How to progress in your career as a school counsellor

Whether a newbie to the counselling world or an experienced veteran, you may be seeking ways to progress in your role. You may feel you’re stuck in a rut, or want new challenges and skills to sharpen your work with students.

The focus of this article is how to grow within your role as a university counsellor.

We can think about university counselling in three levels (see diagram below), as described by Joan Liu, founder of the student access organisation Second Chance and a former school counsellor.

At level one, everyone seeks to master the basics of university applications: the nuts and bolts of completing applications, writing recommendation letters or references, stamping and signing official school documents and filling in forms. For counsellors in large schools, this might be the bulk of your job, or what is perceived by others as your sole function.

In a previous article, I wrote about making a career change to university advising. The professional development and training I described there can also be ways to build your expertise within your role.

Let’s now turn to ways to grow your skills and approach in order to expand level-two roles and work towards level three – to guide, fight for and ultimately transform a student’s future.

Find a mentor

Seek mentorship no matter what professional stage you are in. Do you know someone in the field whose work you admire? Perhaps you met them at a conference or see their posts on LinkedIn. Be daring and reach out; folks in the counselling field are approachable and collaborative. If you are a new professional, there are formal mentorship programmes, such as International ACAC’s Mentor Year Programme.

Take on additional responsibilities

Within your current school, there might be additional responsibilities you can pursue, such as being a homeroom or form tutor, or student club adviser – roles where you can interact with students in different ways. These roles might also give you additional understanding of your school, and ideas about new situations where you can advise and interact with students. Even volunteering to cover classes for absent teachers can give you additional insights into students and their needs.

Volunteer with relevant organisations

Volunteer to work with admissions organisations or with community-based and non-profit education-access groups. International ACAC is run primarily by volunteers, and there are opportunities to volunteer short-term for specific events or long-term as a committee member or executive board member.

The Matchlighters Scholar Program recruits volunteer counsellors to work with high-achieving low-income students who are US residents. Local or regional organisations offer ways to expand your professional network and volunteer. Collaborating with others from a range of backgrounds and experiences often leads to new ideas and ways to approach your work. And giving back to the field enhances your appreciation of your impact as a counsellor.

No matter where you are in your professional journey, it will benefit you to cultivate a growth mindset – and the humility that you always have more to learn.