Career Advice for a Vocational Counsellor

Working as a Vocational Counsellor, you will assess individuals’ skills, interests, abilities, and aptitude for a particular career path, providing access to training and development.

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How to Become a Vocational Counsellor

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become a Vocational Counsellor

Should you wish to work as a Vocational Counsellor you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for a Vocational Counsellor

  • Four GCSEs.
  • Level 3 Award in Assessing Vocationally-Related Achievement; for assessing outside the workplace.
  • Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment; for assessing in the workplace.
  • Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement; for assessing in the workplace and outside the workplace.

Key Responsibilities for a Vocational Counsellor

  • Assessing individuals’ aptitude and interests.
  • Providing job skills and career counselling.
  • Locating appropriate training and development courses.
  • Determining the cognitive and physical abilities of individuals.
  • Recommending environmental changes that will optimise productivity.
  • Identifying employment opportunities.

What to expect as a Vocational Counsellor

When you become a Vocational Counsellor, you will work with children and adults, at their place of work, their home, or in a school. Successful Vocational Counsellors are non-judgemental, patient, and have excellent understanding of psychology, teaching, and communication.

Recommended Vocational Counsellor Jobs

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How to get Vocational Counsellor Jobs

Our advice on how to get a Vocational Counsellor job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete a Vocational Counsellor application. If you have not held a Vocational Counsellor position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held a Vocational Counsellor role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your Vocational Counsellor CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each Vocational Counsellor application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become a Vocational Counsellor in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become a Vocational Counsellor 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be a Vocational Counsellor and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical Vocational Counsellor experience.

How to get Vocational Counsellor Experience

What does it take to be a Vocational Counsellor? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for Vocational Counsellor jobs. You can learn how to be a successful Vocational Counsellor through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be a Vocational Counsellor Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into Vocational Counsellor part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time Vocational Counsellor or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

Vocational Counsellor freelance work

If you have impressive Vocational Counsellor qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.