How long does it take to become an Advocate?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become an advocate. That is the time it takes to learn specific advocate skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 7 to 9 years years to become an advocate.

How many years does it take to become an advocate?

It takes about four to five years to become an advocate. To be an advocate, a person needs to pursue a bachelor's degree in a related field as well as develop the necessary soft skills, such as communication and empathy.

What does it take to be an advocate?

To be an advocate, a person needs to pursue a bachelor's degree in a related field as well as develop the necessary soft skills, such as communication and empathy. There are multiple types of advocates; therefore, a person who wants to be an advocate must first decide what kind of advocate they want to be.

What is being an advocate?

Being an advocate is taking the role of a professional to speak and advocate for a particular category of person. This could be a customer, a victim, a child, or a patient. Advocates work to gain the best outcomes in a volatile situation for the people that they represent. This means they need to be extremely empathetic to their clients as they navigate challenging situations.

What is an advocate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Debra Minsky-Kelly

An advocate is a person who supports and speaks up for individuals or groups who are marginalized or in need of assistance. Advocates work to promote the rights and interests of their clients, often through providing legal advice, representation, or lobbying for policy changes. They may work in a variety of settings, including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and private law firms. Advocates must have strong communication skills and a deep understanding of the issues facing their clients.

What general advice would you give to an Advocate?

Debra Minsky-Kelly

Director of Field Education / Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work, Carthage College

I think there are two critical skills for social workers, whether they are first entering the workforce or seasoned professionals. These skills are humility and an appreciation for ambiguity in our work. A humble approach to our work empowers clients to become experts on their circumstances. Social workers are then positioned in a collaborative role to help clients use existing skills and resources to improve their situations. An appreciation for ambiguity is closely related to the idea of humility. It helps us to remember that practice situations we face in this field are often far more complicated than they appear on the surface. Thus, all social workers need to make a strong commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing consultation with colleagues to ensure that multiple perspectives are included as we work to solve complex problems.

ScoreAdvocateUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,497

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.9

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.13%

Asian 6.24%

Black or African American 10.79%

Hispanic or Latino 21.65%

Unknown 5.15%

White 54.03%

Gender

female 74.26%

male 25.74%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Advocate?

Pros

Making a difference in people's lives
Working for a cause you believe in
Helping to shape policy and legislation
Developing skills in research, analysis, and communication
Contributing to social justice and equity

Cons

Dealing with difficult or emotionally taxing issues
Working long hours, including evenings and weekends
Facing opposition or resistance from those who disagree with the cause
Managing high caseloads or clients with complex needs
Balancing the needs of multiple clients or causes at once

Key steps to become an advocate

Explore advocate education requirements

Most common advocate degrees

Bachelor's

57.9 %

Associate

16.4 %

Master's

10.6 %

Start to develop specific advocate skills

Skills	Percentages
CPR	12.09%
Customer Service	10.83%
Developmental Disabilities	10.58%
Cleanliness	10.33%
Patients	8.17%

Complete relevant advocate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New advocates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an advocate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real advocate resumes.

Research advocate duties and responsibilities

Develop and maintain communication and contact with community services organizations and other agencies concern with veterans and public service programs.
Perform CPR and a as needed.
Administer first aid and CPR in emergency situations.
Record daily efforts make into an ETO software system.

Prepare your advocate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your advocate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an advocate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Advocate Resume templates

Build a professional Advocate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Advocate resume.

Apply for advocate jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an advocate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do advocates rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Advocate reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

Secondary trauma and balancing administrative work with direct services.