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Job outlook for career guidance counselors in the United States
Are career guidance counselor jobs in demand?
Career guidance counselor job and salary trends over time
Career guidance counselor jobs over time
Career guidance counselor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 96 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 95 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 96 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 93 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 88 | 0.00% |
Average career guidance counselor salary over time
Career guidance counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $54,429 | $26.17 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $53,417 | $25.68 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $52,734 | $25.35 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $51,891 | $24.95 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $51,095 | $24.56 | +1.7% |
Career guidance counselor jobs by state
Most common states for career guidance counselors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 91 | 13% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 76 | 7% |
| 3 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 224 | 6% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 60 | 6% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 589 | 5% |
| 6 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 338 | 5% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 277 | 5% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 37 | 5% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 35 | 5% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 28 | 5% |
| 11 | New York | 19,849,399 | 714 | 4% |
| 12 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 490 | 4% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 368 | 4% |
| 14 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 299 | 4% |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 279 | 4% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 250 | 4% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 236 | 4% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 151 | 4% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 58 | 4% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 24 | 4% |
Career Guidance Counselor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of career guidance counselor experts
Lewis University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Southern Methodist University
Carolina Christian College
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Montana State University – Bozeman
American University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lubbock Christian University
Rutgers School of Public Health
Kent State University
University of Arkansas
Colorado State University
Emory University School of Law
Ohio University
Florida International University
University of Arkansas
University of Maine
Carleton College
What will help Career Guidance Counselors increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
Lisa Brown
Assistant ProfessorLewis University
School Counseling Program
What soft skills should all Career Guidance Counselors possess?
Lisa Brown: School counselors must be efficient. They may have large caseloads of students for which they are responsible. Being able to prioritize, manage their time, and have a strong work ethic are necessary components to success. Attitude is also key. School counselors are to be empathic, approachable, and nonjudgmental. This means school counselors need to be open to learning from others and be willing to confront any bias or prejudice they may hold.
School counselors are collaborators within the school system and may work as part of a large team that may include the student, parents, teachers, coaches, deans, social workers, psychiatrists, and so forth. School counselors must understand and demonstrate teamwork and conflict resolution.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Career Guidance Counselors?
Lisa Brown: Because of the prevalence of social/emotional issues within K-12, especially in the last few years, school counselors need to have assessment skills. School counselors need to identify any red flags in their students that may indicate the student is struggling. This goes beyond academics and includes aspects such as interpersonal skills and self-worth.
Similar to assessment is data analysis. The gathering of data does not stop after a student is assessed but rather is just beginning. School counselors are held accountable to demonstrate the interventions they are utilizing are working. Data is also used to secure future funds. If an intervention used within the fall resulted in little change, a school district might not allocate funds to continue to use the same program. School counselors utilize data to demonstrate how effective they are and advocate for additional resources to address social/emotional issues within their student body.
As we learned during COVID-19, school counselors need to be tech-savvy. Many students are still learning remotely or are utilizing a hybrid format. While this has been quite helpful for some students, others are falling through the cracks. School counselors have had to get creative in checking in with their students and are doing so through technology.
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Director, Master of CounselingLouisiana State University at Shreveport
Department Of Psychology
What skills stand out on Career Guidance Counselor resumes?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on Counselor resumes include multilingual, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Career Guidance Counselors?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.
John Potter
Clinical Associate ProfessorSouthern Methodist University
Department of Dispute Resolution and Counseling
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
John Potter: Indeed. Current students have experienced multiple ways of learning, which they would not necessarily experience otherwise. And this provides more skills and a broader understanding of the modalities to use to help others in the future.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
John Potter: Anywhere. Let me unpack that word, though. Many of our graduates are in the workplace and study dispute resolution and conflict management to expand their opportunities with the skills they learn. So, wherever the work will be is where they will excel, or perhaps move on to another growth opportunity in another workplace elsewhere. Other students seek the degree and the skills that come with it to create a new opportunity in an environment that does not have a core dispute resolution and conflict management already in place. So, anywhere there is conflict, our graduates can excel.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
John Potter: Faster. Disputes and conflicts will escalate more rapidly because of the speed of information. And, information can be gathered more quickly to help disputants engage more constructively and sooner. So, people who work in this field need to think faster and act quickly, and those needs will only increase with time and technology.
What type of skills will young Career Guidance Counselors need?
Dr. Andrew Wood: For Biblical Studies, it is vital that graduates have a genuine relationship with Jesus, that they are people of humility and integrity, desire to be lifelong learners, and have open minds to new things they learn that may challenge their original assumptions. They need to have a strong work ethic, organizational, and time management skills to work on their own productively and with integrity.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Pamela Garcia-Rivera: I surely don't think there will be a decrease in demand for graduates, but the field of journalism has been evolving and changing and will continue to do so. There is a strong need for journalists, especially journalists who represent this country and are from diverse backgrounds, who can better share the stories and report on everyone's issues.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Guidance Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Pamela Garcia-Rivera: Some of the trends that seem to be growing are the ability to work remotely, connect with people that we may not have been able to communicate with in-person (and do so virtually), and flexibility in one's work schedule. The pandemic has led to innovative ways of performing one's job function by using various technology forms and being more self-reliant. It also provides organizations an opportunity to think of ways of saving overhead costs - and operating at a lower budget. Freelance opportunities also seem to be growing as organizations' budgets may have been reduced, and hiring employees full-time may not be feasible.
Dr. Mark Nelson
Professor and Program LeaderMontana State University – Bozeman
Department of Health and Human Development; Graduate Program – School Counseling
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Dr. Mark Nelson: I believe that over the next five years, technology will continue to have its greatest influence on a school counselor's students or counselees and not on the way counselors in schools work from day to day. Students still congregate in schools where counselors interact and facilitate their career, academic, and personal development. These efforts will likely continue to be conducted in a face-to-face manner. However, technology and its ensuing changes do have a pronounced impact on the life of students. Consequently, these impacts will become a part of a counselor's work as they assist students. It seems that with the increase in virtual/digital elements in our society, people, including students, appreciate and value personal contact with others. At my university, we have found that the isolation experienced by students as a result of changes precipitated by Covid-19 has prompted students to appreciate in-person contact with each other and our teaching faculty members. It would appear that technology may promote recognition among people that interpersonal contact continues to be important.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Michelle Newton-Francis Ph.D.: The upheaval of the pandemic sees graduates entering the worst job market in more than a decade. Still, some forecasters say it is slowly getting better. I encourage graduates to remain flexible in their thinking and search strategies. For example, many companies will expand their remote positions, opening opportunities for jobs they may not have previously considered due to geographic location. Pandemic or not, graduates may not obtain their "dream job" right away and should also consider opportunities that build transferable skills. Pandemic or not, job searching should always be treated like a full-time job. It is just more challenging and competitive right now. Networking is vital and remains one of the most viable ways to get a job. To create networks, students should take advantage of virtual or socially distanced internships, which build contacts and skills. Students and alumni often overlook their college career centers, which offer invaluable services (and connections), including virtual career fairs and meetings with potential employers.
What type of skills will young Career Guidance Counselors need?
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.: Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.
Chris Hennington Ph.D.
School Counseling Program CoordinatorLubbock Christian University
Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
What type of skills will young Career Guidance Counselors need?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.
Claire Brown
Assistant Director of Student Support Services and Head of Career ServicesRutgers School of Public Health
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Claire Brown: Yes, in a myriad of ways. The most significant impact we see right now is employment opportunities and work availability across the board, but even as we inch back towards economic recovery, there are going to be long-lasting impacts in our day-to-day working lives. Norms and expectations around productivity, workplace social support and connection, work-life balance, family and sick leave, and occupational health and safety have and will continue to require transformational change, and this has important implications for personal and public health.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
Claire Brown: For graduates in any field, it's important to stay on top of which organizations and companies are hiring during the pandemic-with many employers reducing or pausing hiring altogether, the key to an efficient job search is knowing the scope of your options. It also helps to tap into your networks-former supervisors and colleagues-to see where your public health skill set might be needed now and where you can stand out. For public health specifically, the CARES Act has allocated billions in funding towards public health staffing and capacity-building for the short- and long-term across a variety of federal, state, and local agencies. While it's hard to say what specific positions will be available or when some of this longer-term funding will actualize, there's reason to hope that public health workforce opportunities will increase over the next few years in areas such as emergency/disaster management, public health informatics and data, telehealth and school-based health programs, and mental health and substance use services.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Claire Brown: As the COVID-19 pandemic has created a demand for innovative, effective, and secure technology-driven methods of conducting contact tracing, communicating health risks to the public, and staying in touch with each other personally and professionally, I think that we'll see a greater emphasis on how public health shapes technology and how technology shapes public health. The general public's awareness of and investment in the scope of public health has also increased, and with that, I think public health data visualization, integrity, accessibility, and transparency-all of which depend heavily on good technology-will become a professional priority for many working in the public health field.
