How To Become A Job Counselor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a job counselor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Lisa Wallace

A job counselor provides support to individuals seeking employment. They help job seekers identify their strengths and interests. They then match them with appropriate job opportunities. Job counselors also provide advice on how to create effective resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews, and navigate the job market. Additionally, they may assist with career development, such as exploring advancement opportunities or new fields. A job counselor helps individuals achieve their career goals by providing personalized advice and resources.

What general advice would you give to a Job Counselor?

Lisa Wallace

Director of Career Services, Rocky Mountain College

Stay in a learning mode.

ScoreJob CounselorUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,977

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

9.0

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 3.74%

Black or African American 10.64%

Hispanic or Latino 14.20%

Unknown 3.76%

White 67.03%

Gender

female 65.99%

male 34.01%

Age - 41

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 - 41

Stress Level

9.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.7

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.7

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Job Counselor?

Pros

Helping people find meaningful employment
Making a positive impact on people's lives
Diverse work environment
Opportunities for growth and advancement
Ability to work independently

Cons

High stress environment
Long working hours
Low pay compared to other professions
Balancing competing demands of clients and employers
Limited career growth opportunities within the field

Newest jobs for Job Counselor in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a job counselor

Explore job counselor education requirements

Most common job counselor degrees

Bachelor's

67.0 %

Associate

13.9 %

Master's

12.4 %

Start to develop specific job counselor skills

Skills	Percentages
Training Programs	16.88%
at-Risk Youth	10.65%
Substance Abuse	9.92%
GED	9.81%
Community Resources	8.81%

Complete relevant job counselor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New job counselors 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 a job counselor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real job counselor resumes.

Research job counselor duties and responsibilities

Work with and case manage families receiving TANF financial benefits and with customers receiving displace worker financial help.
Monitor caseworkers to ensure rehabilitation services are properly coordinate to aid clients in achieving self-sufficiency.
Utilize aforementioned partnerships to assist TANF recipients in obtaining employment which lead to career advancement and case closure.
Addressed domestic violence and substance abuse issues, housing and all community resources relate to successful rehabilitation.

Prepare your job counselor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your job counselor 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 a job counselor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Job Counselor Resume templates

Build a professional Job Counselor 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 Job Counselor resume.

Apply for job counselor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a job counselor 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 job counselors rate their job?