Master These 6 Techniques to Become a Career Counsellor

Who is a Career Counsellor?

A Career Counsellor is a professional who assists students and young people on career choices. Choosing a career path can be challenging, stressful, and puzzling. As a result, they assist students in identifying their interests and abilities, as well as choosing a career that complements both.

How Do You Become a Career Counsellor?

To become a career counsellor, you must first complete your high school or junior college, preferably with an arts or science background, with psychology as your core subject. This will serve as a basis for future studies in the field. After that, you can enrol in courses like B.A. (Psychology) or B.Sc. (Psychology) (Psychology). Though the B.A. and B.Sc. programmes in psychology are very similar, the B.Sc. programme includes more math and lab science courses. 
You can try to get an internship while you’re studying to obtain hands-on experience in the field. Once you have received your degree/certifications, you can apply for a job as a certified Career Counsellor.

With so many career options available, it is almost impossible to make the right career decision on your own. One wrong decision could lead to immense amounts of frustration, stress and a bleak, sub-optimal future. To top it all, students are barely coping with their academic pressure, peer pressure, overloaded schedules and more. It’s no wonder, then, that 1 in every 4 students struggles with depression.

Parents are increasingly starting to approach counsellors, not just to resolve the stress or depression in their children’s lives but also to guide them toward the right career. Your role as a counsellor has become more crucial than ever, and it is important that you give your clients a great, fulfilling experience. Here’s a list of things you could do to ensure that they get what they’ve come to you for.

Here at Mentoria, we take our own advice. Our expert career counsellors are armed with knowledge, empathy and sensitivity to help you discover your calling, every step of the way. 

1. Keep an open mind.

It’s super important for you to keep an open mind as a  counsellor. Being biased towards certain careers and closed-minded towards others can influence the direction you point the child in. So, before you begin, find out where your biases lie. Understand that careers ‘deemed’ as secure won’t always fulfil a calling. Similarly, emerging fields that are dismissed as ‘flimsy’ or ‘not even real’ can have a promising future, if that’s where the passion points. Many are conditioned towards believing that careers make people. That’s not so. It’s the people, especially the passionate ones, who make careers. To internalise this, it’s important to have an open mind.

2. There are no good or bad jobs.

That said, a job is good only if someone enjoys doing it and is great at it. That means there are no good or bad jobs. While counselling, it is necessary to understand why your client is confused or unhappy. This realisation can have a profound effect on the perspective. Many children who seek counselling have been conditioned to be biased towards certain jobs. Try to understand where their inhibitions come from. Are they shunning a field just simply because they have been taught to do so? Are they loving a field only because their parents love it?

3. Look at the larger picture.

A job cannot be viewed in exclusion. A career is not just a means to earn money. It also affects one’s quality of life. If a person is not enthusiastic about a particular career, they’re going to long for something more fulfilling. And if they’re unable to find it, they could get frustrated. Today, over 50% of employees in India are suffering from some kind of stress. On the flip side, a satisfying career can lead to a feeling of happiness and success, which increases one’s productivity and also positively impacts their personal life.

Do you want to make an impact in people’s lives? Sign up for Mentoria’s career counselling programme and get trained on how to guide individuals who are trying to find their calling. 

4. Dialogue is the key.

As a counsellor, how do you figure out what a child/client is most interested in? It’s simple, you talk to them. However, be mindful of where you want the conversation to go. Even children who are on the threshold of choosing their college major want to be heard. They might not have as much experience in life as you do, but they know what they like better than you do. Begin by listening to what they have to say. Apart from giving you direction, it also involves the child in the decision-making process. When done right, career counselling empowers the child or client.

5. Keep yourself up-to-date.

We’re living in a rapidly evolving world where new careers and trends or specialisations within existing careers are springing up on a regular basis. It helps to know what’s happening in the world, even within your own career. Follow different psychologists from around the world, read about the new approaches or practices being followed and broaden your skills. It also helps you to discuss and learn from your peers. Enrol for workshops often to stay updated on the best counselling practices

6. Have a scientific approach.

While counselling seems like a profession dealing with abstract ideas and thoughts, there is a scientific side to it. “At Mentoria, we approach counselling scientifically. We assess the interests of a child and objectively look at their available options based on the psychometric test they take before the counselling session. It’s not just opinions but research, studies and facts that point towards a direction,” says Manisha Bapna, head counsellor at Mentoria.

Due to its scientific and objective approach, counselling and training at Mentoria have gained credibility with professionals. “Mentoria provides well-structured and professional counselling services. Their reliable assessments make it possible for students as well as parents to seek good career guidance. Mentoria’s psychometric assessments are standardised tools authentically designed by testing experts,” says Professor Anil Sawarkar, HOD Psychology, Fergusson College.

Mentoria’s Career Counsellor Programme

If you wish to enhance your counselling skills and follow a systematic, trained approach, register for Mentoria’s counsellor certification programme. You could then join our team of experts and help transform the nation by guiding individuals toward their ideal career paths! Find out more here: