Would You Make a Good Counselor?
One of the hardest decisions that we face in our lives is picking a career path that will not only keep us intrigued and happy at the start of our career, but will allow us to grow and advance and make it a great life-long choice. Perhaps you’ve been looking into the counselling degrees online at various institutes and wondering if it’s right for you. Obviously you will learn the skills you need through schooling, but at the same time there are some traits that can make this career a more natural fit.
Read Up on the Description
First things first, before you even enroll in the program it’s a good idea to take a look at the counselling course descriptions. This can give you some insight into the kind of content you’ll be studying. Does it appeal to you? Is it something that sparks an interest? Don’t be concerned if you don’t know much about the content, it’s more a matter of whether it seems like it would be interesting to you.
You will also want to find out how long it will take to earn your masters. You obviously need to be willing to put in the time and work needed to finish the program.
Decide What Your Specialty Will Be
As you start to read about the various descriptions, you will find there are specialties in this program. This is where your own personal interests come into play. Typical areas that are offered include family, marriage, school, addiction, and mental health counseling. Each is challenging and rewarding and deals with different kinds of people and different kinds of programs. It’s important to ask yourself who you connect well with.
Who Would You Like to Work For?
Another question to ask yourself as you explore this career path is who you see yourself working for? Would you want to be a private counselor running your own practice, do you want to work for a mental health agency, in the school board, a hospital setting? There are many options available depending on the town/city you want to work in.
It should be noted that this is one area that you can make changes in throughout your career. For example, just because you start in the school system doesn’t mean you have to remain there.
Speak to Someone in the Position
Another tip that can prove to be incredibly helpful is to speak to someone in the field right now. Find a counselor who is specializing in the area that interests you most and talk to them about their job. Ask what their daily work life is like, the responsibilities of their job, the pros, the cons, and anything you can think of. Speaking to someone in the field gives insights that schooling just can’t do.
It’s a Personal Choice
When it comes down to it, only you know what is best for yourself, but doing research, asking questions, and learning everything you can about the field of counseling can certainly help to make that decision clearer.