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.
ProfessorKent State University
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: COVID and the racial violence experienced by BIPOC people will both have an impact on all K-12 graduates, including school counselors, for various reasons. One, some school districts are facing budget constraints, and as a result, they may not renew a lost school counseling position, create new ones, and a decrease in retirements. I hope that these constraints do not decrease school counselors as they are needed the most during this time of a global pandemic and in the wake of racial violence against Black and Brown people.
A former principal in South Carolina, Cinthia Wolfe, often asserts, "school counselors are the heartbeat of the school," because their presence, influence on student development, and reach are essential for the continued and healthy life of any school. Like for many educators across the pipeline, the pandemic has an impact on how school counselors do their work. From classroom guidance to college/career preparation, school counselors are now pivoting to find ways to helps students make meaning of the now while also preparing for uncertain futures.
Some school counselors are faced with reimagining how to deliver necessary developmental content, connect with students in need of social/emotional support, and providing guidance in a virtual world. Now is the time for school counselors, especially those with experience working at online schools, school counselor educators, and other community members to collaborate to share and discover ways to create schools that are free of racism, responds to the changing needs of students, and provides spaces for students to reimagine what their "norm" or "future" looks like.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: COVID-19 and racial violence are global phenomena that cause many mental health challenges for students globally. Schools are scrambling to identify solutions to address the social/emotional needs of their students. Some are investing in curriculum related to Social Emotional Learning, Trauma-Informed Schools, or seeking anti-racism experts to join their staff in conversations.
This emphasis is also illustrated in funding opportunities that have been advertised for schools and school-based researchers to consider innovative ways to address the increased stress our students are under, given the ongoing issues mentioned. While COVID-19 will hopefully, one day, decrease, the impact will be present for decades. As for racial violence against Black and Brown people, this oppression has/continues to harm communities across generations.
I implore schools to lean on school counselors as trained leaders to guide responses to these crises and support students. Due to budget constraints at the moment, we may see a decrease in job postings, but once the economy begins to heal, we will need more school counselors - not less. School counseling graduates awaiting employment should extend their knowledge about instructional based technology that may aid in their facilitation of counseling tasks, examine their bias/stereotypical thinking so they do not harm their BIPOC students, and create toolkits of information that may inform how they foster the development of anti-racist cultures in K-12 settings.
We all must remember that students do not perform well academically if they are not mentally/emotionally healthy or do not feel safe. Because COVID, the mental health challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic, and race-based violence, which causes mental health challenges for many, are global pandemics, school counselors face similar barriers to finding jobs across the nation. In time, given proper professional advocacy by school counselors, we will be acknowledged as leaders in the plight to heal students, schools, and communities.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: Increased use of technology in school settings, I believe, is here to stay regardless of changes due to the nation's response to COVID. As school counselors and school counselor educators, we need to continue examining how parts of what we do look like in a virtual environment. I imagine educational tech companies will develop platforms that will help us complete tasks smoothly.
Most importantly, school counselors collaborating with instructional designers to identify meaningful solutions that do not require lots of money from schools or parents will be essential. For individual and group counseling tasks, school counselors may find themselves doing more Telehealth and/or increasing consultation with school-based clinical mental health counselors. Additionally, there is a lot of room for new tasks we can undertake as school counselors to support our students and school communities.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Terri Dill Chadick: Zoom is here to stay. As a result, graduates are not limited by the geographic boundaries that existed pre-pandemic. Remote legal internships are becoming more common, and I expect that trend to continue. We are also seeing an increase in video interviewing, which makes it easier for graduates to pursue opportunities outside their current location. Similarly, virtual job fairs are commonplace this year, and I expect they will be in the future. The move to virtual will follow graduates as they enter practice, as judges are expected to continue virtual court proceedings in situations where it makes sense, long after the pandemic ends.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Terri Dill Chadick: It's impossible to predict what the long-term impact of the pandemic will be, but I do not expect law graduates to be harder hit than other graduates.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
Terri Dill Chadick: The need for lawyers in rural areas is real. Many older attorneys, in smaller towns, are looking for a new graduate to join the firm and eventually take over their practice. If a graduate is drawn to a larger city, they should look for areas where economic growth is strong. Law is a business, and law firm growth often mirrors the economic growth of the surrounding area. Finally, areas where the graduate has existing connections, are always a good place to be. Attracting clients is easier for graduates who already have ties to a community.
Leanna Biddle
Career Education ManagerColorado State University
Career Center and Warner College of Natural Resources
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Leanna Biddle: Last March, with COVID-19 and the shift to virtual business and engagement, the economy was negatively impacted, shown by high unemployment rates and business closures. Though this was unforeseen for many, jobs in this field have started to recover. As a Career Education Manager, I have seen the following: employers actively attending and engaging in virtual career fairs, job opportunities available for graduates, and the advertisement of internship opportunities for current students, offered both in-person and virtually.
In the career world, the new word I use is pivoting, looking for different ways to stand out as a candidate. It may not be as simple as applying for opportunities - there are different strategies to consider: attending networking events offered at your institution and/or in the community, making connections with faculty and staff in the field, and leaning into engagement opportunities, whether that be nationwide with an organization, like the American Fisheries Society, or volunteering in your city.
We don't know what the lasting impact will be. The landscape is still changing by the day, with hiring fluctuations and changing employer needs. I do know that graduates are not alone in this process; many institutions offer career support for recent graduates and alum.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
Leanna Biddle: When thinking about places that may better suit our fisheries graduates, many factors come to mind: economic sector, job availability and interest, and the graduate's ability to relocate, if needed. As students prepare to graduate, many consider different economic sectors, including employment with federal, state, or local government, a nonprofit agency, or with privately-owned businesses. There are benefits of each, and job opportunities increase with the size of the organization; for example, the federal government offers a variety of jobs at various agencies, including US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Additionally, many Colorado State University (CSU) graduates find employment and gain experience in state, local, and nonprofit organizations, including the Bellvue-Watson Fish Hatchery and Trout Unlimited, a national organization.
As students prepare to graduate, I recommend the following: identifying places that interest the student while simultaneously considering the above; economic sector, job availability and interest, and ability to relocate. From there, specific search strategies can be implemented: identifying those organizations that interest the student, finding employment opportunities, and pivoting; looking for ways to connect with employers in the field, specifically in that location of interest.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Leanna Biddle: Within the field of fisheries sciences and management, the use of technology has offered great advancements towards conservation efforts and the fishing industry. Technology has provided new information to managers, fishers, and consumers alike, and, when done in a sustainable manner, has improved fisheries management practices. Globally, the emerging technology within marine fisheries will be hugely useful as, for example, remote data sensors and satellite internet will enable fishing vessels to access real-time information on sea conditions, helping fishers locate fish anywhere on the planet. The development of technology will continue to aid in enforcement as well, offering the ability to quickly identify species of fish with DNA technology to help stop illegal fishing. This technology will undoubtedly impact recreational fishing as well, allowing anglers to learn more about the water they are fishing and where fish are. Ultimately, all fisheries worldwide will benefit from better data collection as smartphones are ever-present, and global internet coverage is continuing to expand.
As it relates to job opportunities, I foresee technical positions increasing with need, like Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the need for GIS Technicians across our nation. An increase in job opportunities includes academic preparedness for students at universities, with the recent addition of the GIS Minor at CSU, as an example. I encourage students to seek minors or certifications that focus on these technologies to diversify their skillset and knowledge for future employment.
