Becoming a Qualified Counselor with Counseling Degree

Counseling is one of the career option that individual can acquire after earning counseling degree in human services. Human Services is a broad field that opens numerous career opportunities from entry level to positions in higher management. It is challenging field, people with strong communication skills with ability to listen, understand and tackle other people problems are suitable for this profession. Becoming a counselor is the first step for students of human services to jump starts their career.
Who is a Counselor?
If we define counselor, a qualified person with counseling degree in human services who advice or counsel other people to face problem situation with courage. They can work in private sectors and communities, and help people of all ages belong from every economic level. The primary responsibility of professionals is to listen to client and suggest them how a person can act to improve situation and achieve goals.
Education and Training to become Counselor
If a student or working professional decided to become counselor, counseling degree is the right degree that teach them all skills and concepts required for this position. Various top accredited colleges and universities offer associates to bachelor’s degree via traditional on-campus and online human services degrees. Online counseling degree or online human services degree is an excellent option for working professional and students with social responsibilities, who are not able to attend traditional classes. These degrees provide complete knowledge of multiple subjects like sociology, psychology, speech, counseling techniques, loss and distress, alcohol and drug addiction and case management. Furthermore, all students are essentially required to earn internship experience from authorized human services or social work agency.
Specific Counseling Degrees to become Counselor
In order to become well qualified professional, students must extend their degrees to a post bachelor graduate degree that is Masters or Ph.D. Students should also consider that degree program they are going to get enrolled is accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). On the other hand alcohol and substance abuse professionals can start their professional practice with associate’s level degree. Major course work of these degree programs covers concepts of sociology, psychology, statistics, child development, research and counseling techniques. After completing degree students are required to take almost two year clinical training in mental health-care facility.
Practical Training of Counselors after completing Counseling Degree
It is not necessary that you will find paid job just after completing education, in this condition you should consider working as volunteer. You can find volunteer job in various not-for-profit associations and religious groups. Degree holders with working experience as volunteer are first considered for jobs when paid jobs are announced. Because you can mention your volunteer work experience on your resume to describe your working skills that’s why it is suggested that high school students who are willing to become counselor in future can join human services organizations as volunteer to complete necessary ground work for their future.
Major Career Options for Counseling Degree holders
Qualified students can find jobs in almost all parts of society like hospitals, schools, industry, alcohol and drug treatment facilities, camps, churches, credit repayment agencies, job placement and unemployment offices, old houses and nursing homes. Moreover, state, city and local agencies also have job positions for counselors. Like other occupations due to budget cuts, these professionals also face layoff s, even an experienced professional still have limited job opportunities in tough job market. Most of the individuals join this profession due to their innate interest to help others rather than a highly paid profession. They feel good helping others than earning huge money.
End Note
Individuals who have decided to become professional counselor should keep it in their mind that they will be earning low salaries at initial stage. If you are entering in this profession without relevant degree and training will get small salaries. But with proper education and training even at associate’s level let you earn good amount of money. To get market competitive salary, you need to earn bachelors and Master’s degree in Counseling.

How to become a Qualified School Counselor?

School counselors work with students of elementary, middle, high school and college. They are very determined and focus on total success of students not only in education rather in their social/family life and further achievement of career goals. They evaluate all necessary things related to become successful professional as well as human. School counselors advise and design strategic plan to get success for individuals and group of students. They also work with parents, teachers and administration department to develop excellent learning and social atmosphere to enhance learning of students and to resolve broad range of student’s issues.
Work on Volunteer Basis
Try to learn primary skills at initial stage by offering volunteer services as counselor in counseling camps and toll free phone services. You can also work as assistant counselor under supervision of qualified professional and teachers.
Pursuing Relevant Degree
Earning a relevant degree in counseling is the most important step that shows your dedication and commitment to become professional. You may enter in this profession with undergraduate degree in education, sociology, human services or psychology.
Improve your Credentials
Try to develop professional relevant professional history by finding job in schools. Because at initial level school counselors worked in middle and secondary schools. This will improve your credentials.
Higher Level Education
Also prepare you self to get advance degree to optimize your employment chances at higher positions.

Completing Specific Course Work
To earn degree in counseling, apply to maximum number of top endorsed colleges. On the other hand various top accredited online universities are offering Online Counseling Degree in Human Services to make it easier to complete your education requirements.
Become a Licensed Professional
There are some other degrees like educational or child psychology, allow you to work as school counselor. But you will have to complete your internship under supervision of licensed professional. Further you have to take specific state certification to work as registered counselor.

Conclusion
Although, this is the rewarding profession in the field of human services, you can not consider it a relax job without stress. You will be interacting with number of different people of different age group with different personalities like students, teachers, parents and administrators of institutes. In order to become a successful and qualified professional find out the best on-campus or online counseling degree in Human services that fulfill your academic and professional needs.

