Career development is a continuous process with ongoing prospects, with the ultimate aim of finding the best fit for your skills. With consideration for your competencies, job counseling allows people to examine various job options to make effective choices about their career path, academics, and life in general.
Many seek the help of a career coach or job counselor concerning vocational and academic training. By integrating the principles and tools for career development, facilitation techniques, informal and formal appraisal, and case management, job counselors give the support and guidance required for graduates, job applicants, and practitioners to meet their career goals.
High school students, recent college graduates, and even individuals who have been in the workplace for years benefit from the job counseling programs. Because the job search is a challenge for college graduates, there is a countless array of opportunities for well-trained professional career counselors in and out of the academic setting.
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Job Counseling Statistics
What Job Counselors in Colleges Do
* Prepare Students for the Workforce
* Promote Career Advancement
Best Online Schools with Job Counseling Centers
* Western Kentucky University
* Penn State University
* Our Lady of the Lake University
* University of Southern California
* Regis College
* Grand Canyon University
* Purdue University Global
* North Carolina Central University
* Oakland University
* Ottawa University
* Southern New Hampshire University
* University of Colorado-Denver
* Liberty University
* University of Wisconsin-Stout
* University of South Florida
* Marshall University
* San Francisco State University
* Santa Clara University
* University of South Carolina
Job Counseling Statistics
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an increase of education and job counselors by 8% from 2014 to 2024, which translates to some 22,000 job openings. Consequently, the need for job counselors is also on the rise, as students of all levels of education seek advice from experts to make excellent career choices. Economic instability may thwart career plans, but competent college graduates can land the best jobs with the help of on-site career services at universities.
The work that job counselors do is closely related to that of school and college counselors. They are professionals who work in schools, colleges, vocational training, and individual or family programs. Statistics reveal that the average annual income for job counselors is $57,620 annually. Their earnings vary based on their location and experience. In New York, Texas, and California, job counselors receive up to $66,000 yearly.
The job counseling office serves a university or college’s instructional mission by helping students develop, assess, and achieve career goals. Career advice empowers students to make life-changing career decisions. Career service offices accomplish these goals through a range of programs and services that help students determine the link between the academic program and the workplace.
What Job Counselors in Colleges Do
Job counselors are hired in academic settings. A vast concentration of career practitioners is seen in colleges and universities, community colleges, and vocational rehabilitation facilities.
Job counseling expertise can be utilized in several fields. Because these professionals can be seen in various settings, such as job centers, academic institutions, and even mental health facilities, this type of workforce is likely to keep growing over time.
A large number of people who try a job counselor’s services are not entirely aware of their abilities. Identifying and showing these abilities is up to the counselor so that the client can step comfortably into new positions.
Job counselors function as work consultants. These specialists will consciously use the information obtained from interviews to help connect clients with careers that complement their skills. The job counselor may also gain greater insights into the education level, personal life, and experience of the individual as part of the interview phase as a way of monitoring career opportunities.
In sum, job counselors in colleges and universities serve two major purposes:
Prepare Students for the Workforce
Job counselors in schools are tasked to explain to soon-to-be-employees the initial job recruitment, including writing a structured resume, finding references, and planning and preparing for the interview process. As experts, job counselors help students set the right direction and provide the guidance they need.
Promote Career Advancement
Job counselors also hold consultations with adult students who are currently employed but seek advancement in their careers or transition to a completely different area of study. They may recommend skills enhancement programs, such as adult education programs and business writing coursework, for career development.
Best Online Schools with Job Counseling Centers
All over the United States, accredited online colleges and universities have job counseling offices that work with students in planning and preparing for their careers. They assist each student in conquering the many challenges that come with employment. Here are the 20 online schools with standout job counseling offices:
Western Kentucky University
Career Counseling Center
The Western Kentucky University Career Counseling Center is dedicated to supporting the university’s academic mission through a range of job counseling services for students to help improve recruitment, engagement, and graduation. This is aimed at enhancing the potential of the students to withstand anxiety, establish healthy relationships with their future employers, and find balanced manifestations of their ideals and values.
The Counseling Center further promotes the university’s mission of offering educational content, instruction, and consultation, particularly concerning future career prospects for the university’s employees, teachers, graduates, and constituents.
Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky
Penn State University
Student Affairs Career Counseling Services
The Penn State University Student Affairs Career Counseling Services has a drop-in counselor that provides 10- to 15-minute conversations regarding graduate school planning, review of application materials such as resume, networking fairs and events, career options, and career planning.
Competent peer career assistants also help students answer career questions. Interview practice can be achieved through a mock interview where questions and interview feedback can be customized according to career goals. The sessions can be recorded for critiquing and viewing.
The university job counseling center also handles services, such as graduate and professional school inquiries, job offers and negotiation, interview preparation, internship and job search, resume and cover letter making, and career planning. It promotes exposure of students to their careers of interest, and encourage them to become involved in on-campus activities, and regularly meet with a job counselor.
Location: State College, Pennsylvania
Our Lady of the Lake University
Center for Career Development and Testing
The Our Lady of the Lake University Center for Career Development and Testing has an online resource, the Handshake, that provides access to job posts and internship opportunities, job resources, career advice, and registration for career activities. There is even the option to set up mobile alerts for internships and new jobs.
The school staff can meet with alumni and students, assist the latter with networking and finding career prospects. There are lessons on creating winning cover letters, strategizing for job search, and acing interviews. You can also book a career assessment to discover your values, interests, and skills and align them with a wealth of career pathways. Those who wish to plan an individual session with a job adviser may request an appointment online or personally through Handshake.