Natasha Pate
Senior DirectorEmory University School of Law
Center for Professional Development & Career Strategy
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Natasha Pate: Members of the class of 2020 have seen jobs postponed and bar exams delayed, in addition to suffering the health impact of the pandemic personally and on their loved ones. Moreover, the manner in how legal services provided to clients has also changed during the pandemic, with courts holding virtual hearings and M&A deals closing over secured software platforms. Some of these changes could become the new standard for the industry because they reduce the cost of delivering legal services to clients. This could negatively impact some entry-level legal positions.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Guidance Counselors to find work opportunities?
Natasha Pate: The Bureau of Labor Statistics' ten-year national projection for the growth of legal jobs is 8%. (This is the ten years from 2014 to 2024). States that showed greater than national average increases include Texas, Florida, and Colorado.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Christine Suniti Bhat: It is hard to predict what the enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on school counseling graduates will be, but I think it will continue to be a job that remains relevant and needed. It is unclear whether the tremendous increase in enrollment in online schooling will continue once the pandemic has passed. Once it has passed, having experienced online schooling, some parents and students may prefer to continue to engage in online schooling.
Regardless of the setting, school counselors are charged to address the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of all students. According to the federal government website O*Net Online, the job "educational guidance, school, and vocational counselors" has been designated a bright outlook occupation in 2020, one that is expected to proliferate in the next several years.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Katherine Martin: This epidemic will impact everyone in the future in ways we are not clear about yet. However, even though the pandemic has greatly affected the hospitality industry throughout the latter part of spring and through the summer, many companies and sectors within the hospitality industry have been recovering well and seeing an increase in guest reservations for the fall and upcoming winter. With that, our upcoming graduates should be able to find more opportunities in the hospitality industry as well in non-traditional hospitality companies that are seeking our students' guest service, creative problem solving, and leadership skills and experiences.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Donna Graham: While Coronavirus will leave a mark on all our lives, it has uniquely affected college graduates. A time in their life that should have led to the celebration, optimism, and new beginnings was tainted by canceled plans, uncertainty, and at times, tragedy. As unfair as this may be, I believe today's graduates will rise above adversity and become more adaptive and innovative. Already characteristic of this generation, I also think the 2020 graduates will continue to be civic-minded and will look to work for companies with purpose who want to take action to make the world a better place.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Guidance Counselors in the next 5 years?
Donna Graham: People commonly underestimate the sophistication of modern agriculture and the amount of technology involved. Faced with the challenge to feed a growing world population, a technology that improves sustainability, efficiency, and production is essential and widely used. While agricultural technology is often misunderstood, optimization software and other advances used in agriculture will make it possible to feed the world while remaining good stewards to our environment. I predict that this technology, which is part of the curriculum for many of our majors, will accelerate quickly in the next five years.
What general advice would you give to a Career Guidance Counselor?
Crisanne Blackie: A first job is always exciting, so make the most of this experience by being willing to excel at your responsibilities, take the initiative, be curious and ask questions, be ready to learn, and do your very best. Networking with your fellow employees will help you to meet the staff and learn about the organizational culture. If you are working remotely, make sure you understand the expectations and implement your time management skills. If you are searching for a position, be open to all opportunities; consider an internship, project, or volunteer position to expand your skills. Your college or university's career center is typically still available to you after you graduate and continue to use its services for extra assistance.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Career Guidance Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Crisanne Blackie: The use of technology in the workplace has increased. It will be essential to understand the new platforms available. However, it is equally important to know why a specific technology or platform is the best choice. The more you know how to increase efficiencies in your position, the more effective you will be in selecting the best technology.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Crisanne Blackie: During the coronavirus pandemic, our graduates experienced many losses as they finished their final year of college. They have also been given opportunities to build new skills.This will be a memorable as well as formative time. Graduates have become resilient and have developed the capacity to adapt to change quickly. They will bring, to the workforce, a new outlook and adaptability. Graduates will find themselves in unexpected places and excel in ways that they would never have predicted and, in doing so, will achieve greatness.
