathy, resilience, interpersonal skills, outstanding communication and listening abilities, and, most importantly, a natural desire to assist people.
Responsibilities of a Career Counselor
Finally, a career counselor's responsibilities center on assisting people in discovering their purpose and using skills and approaches to attain their career objectives. When career counselor works with someone, they often take on a number of roles that assist others in achieving their goals, such as:
- Assisting others in recognizing the variables impacting their career growth and giving information and tools to help others with their professional development.
- Assisting clients with career development concerns such as job stress, termination, and issues affecting social policies and laws
Conducting individual and group counseling sessions and teaching clients about job options. - Coaching customers to create goals, plan practical measures to attain their goals, and support their development.
- Counseling clients during their job search, including guidance on education, training, development resources, and methods for skill improvement.
- Evaluating and implementing the findings of informal and formal career, personality, and aptitude exams in order to assist others in identifying career paths that support these findings.
- Promoting self-advocacy, initiative, and motivating strategies that assist clients in reaching their objectives.
Career Opportunities
Following the completion of an undergraduate degree, a student has several possibilities based on his or her interests and preferences.
Choosing between further education and employment after your UG is entirely a personal decision influenced by a variety of circumstances. If a student wants to continue their studies and has a solid financial foundation, they should pursue further education. A master's degree in any profession will be advantageous to their future career and employment promotions, among other things.
Obtaining a master's degree immediately or very soon after graduating will be simpler than leaving a job and returning to school. When you have a job, you tend to lose the desire to study, and it becomes extremely tough, especially if you have to take an admission exam for further school.
Working a few jobs, on the other hand, will provide students with hands-on experience in their subject of interest. This will allow them to fine-tune their expectations and interests. It will also allow students to determine whether they enjoy the job path they have selected thus far.
Salary Prospects for a Career Counselor
In each employment domain, the salary level varies according to education (Bachelor's degree to Ph.D.), experience (zero to 30 years), field of work, and so on. So, for freshers, salaries range from Rs 15,000 per month to Rs 2000-3000 per hour. After a few years of experience, one may easily earn between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000, depending on talent and the organization.
