Hi! Happy to let you pick my brain!

To answer your first question about prereqs and schooling, a lot is going to depend on who you work for and how you get into the field. So, for example, I work at a small liberal arts college. For me, my masters degree is really what got my foot in the door. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a Masters of Education in Student Affairs. The econ degree I hardly use, but the M.Ed is super relevant to what I do on a day to day basis. Student Affairs is kind of a weird little corner of the world; essentially, it's working at a college/university in everything outside of a classroom, so career counseling, orientation programs, housing and residence life, study abroad, financial aid, etc. My graduate program placed a strong emphasis on practical experience through assistantships, internships, and practicum experiences, so that by the time I left I had a really diverse and well cultivated resume.

I can answer any questions you have about the students affairs field or my graduate program, if you are interested, but you don't necessarily need that specific degree to enter this field. Most of the time you'll see "bachelors required, masters preferred" for entry level jobs. My coworkers come from a variety of backgrounds--with masters in everything from student affairs, to clinical mental health counseling, to parks recreation, and tourism management. There is no one direct route to become a career counselor and you can get a job in this field with the right blend of education and experience.

That said, not all career counseling jobs are on college campuses either. You have to think to the type of people you would like to work with. I like college students, so college counseling is a natural fit for me. You might want to work with a different population which could lead you down entirely other avenues--high school guidance counseling, temp agencies, recruitment firms, etc. If you give me an idea of your past experiences or what kinds of things you are interested in, I can hopefully help point you in the right direction. That said, for work in colleges in universities and their specific requirements, I recommend poking around on higheredjobs.com, which is where 90% of the jobs in my field are posted. That should be able to get you some perspective as to what employers are looking for.

To address your last question two questions, at the end of the day, it's nice to know that I'm making an impact. I'm really passionate about mentorship and the impact these relationships can have on student success and building relationships with students and helping them succeed is really rewarding; so, that's probably my favorite part. As for my least favorite, I would say, your experience in this field is largely going to depend on where you work. The things that frustrate me the most come from the environment I am working in and the more nuanced parts of my job. For me, a small school where I can give really individualized attention is a good fit right now, but I can see myself moving on to a larger institution one day with more resources. Where I am now, I have to wear a lot of different hats and we don't have a lot of resources to work with which can be both good and bad. I would also caution you by saying, this isn't a career field you enter for the money--education and counseling doesn't pay well, but I'm sure you knew that already.

I hope that helps. What questions do you have? I'm happy to go more in depth if you have specific questions. -LOK