Educational, School, and Guidance Counselors

Counsel individuals and provide group educational and vocational guidance services.

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

First Interest High-Point

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Second Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors

Counselors

Community and Social Service Occupations

Counselors, Social Workers, and Other Community and Social Service Specialists

Counsel individuals to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.

Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.

Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.

Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.

Provide students with information on topics, such as college degree programs and admission requirements, financial aid opportunities, trade and technical schools, and apprenticeship programs.

Teach classes and present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.

Conduct follow-up interviews with counselees to determine if their needs have been met.

Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration.

Plan and conduct orientation programs and group conferences to promote the adjustment of individuals to new life experiences, such as starting college.

Assess needs for assistance, such as rehabilitation, financial aid, or additional vocational training, and refer clients to the appropriate services.

Instruct individuals in career development techniques, such as job search and application strategies, resume writing, and interview skills.

Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.

Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.

Provide information for teachers and staff members involved in helping students or graduates identify and pursue employment opportunities.

Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements and write letters of recommendation.

Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.

Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.

Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.

Interview clients to obtain information about employment history, educational background, and career goals, and to identify barriers to employment.

Establish and supervise peer counseling and peer tutoring programs.

Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.

Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.

Confer with parents or guardians, teachers, administrators, and other professionals to discuss children's progress, resolve behavioral, academic, and other problems, and to determine priorities for students and their resource needs.

Evaluate students' or individuals' abilities, interests, and personality characteristics, using tests, records, interviews, or professional sources.

Identify cases of domestic abuse or other family problems and encourage students or parents to seek additional assistance from mental health professionals.

Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.

Collaborate with teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of school programs and in the preparation of master schedules for curriculum offerings.

Observe students during classroom and play activities to evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.

Attend meetings, educational conferences, and training workshops and serve on committees.

Plan and promote career and employment-related programs and events, such as career planning presentations, work experience programs, job fairs, and career workshops.

Establish and enforce administration policies and rules governing student behavior.

Establish contacts with employers to create internship and employment opportunities for students.

Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.

Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.

Audio recorders

Desktop computers

Digital video disk DVD players

Laptop computers

Liquid crystal display LCD projectors

Overhead display projectors

Personal computers

Personal digital assistants PDA

Photocopying equipment

Projection equipment

Video cassette recorders VCR

Video recorders

Videoconferencing equipment

Yahoo! Messenger

ACT Discover

ACT WorkKeys

Adobe Systems Adobe ActionScript

Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop

Athena Software Penelope Case Management

Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge

Blackboard

Blackboard Wimba

Career Cruising

Career decision-making programs

Career Dimensions Focus 2

Career management systems CMS

Career Zone

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC WONDER

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info

Chat software

Citrix GoToMeeting

Coin Educational Products Climb K-5 Online

Coin Educational Products Coin Jr.

College Central Network Career Services Central

Computer-assisted career guidance software

Computer-assisted live supervision

Computerized diagnostic programs

Computerized statistical packages

Computerized testing programs

Counseling software

Data entry software

Database application software

Email software

Ext JS

EZAnalyze

Facebook

FileMaker Pro

Instant messaging software

Kuder Navigator

LexisNexis

LinkedIn

Microsoft Access

Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Microsoft Word

Naviance Succeed

O*NET OnLine

Oracle PeopleSoft

Oracle Taleo

Orbius

Palm Pal Transana

Prezi

Productivity software

Social Solutions ETO

Student information systems SIS

Web browser software

Web page design and editing software

Word processing software

Yahoo! Email

Zoomerang

Most people didn't want to pursue being an academic advisor.  Like myself, they realized they were qualified based on prior experience and education.

Meeting with students and discussing various issues; course requirements, scheduling, career goals, pre-professional goals.

Mary Ann Miller

Academic Advisor

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Education

Science

Helping People

Day to Day

Skills & Qualities Beyond School

Advice for Getting Started

Recommended Education

My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead: