Guidance Counselor
Comprehensive Sites
Bureau of Labor Statistics: CounselorsAn overview of the counseling profession is presented at this page, provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as information on career preparation, job pay, and sources of further information on related careers. Work environment, education, and training required are outlined, with links available to projected employment, according to teacher type and additional to links to the latest local earnings data.
Princeton Review: Guidance CounselorThis all-in-one resource offers information on a day in the life of a guidance counselor, such as the challenges, rewards, and professional responsibilities. Education, associated careers, facts and figures regarding salary and employment, and links to information on colleges, internships, and required graduate school are available.
Occupational Titles
Counselor
Educational Counselor
Guidance Counselor
Vocational Counselor
School Counselor
Accredited Academic Programs
Princeton Review: Guidance Counselor, College MajorsA variety of undergraduate college majors would be good choices if you want to become a guidance counselor, and this list provides you with a lengthy list of them. Click on your selection to be brought to a list of colleges and universities across the U.S. that offers your selected major. Access these schools individual websites for more program information directly from this site.
Salary Levels
PayScale: Educational, Vocational, or School CounselorThe report at this site includes the median salary by years of experience as a school or educational counselor. Median salary by employer type or city are also depicted at related charts.
PayScale: Guidance Counselor, Secondary SchoolPayScale reports on the salary for guidance counselors across the U.S., as well as further information on salary according to years of counseling experience or employer type. You can also access links to information on salary by gender, certification, or the state you might be employed in.
Professional Organizations
American Counseling AssociationIf you click on the student link of the American Counseling Association, you’ll find all kinds of information for students interested in becoming counselors. Connect to regional offices, find out about educational programs, download information about student membership, or take advantage of the opportunities for scholarships and graduate study sponsored by the organization.
American School Counselor AssociationThis organization supports the development of school counselors and provides links to information on the legal and ethical issues surrounding the profession, as well as many resources for your development. The school counselor link will take you to publications, career information, an online bookstore, and member benefit information.
Job Opportunity Sources
American Counseling Association: Career ResourcesThe Career Center is intended to, not only answer questions about a career as a counselor, but also to offer interview advice, provide career articles, and connect to available counseling internships and positions.
Licensing & Certification
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational ProgramsThis organization accredits master’s degree programs in counseling, including career counseling, college counseling, and school counseling. The website offers students information on what it means to be in a program certified by this organization. Links to further information on careers in counseling are also provided.
National Board for Certified CounselorsThis organization is the nation’s professional certification board, dedicated to providing high standards and credentialed counselors in several specialty practices, including school counseling. State licensure and national licensure certification are explored, as well as ethics, student information, and continuing education providers.
Publications
American Counseling Association PublicationsThis link offers you the ability to search the professional publications of the American Counseling Association, including the Journal of Counseling and Development and Counselor Education and Supervision. The articles within these publications have served broad interests related to counselor education. You can search the tables of contents and read article abstracts for free.
U.S. Department of Education: EdPubsThis collection of publications helps you identify and order free or low cost publications in the field of education. More than 6,000 titles are available, including brochures, CD-ROMs, newsletters, and research reports. You can locate publications by audience type, education level, language, or subject, or view the list of the top 10 publications. This is a great resource for students new to the field of education or thinking about working within a school district.
Online Forums & Blogs
Education Week: BlogsBlogs at this site are combined from Teacher Magazine and Edweek.org and include the impact of politics on K-12 education, exploration of learning innovations, starting out in the field of education, and tapping into the gifted child. If you go to BlogBoard, you’ll find “new and noteworthy” blogs that are really up-to-date.
Career Videos
Education Portal: School Guidance CounselorThis video description of a guidance counselor talks about job skills and duties, coursework needed to become a counselor, and training required. The several types of counselors are introduced, and a variety of related web links are listed.
