School Guidance Counselor

What is a School Guidance Counselor?

The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in school guidance counselor roles:

• Work with parents, students, and teachers to identify students that are struggling to meet academic standards or having behavioral or attendance issues
• Counsel students individually to determine the cause of issues and to work towards solutions
• Conduct seminars and group sessions to educate students on common issues that impact their age group, such as bullying, drug use, and sex education
• Identify and report suspected abuse or neglect to outside authorities
• Counsel students on class choices, career options, and post-secondary education opportunities

A Day in the Life

Working as a school guidance counselor is a rewarding position that allows individuals to work with children, adolescents, and teenagers at a time in their lives when they’re not prepared to cope with their own issues and find solutions. School guidance counselors work in elementary, middle, and high schools, and meet individually with students, parents, and teachers to help identify and resolve issues that impact learning, attendance, social interactions, and behaviors.

In some cases, school guidance counselors are the first line of response in cases of student neglect and abuse. In these situations, counselors are accountable for reporting their suspicions or knowledge to authorities like Child Protective Services that can investigate these suspicions further. Additionally, school guidance counselors work with parents of struggling students to refer the family to outside services that may be able to provide additional help in resolving issues.

School counselors are also members of the school’s leadership team and may have a role in aiding students and administrators in class assignments and testing and assigning students to advanced or remedial programs. In high schools, school counselors may provide career and advancement guidance as well if a separate career counselor is not in place at their institution. They may help students choose and apply to colleges and make recommendations for appropriate careers, programs, and scholarships.

Typical Work Schedule

School guidance counselors mostly work in educational institutions and therefore often have a working schedule that coincides with the school day. They usually work for 5 days with a total of around 40 hours per week. They also get the summer vacation off and work only 9 months per year. This makes this job the perfect choice for those who are mainly concerned with life-work balance or want to have free time each year for other tasks. However, school guidance counselors have to be occasionally flexible enough to consider different needs of the students. This is particularly important when there are serious and challenging problems facing the students which includes devastating events, child abuse or domestic violence. School counselors may also organize events or deliver speeches concerning problems that are common to the students.

School Guidance Counselor Specializations

• Elementary School Guidance Counselors work with both parents and student regularly and focus on getting students prepared for secondary education through the development of academic and social skills. They may also work with students to identify impediments to learning and refer parents to applicable remediation services.
• Middle School Guidance Counselors work with students both individually and in groups. They may counsel individual students and set up sessions for groups of students to learn about drug abuse or sex education, depending on the requirements of the school system. Additionally, they may help students choose an appropriate high school when multiple options are available.
• High School Guidance Counselors work with students to resolve academic, attendance, and personal issues that impede progress, and they also assist students in planning for the future. They provide guidance on what classes students should take, what colleges and programs students should pursue, and what scholarships students may qualify for.

Projected job growth

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for school guidance counselors is expected to increase by 8% from 2019 to 2029 which is faster than the average for other jobs. This is related to the continuing changes in the economy which emphasizes the role of counselors to guide the students on how to develop necessary skills and prepare them for the workplace. Social changes can also affect students significantly and requires more close guidance and counseling.  Having proper counseling degrees as well as other certifications will give you a clear edge over any competition in the job market in the coming years.

Typical Employers

This job is mainly available in schools supporting the students during the various stages of development. It is sometimes possible to work for several schools in a certain district or city. This should be more financially rewarding but it is also more demanding physically and mentally. You can also be employed by other institutes offering educational services including working for the government and many of its educational programs and training courses. Some may try being self-employed where they can be contracted by multiple institutions and monitor more cases with more flexibility. Recently, there are some apps that became available for online counseling which is expected to get more attention after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.