If you enjoy working with people, helping young people realize their potential for success, and a summer vacation that coincides with the academic calendar, counseling or advising could be a career for you! If you’re considering a career in advising or want to explore some options, read on to learn more:
Education and Salary:
A Bachelor’s degree is mandatory for counseling jobs. While a higher degree is not required, many employers want to hire candidates with advanced degrees in fields such as education leadership, education, or counseling.
Salaries typically range from $40,000 to $60,000. However, at major universities, this number can be much higher. Often, advisors get extended summer and holiday vacations in addition to benefits.
See this PDF for more information about choosing a graduate program.
Prior Experience:
Most employers want to see some sort of advising experience on your resume. However, fear not! Having a position in residence life, admissions, or related on-campus jobs can help boost your application. It’s important to talk about these experiences and relate them to the profession in your cover letter, resume, and application.
If you’re a member of an organization related to the field, or have taken classes on similar topics, be sure to emphasize this experience. Focusing on how your specific skills transfer to the desired position is an important part of your application.
Types of Positions:
High School Academic Advisors
Some of the day-to-day duties include:
- Meeting with students to set and work towards personal goals, then coordinating with parents and teachers to help students achieve them
- Guide students through the college or employment application process
- Send out reminders about dates and deadlines
- Raise awareness of opportunities, including scholarships, summer programs, international exchange opportunities
Pros:
- Young people can bring excitement and enthusiasm to your everyday life
- Helping students on their way to the next step in their lives can bring immediate and long-term
Cons:
- The work may become monotonous with students asking the same questions each year
- Large amounts of paperwork and organization can be overwhelming
University Academic Advisors
Some of the day-to-day duties include:
- Assisting students with choosing a major, and making class schedules
- Directing students towards opportunities relevant to their interests, such as internships, study abroad programs, graduate schools
- Referring students to supportive resources on and off campus
- Provide support
Pros:
- Hours are often flexible, and include opportunities for work travel
- Encouragement to innovate and create in an intellectually stimulating work environment
Cons:
- Freshman may ask the same questions each year
- There is frequently a large bureaucracy to get things approved
Future Growth
There are several logical transitions to different careers from working as an academic advisor. These include:
- Teacher
- Librarian
- Instructional Coordinator
- School Principal
- Education Administrator
These may require more education, but skills learned on the job counseling can be transferrable.
The next step in the process is to create a great cover letter, resume, and application—come into the Career Exploration Center in 162 MVR for help and critiques, and to schedule a mock interview.
For more information, see these sites:
http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/teaching-careers/academic-advisor/#duties
https://advisorbark.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/so-you-want-to-be-an-academic-advisor/