Primary Guidelines for Human Services Job Search

National Association of the Social Worker is the world’s largest association of the social workers has designed primary guide lines to help social workers and who has just started job search. This primary guideline will facilitate human services job search in both the cases whether you are searching job for the first time or it’s the final stage in job search. There are several other online resources at libraries and book stores where you can find more knowledge about human services job search. Primarily individual should consider some primary things when they are searching jobs such as interview preparation, salaries, primary hurdles, workable action plan, personal and social contacts and primary job search resources like websites and news papers.
Irrespective to the reason of your job search, it is always important to make a suitable plan and its proper implementation in right manner to get positive results. We all know job search in any profession is challenging and to find the job of your dream depends on time spent and efforts you made. Time is also an important factor when you are thinking about the total working hours spent on job in whole week. For this reason you must take care that you will be able to enjoy your job along with obtaining all your career targets.
Primary Guidelines for Human Services Job Search
Time frame for perfect job search is very important factor and it differs from individual to individual. This difference is due to various factors and tends to be more prolonged with additional efforts for individual who may expect to do few efforts for shorter time frame. The average job search time frame ranges between 3 to 6 months. Though it can be shorter as just of two months or extend to as long as 12 months. Following are some of the key factors that are responsible to increase or reduce job search time frame. These factors will help you to find out career oriented jobs and are also considered as primary guide line for human services job search.
• Geographical Location
• Time of the Year
• Expertise and Salary Requirements
• Time spent for Job Search
• Professional and Personal Contacts
• Knack to Market Yourself


Geographical Location
Large cities may have more job vacancies but with huge competition. Before starting job search, it is important to determine types and number of jobs available for human services. Other details that you must know before applying for any job include salary range and general economic trends of that city and state.

Time of the Year
It has observed throughout the months of January to April more job vacancies are announced as compare to month of summer from May to August. The job market may progress again in September and October but tends to be reducing from mid of November that continues till the first 10 days of January. This time period is usually referred to holiday season.
Expertise and Salary Requirements
Highly experienced professionals with 20+ years of professional experience may find job hunt a big challenge because of their high salary demands for example $60,000 or more annually. They may take 3-6 months to find compatible job with their salary demands. In the same way, if a professional in any specific field is willing to change his area of specialization for example from school social work to medical social work will take longer time than average time to get right job.
Time spent for Job Search
Unemployed persons should take their job search as full time job. It means on average you should commit 20-25 hours per week for your job search efforts that include searching of ads in newspapers and online resources, improving social network by participating in professional evens, preparing cover letters and thank you letter and attending job interviews. But for full time employed professional’s maximum time requirement to perform job search activities ranges between 6-10 hours per week. Creating and following proper plan is necessary for successful job search. Self motivation is also important for fulfilling job search activities. Complete dedication and concentration is necessary for desirable results.
Professional and Personal Contacts
You reputation among professionals and social communities can affect your job search. If you are well known and have number of contacts in professional communities you can get faster results. Good professional networking enables you to access information about jobs and connect you to valued professionals in your practice area. Good references are beneficial for your job search.

Knack to Market Yourself
Making dynamic cover letters and resumes increase your chances to get short listed for interviews. You can perform well in interview and take full advantage of your professional contacts. These skills need self awareness, good approach and practices to market you.

Conclusion: Qualified professionals holding relevant Online Degrees in Human Services may follow these primary guide lines for human services job search to get job of their dreams.

What are the Three Major Streams Human Services Degree Holders may follow?

The field of Human Services is one of the rapidly growing professions in USA as well as international levels. Professional degree holders are capable to work in diverse settings like state agencies to substance abuse programs of counseling and educating people. Professionals play important roles such as counselors, manger or program developer. Community colleges are the primary institutes that prepare students to find jobs in broad range of social and government agencies or for further studies in social work, psychology, education and other related fields on graduate levels. Governmental and non-profit organizations need highly qualified staff to execute needs of different clients.
Besides jobs placement, Human Services is also a rapidly progressing educational program, comprises of knowledge and course work based on multiple aspects like social work, education, psychology, political Sciences, Sociology, Gerontology and Anthropology. Moreover, students with majors like psychology, Education, Sociology and Law are equally eligible to join Human Services Degree Programs to pursue Human Services Degrees.
Major Stream for Human Services Degree Holders
Human Services allows Human Services Degree Holders to follow any of these three streams/pathways. It is important to note that these pathways are just appropriate suggestions rather than rigid choices that may limit career growth. They help students to enhance their understanding to follow more focused career pathway to get ultimate success in the field.
• Global System
• Interpersonal and Family Systems
• Organizational Systems

Global System
Students who feel comfortable to work in human services agencies on national and international levels should follow this pathway. Relevant course suggestions are Sociology and Cultural Studies. With these courses students will be obtaining required knowledge and skills necessary to work as professional in Global Systems.
Interpersonal and Family Systems
Interpersonal and family system is suitable for students who are willing to offer their services in non-legislative community agencies. Primary courses that prepare students to join this stream are Gender Studies, Sociology and Cultural Studies.

Organizational Systems
Individual with management and good communication skills are good for this stream of Organizational Systems. Students should include management courses in their curriculum. These areas of study enable students to develop understanding implement change systems while considering critical debates with in the policy.

Conclusion: I have discussed some suggested pathways that Human Services Degree Holders may keep in mind while they are pursuing their degrees in Human Services. All students of campus based or Online Degree Programs in Human Services are equally eligible to join any of the above mentioned career pathways. The only requirement is to have relevant courses in Human Services Degree programs.