Keri Asp
Program Director for Career Coaching and the First-Year ExperienceCarleton College
Career Coaching
What general advice would you give to a Career Guidance Counselor?
Keri Asp: A political science degree provides students with a vast array of options upon graduation. With a curriculum that encourages thoughtful and productive citizenship, graduates are prepared to take on challenges in any sector. More traditional paths upon graduation include politics, public administration, law, and work in government and international organizations. Others will pursue roles in education, journalism, and the private sector. Investing in self-knowledge and career education is a worthwhile effort for new graduates.
Political science majors will be well-versed in analytical and technical skills, and being able to articulate the value of these skills to future employers is essential. Transferable skills such as persuasive communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking also are well developed through coursework. A depth of knowledge of U.S. politics, international relations, and political philosophy provides insights into best practices that can be applied to any number of organizations.
Networking can help inform graduates about their career options and increase their chances of being hired for an opportunity. It's true what they say; often, you need to know someone to get your foot in the door, to secure related employment. This plays out in many political environments where shared affiliations, such as graduating from the same school, can often lead to a candidate's resume being put to the top of the proverbial application pile. Professionals often want to help and mentor new professionals entering the field.
We encourage new graduates to step out of their comfort zone by arranging an informational interview with someone who works in the desired field or to learn more about hiring practices. Informational meetings and referrals. With each conversation, ask for recommendations about other professionals to contact. Building networks, coalitions, and alliances with other associations is highly valued and has the bonus of honing interpersonal and communication skills.
Graduates should research hiring practices for different positions. For instance, congressional aid positions are significantly impacted by budget allocations, and therefore, vary over time. Political staffers often start their careers as unpaid campaign volunteers. U.S. government hiring is generally done through the USAJOBS system and is highly competitive with internal U.S. government candidates (or previous interns) holding a significant advantage over outside, unknown applicants. Using networking connections to learn about these hiring practices can help alleviate frustration.
Throughout an application process, it quickly becomes evident if a candidate is not knowledgeable about, nor committed to the work at hand. Candidates are best served when they can demonstrate their interest and commitment to an issue by their experiences in internships, volunteer, and advocacy work, or even a course project. Being well informed about current events such as disparate treatment in policing, public health crises, unequal education, prison reform, etc. is essential given the impact on policymaking.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Guidance Counselors?
Keri Asp: The most recent graduates (Class of 2020) are entering the job market in a time of uncertainty.
We are most concerned with our most vulnerable students whose personal circumstances have required significant compromise. Our BIPOC students have encountered racism, exacerbated by the pandemic. Some graduates were expected to return home to provide care for younger siblings and contribute to their families' household income. Our international students have been impacted by restrictive immigration policies that have reduced the likelihood of spending a fifth year working in the U.S., which often serves as the culminating experience of four years in U.S. higher education.
Another implication could be that the starting salaries that people are offered will be lower than in years past, with employers trimming compensation budgets. This can impact future earning potential, with the lower starting salary being harder to make up for over the long run.
We anticipate that even a delay of 6 - 8 months that some graduates are experiencing can delay loan repayment options, resulting in students holding onto debt longer into their future. This could influence the decisions that they make related to the sector that they choose to work in or even delaying personal choices related to lifestyle.
One upside is that they have the advantage of having significant opportunities during their college years. A strong job market afforded many internships and experiential opportunities that helped them to build networking connections and develop skills that can be leveraged in the job market perhaps better than future graduates. We are cautiously optimistic about this Class's experience.
A review of relevant literature reveals the following: voters who experience significant events between the ages of 14 - 24 tend to cement/solidify their political attitudes/views for the rest of their lives. The Class of 2020's cohort generation expressed the following: About 8% of Americans between 18 - 29 think the government is working as it should be, with fewer than 1 in 5 describing themselves "very patriotic," (2020 Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics survey of young Americans). In conclusion, emerging/young adults view U.S. institutions with skepticism; however, they remain hopeful for change, despite feeling let down by the current system. So, while the pandemic represents a global and national public health crisis, the Class of 2020's entry into the world of work is also a defining moment.