Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Unlike the vast majority of liberal arts majors, you actually have a plan. Does that feel weird? Ask your other liberal arts major friends. They probably have no idea what they want to do with their lives. They just know they don't want to take too much math. You, however, have a concrete desire for a career. Take a bow. Go ahead.
Did anyone think that was odd? Who cares.
You know you want some form of counseling career. You might be focused on a specific one. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. We just want you to be aware that your degree has a few options that come with it. Check them out, and if you still want to be a school counselor. We wish you all the luck in the world. We need people like you.
Common Career Fields
School Counselor. We'll get the obvious one out of the way first. What you do will depend on what level of school you end up at. An elementary school counselor isn't going to worry too much about college planning, while a high school counselor at least is aware of it. You'll need to be certified, and depending on the state, that might mean a graduate degree.
Mental Health Counselor. This is a wide-ranging job that can have any number of specialties like addiction, suicide prevention, job stress, self-esteem, and many others. It's a pretty serious vocation, so we're not going to make a joke here.
Career Counselor. Everyone likes to have a career. After all, a career is something you want to do for the rest of your life, as opposed to a job that's just about money. Career counselors can work in schools, but they're also out there in the private sector. They help adults figure out what to do with their lives.
Substance Abuse Counselor. Substance abuse mostly means alcohol and drugs, though it can mean a wide variety of things. If there's one thing human beings are good at, it's finding ways to alter our consciousness. These counselors specifically work with addicts to help them stop using whatever it is that they're using and to generally pull their lives together.
Marriage or Family Counselor. Very few of your students will be married. Whew. We were worried, too. If you end up going through your major and decide you'd rather work with grown people, you can. It's only a minor shifting of gears, and you'll need a graduate degree anyway. In this case, you're helping families through tough times, possibly with the aid of a talking dog. (Disclaimer: talking dog not included in major.)
Counseling Psychologist. (Most require PhD) Maybe you found that the really interesting parts of your major were the psychological parts. Not to worry. There's a great place to go, assuming you want to be called "Doctor." Who doesn't, right? This is the profession you probably associate with the word "psychologist." You would be the person listening to problems and giving advice.
Rehabilitation Counselor. Rehab? Everyone knows what rehab means. It actually means more than just drugs and alcohol, but of course it means those things, too. Rehab is where people go when they're struggling with addiction or disability and need a good deal of help to put their lives back together. Generally, it means stepping out of their regular lives for a little while to do it. This also applies to things like bad injuries. Even surgical ones. After a knee replacement, a person will need rehab to learn how to walk again. If you can think of a bad problem, there are probably rehabilitation counselors dedicated to helping out. If not, then you might have just invented a job.
Current unemployment of the major
0.0%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
91%Stats obtained from this source.