Social Gerontology an exciting field for Human Services Degree Holders

What is Gerontology?

The word Gerontology derived from a Greek word Geron means “old man” and logy mean “study of” formulated in 1903 by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov. It is defined as the study of aging considering various aspects of aging process like biology, sociology and psychology. It also talks about public policies, humanities and economics for aged population. Individuals study about changes occurs in physical, mental and social condition in old people. They also investigate changes in whole society and community results due to rise in aging population. Finally human services professionals/gerontologists apply this knowledge to develop policies and programs for welfare of senior citizens. Government organizations use these policies on macroscopic or large levels to implement programs for old age people. While private nonprofit organizations like nursing home and old houses apply these policies on microscopic scale to develop successful policies.

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Social Gerontology

Gerontology is multidisciplinary in nature involving number of sub-fields and associated fields like psychology and sociology. Social Gerontology is also a multidisciplinary sub field of Gerontology that specifically deals in study and working with old age people. Professional Gerontologist may be a human services degree holder, qualified nurse or psychologist. Geriatric social workers are responsible to provide social services for older adults over the age of 60 or 65. They work with families and communities to develop aging policies after researching issues of aging.

How individuals adopt this profession of Social Gerontology?

With evolution of this field in human services demand for educated and well trained professionals has increased. Many top accredited universities offering certifications for human services graduate students and working professionals as well. Social Gerontology academic certification is very fruitful for employment opportunities. Individuals completed their graduate degree with Behavioral Health/Human Service majors are eligible to get registered in Social Gerontology certification program. After pursuing this certificate they are prepared to serve ad social services and human services assistant, community specialist, personal and home-care adviser.

Skills Learned after pursuing Social Gerontology Academic Certification

After successful completion of this certification graduates will be able to play important role of Gerontologist, who is capable to help old age people of society and help them to improve their lives. Specifically, they become skilled to:

• Exhibit primary set of skill to help others like tenderness, understanding and careful listening. These skills are very essential to obtain job in organizations working for welfare of aged people.
• They also display a very strong sense of understanding issues from personal growth experiences.
• Professionals will be able to use talent of critical thinking and writing necessary to work with clients.

Work Settings for Professional Social Gerontologists

Qualified professionals are capable to work in diverse work settings like communities, human service and religious bodies, health care facilities, federal, state, local and government agencies. They also work in academic and other research institutes. Moreover, they also work in professional organizations like business and industries. Irrespective to the work setting, federal government has entitled a law the Older American Act to deliver any kind of welfare service for old age population.

Basic Activities of Professional Social Gerontologists

Besides, working in organization professionals may directly interact with older persons and guide them about how they spend healthy life like others. Following are some common activities of Social Gerontologists:

• Develop special programs like health campaign, theater groups for seniors and inter-generational programs for elder people in community center, senior center and retirement communities.
• They also take care of weak, ill and injured old age persons in hospitals, clinics, adult day care, nursing homes ad home care programs.

• They also counsel aged people and their families to tackle issues like employment, death and mental health. Moreover, they also give advices for financial stability like estate planning, investment and housing options.

Anna Adams is Textbook Geek and freelance social worker by profession. She currently blogs for Online Degree Programs in Human Services.

Career Path for Online Degree Programs in Human Services

Diverse range of career options is open for students after pursuing their human services degree online from any of the top accredited online university. Most trendy options for human services degree holders include well-being of children, disable and elder people. Huge number of human services bachelor’s degree holders tries to find careers like case workers with main responsibilities like designing and implementing work strategy after client meeting and data review. Human services professionals serve society by providing excellent assistance to persons who faces crisis condition, abuse and negligence of society.

Career Path for Online Degree Programs in Human Services

Many job options are available for students holding Online Bachelor Science Degree in Human Services. Like other professions higher degree will open up more jobs with higher salaries. Some of the most common areas of concentration learners may opt to specialize for their further education are Psychology, Management and substance abuse.

Psychology

Students who are extending their education in Psychology often work as counselor. They don’t diagnose disorders or suggest medicines rather their function is counseling only. Professionals may specialize in various fields like child psychology, family issues like marriage, individual’s health and mental wellness. Concentrating in any of these areas enables students to join position as social worker or counselor.

Management

Graduates of Online Degree Programs in Human Services with focus on Business Management are capable to work on administrative position for different groups in society like children, disable or senior citizens and for community of all ages. This field demands more time and responsibility. Major responsibilities include managing and directing various office staff, case workers and counselors. They can also work independently, monitoring all phases of providing services along with necessary paperwork and reporting.

Substance Abuse

It is considered as a difficult study area in the field of human services. Students will be dealing with drug and alcohol addicts. Any student can specialize in this field, but students with previous knowledge and experience worked in recovery programs are more preferred candidate for this. Human Services Degree holders with specialization in substance abuse are eligible to work in rehabilitation facilities and counselors for substance abusers.

Anna Adams is Textbook Geek and freelance social worker by profession. She currently blogs for Online Degree Programs in Human Services.