Professional Counselors

A Day in the Life

When you work as a counselor, you may be known by many different titles. You might be a career, school or occupational counselor. You can work for both public government-run agencies and for private counseling and mental health facilities. No matter what path you choose, you will be an advocate for your clients and will help them negotiate the situations that arise in their lives. Employment in schools and colleges is one of the most promising fields for a professional counselor.

As a career counselor, you arrive at the community college where you work right before the school's counseling office opens. You work on a part-time contract, meaning that you also work with private clients from your own office. When you arrive at the school office, you look over new scholarship announcements so that you can advise qualified students of good opportunities. Before you see your first client, you check in with your boss.

Your first client of the day is a first-year student who is interested in pursuing a career in engineering. She is having a hard time figuring out how to finance her education and is concerned that she won't be able to continue to a four-year college. You explain the student's federal student aid options and look up any scholarships available to women who are interested in studying engineering. You refer her to the school's financial aid office for further information about how she can use grants and loans to continue her education.

After updating student files, you head to your private office to work with several clients who need assistance in finding a new path in life. The first client you see is a recovering alcoholic who comes to you on a bi-weekly basis to learn new coping techniques and to talk about her career opportunities. You help the client deal with a tough issue involving her family and set an appointment for her to come in the following week as you are concerned about her situation.

Your second client is a single mother who wants to go back to work part-time. Today, she wants to talk to you about child care options and how her return to work might affect her toddler. You provide her with information about child care centers and programs in your area. You also spend time talking about her child and how he might adjust to her new career. Before you head home for the evening, you lock up all of your client files. You review your appointments for the following day before heading home to relax.