Everybody gets into trouble at times. They have problems, they get into a fight or they just can’t decide what career to pursue. They can tell their parents or friends about it but they won’t know for sure. Some are scared that the people they choose to talk to won’t understand them,, but there is a person whose job is to understand people, a guidance counselor.
What is a Guidance Counselor?
A guidance counselor is someone who aims to make students understand the things that confuse them. This person guides students to discover their strengths and weaknesses. A guidance counselor also helps students decide what career to pursue.
Duties of a Guidance Counselor
- A guidance counselor is responsible to discipline students with unpleasant behaviour, thus affecting other students. It is also a part of the job to interview and evaluate these students so as to iron out things.
- A guidance counselor is responsible to make assessment tests that can determine a student’s strength and weakness. It is also included in the job to develop these strengths and as much as possible, eliminate the weaknesses.
- It is also a guidance counselor’s duty to evaluate the overall status of a student and help the student decide on what course is the most appropriate for his or her abilities.
- It is also a duty of a guidance counselor to prepare and submit reports to the principal or to the highest authority in the school.
- One of the guidance counselor’s major duties is to listen to students and give them advice when there is a need.
Work Condition of a Guidance Counselor
- A guidance counselors works in his or her own office where they see students everyday. When counselling, privacy is a must, that’s why guidance counselors often have a private office with soundproof walls to keep the conversation inside. This avoids leakage of confidential information and this also makes students feel more comfortable to talk.
- In some schools, a guidance counselor also works actively in classrooms; maybe to have a discussion or a test.
Educational Requirement of a Guidance Counselor
- In order to be a guidance counselor, one should have a bachelor’s degree in any of these discipline courses: Guidance Counselling, Education, Behavioural Sciences or Social Sciences. Schools also prefer candidates that bear a master’s degree in any of those fields.
- Some schools would require a certificate in counselling or a teaching experience.
Occupation and Progress of a Guidance Counselor
- Usually, a guidance counselor works in a school, but some guidance counselors put up a business of their own and counsels not only students, but also other people that needs counselling as well. If one wants to progress in this job, he or she can work hard to build a better preparation in counselling.
To be successful in this career, one should have good listening skills and good judgement. Always remember that you counsel to help people understand things they can’t comprehend, not to judge and bring their spirits down. Since the enrolment in schools is increasing, there is a great expectation that the employment for guidance counselors will boost through the next decade. So if you want to take the next big step of your life, do so by choosing this career.