A college diploma and professional certification are typically required to work as a vocational counselor. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in a field such as psychology or counseling is usually the first step in the process. You can often work as a vocational counselor’s assistant at that point, but you’ll need more education and professional certifications to advance. To work as a vocational counselor in a school, you must have a government certification, and in many cases, you must have a master’s degree before a public school will hire you. After earning a master’s degree, you can usually become certified as a vocational counselor, which can help you stand out when looking for work.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is the first step toward becoming a vocational counselor. Psychology, social science, and counseling are examples of subjects you might want to study. Your specific degree will almost always be in psychology or a related field. After that, you can go straight to graduate school or get some real-world experience. You might be able to get a job as an assistant to a vocational counselor at a school, which will give you the experience you’ll need when you become one.
While pursuing your bachelor’s degree or immediately afterward, you may want to gain counseling experience in other settings. Working as a camp counselor allows you to work with children and teenagers. Although you will most likely work with them in a different capacity than a vocational counselor, it can still be beneficial experience. Other options, such as crisis counseling, can provide valuable experience that will help you succeed as a vocational counselor.
With only a bachelor’s degree and a lot of work experience, some private schools may hire you as a vocational counselor. To become a vocational counselor, this is one possible career path, though you will typically need to stand out in some way to be competitive in the job market. Otherwise, you’ll have to go to graduate school and earn a master’s degree in a field like counseling. This is frequently a prerequisite for state certification and employment in public schools.
There are professional vocational counselor certifications available in addition to state licensing. National organizations, such as the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) in the United States, are usually involved. Having these types of professional credentials can help you become a vocational counselor, whether or not a specific job requires it.