Do you like helping others? Are you interested in solving others’ problems by providing them with the right guidance and advice? If this is the case, you can opt for a career in counselling. A counsellor gives professional advice to help people. There are different types of counsellors according to the job area they work in.
Nowadays, almost every field has a counsellor conducting counselling sessions for the betterment of life. A career counsellor gives advice to students and professionals in career-related queries like which career is suitable for them, how they can improve their performance etc. A counsellor in a hospital tries to help people facing mental stress because of family problems, business matters etc.
Tips For Becoming A Counsellor
Be Academically Qualified
If you have considered proceeding in your career as a counsellor, study the related discipline in a college or university. General psychology, abnormal psychology and related disciplines can be studied in your graduation. Complete your graduation and study the subjects deeply. You can pursue your master’s degree as well.
There are jobs that do not require counselling-related study at graduation. For example, a counsellor in an IELTS training centre requires you to have good communication skills and good knowledge of English. Graduates from any field can apply for it.
Choose Your Niche
Since there are a number of fields available in the counselling profession, you can choose the one that interests you. Among the various counselling fields is academic counselling where counsellors guide the students and solve their study-related issues like which stream to choose after passing class 12, which course should be pursued for becoming an engineer etc.
A mental counsellor is very different from an academic counsellor. He or she deals with patients suffering from mental trauma such as depression, stress etc. Thus, there are many specializations available in the counselling profession.
Get Professional Training
Being a counsellor requires you to have different skills viz. speaking, listening, motivating, convincing and others. You need to show warmth and empathy with the client. Though the job of counselling others looks simple it is actually complex and requires sharp skills. There are techniques of how to counsel in the right way. You can participate in workshops and trainings for improving your soft skills. Participate in online seminars and learn how professional counsellors deal with people.
Apply for Job
A counsellor is required in various places like hospitals, schools, visa application centres, training institutes and many others. There are a number of entry-level jobs available in various private organizations where you can start your career as a counsellor.
Apply for these jobs and start gaining experience. After dealing with different people and analysing their problems, you will get more understanding of this job. Being an experienced counsellor, you can also open your own counselling centre.
There are both part-time and full-time job vacancies available for a counsellor. Nowadays, online jobs have also been available, which are freelance or home-based jobs. If you are hired as a freelance counsellor or expert in your field, you can do online counselling sessions for the customers.
Continue Training and Learning
Even being a counselling practitioner, you should hone your skills side by side. Go for further education, part-time or correspondence. Being more qualified will help you progress in your career. You can pursue PhD or Doctorate in your respective area. You can develop your professional skills by joining professional training centres.