The FOCUS 2 – Online Career Assessment and Career Planning Program is a self-guided, immersive career development system intended to help you identify and prepare your future based on your desires, beliefs, talents, temperament and career goals. FOCUS 2 will help determine the main research areas at Our Lady of Lake University that best fits your test outcomes, incorporate the results of your tests to allow you to make your career and academic decisions, save your results in an electronic career profile, which you can refresh whenever you like.
Faculty and students can receive support with their curriculum vitae and cover letters through Handshake since it helps arrange an individual meeting with a job counselor.
The university also provides a free training system with a new and exciting way to help candidates easily prepare for job interviews. Big Interview is an online system that incorporates training and experience to allow users to develop and instill confidence in their interviewing skills.
The resources included in the Big Interview include demanding, simulated mock interviews for all levels of expertise and hundreds of sectors, a collection of thousands of exam questions with tips on how to respond, the opportunity to rate and exchange feedback interview responses, a detailed online preparation program addressing all facets of job creation, a step-by-step interview Answer Builder creating relational responses.
Location: San Antonio, Texas
University of Southern California
Career Center
The University of Southern California Career Center has offered a full range of services. Whether it is deciding on a major, looking for an internship or a job, developing career options, the USC Career Center has the resources to guarantee the next internship for a student.
A student’s marketing tools are a cover letter and resume to make an impact on a future employer and to be successful in an interview. Thousands of books are actually on the market with excellent advice on how to write compelling resumes and cover letters, each with a distinct theme and material viewpoint.
The USC Career Center suggests that writing a professional resume and cover letter for internships and full-time job openings starts with a simple, one-page summary of one’s experiences and skills that will persuade the candidate to be successful in a particular position.
Internships offer practical experiences in the industry and the chance to connect with practitioners in their potential job fields. Once individuals have been researching viable career opportunities and have a good understanding of what they are looking for and what jobs and industries might be a good match, their next step is to start selling themselves to competent organizations.
Resume Books is a program that is structured to give unique exposure to resumes of USC graduates who are trying to seek work or career opportunities for recruiters and hiring managers. Every year they host an array of job fairs. Employers are hiring for paid, part-time, and full-time internships.
The On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) Program is a student’s opportunity to apply for full-time, paid, and structured internship positions and interview organizations from all industries during the fall and spring semesters.
Location: Los Angeles, California
Regis College
Center for Internships and Career Development
At Regis College Center for Internships and Career Development, alumni, employers, and students can use CareerLink, the job board of Regis College to search or post jobs, internship opportunities, and other opportunities, or sign up for on-campus recruitment activities.
The Flatley Scholars Program is meant to foster career advancement for undergraduate students. The program is ideal for providing scholarships that have demonstrated financial needs for undergraduate students who have obtained unpaid internships outside of campus. The Flatley Scholars Program does not help students who are required to get a clinical internship for the degree. Other majors include social work, diagnostic medical sonography, education, and nursing.
Through access to internships in some of the most advanced and creative companies around the world, the Center for Internships and Career Development at the university is working hard to ensure that college career programs offer students the experience to explore their intent. The center helps you find a profession that applies to your major. Before graduation, they help you discover critical internships and link you to an online career advancement program starting your first year. Throughout the school year, they create a career development conference and numerous hiring activities. The center offers one-on-one job counseling, as well.
Location: Weston, Massachusetts
Grand Canyon University
Academic and Career Excellence (ACE) Center
The Grand Canyon University Academic and Career Excellence (ACE) Center gives tools, technical support, and encouragement to aid you in making a successful transition from the academy to purposeful jobs and job satisfaction.
Students can discuss educational and career options through the career center, learn protocols on effective resume writing, cover letter writing, polish interview skills, optimize your networking skills, and recognize job opportunities.
Grand Canyon University (GCU) has hundreds of part-time employee positions every year in various campus departments. Student worker jobs aren’t always typical, but Career Resources can motivate students to enhance their chances of success.
GCU internship programs provide the students with valuable learning experiences and resources to connect and progress in career advancement. They can work alongside experts in the business, acquire practical knowledge, and build marketable real-world expertise within the sector. Student interns may earn credits from college and can partake in meaningful hands-on opportunities to highlight on the curriculum.
The internship program offers programmable internships that are affiliated with your area of study, elective internships supervised through the Office of University Internships, and a chance to improve personal training in the classroom.
They provide this free online job and work for the placement board with employment opportunities. Companies can plan a day at the campus to facilitate their organization and job opportunities. During busy lunch hours, the center can provide them with a place in their Student Union and access to all their guests. They allow students to participate at no expense of a different practicum, internship, job, or graduation fair.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Purdue University Global
Career Center
The Purdue University Global Career Center encourages students to focus on their talents, knowledge, and experience to make the best step in a student’s life as each student and circumstance is unique.
Career Services has partnerships with Purdue Global deans and professors to specifically bring job preparation into the classroom. With unique job-related touchpoints for their research plan, students can obtain tailored career details every step of the way.
Students can learn about and try out prospective employers. The career center will tell students about their opportunities and community and how to pursue jobs, as well as respond to their questions.
Students will find the next opportunity on their calendar, through access to the Career Network website at any time. Students can browse and apply for jobs, request a resume check, discuss career-related tools, submit job search and career queries to the online community, offer to examine your social media accounts before beginning a job search, and watch historical workplace spotlights that you were unable to join.
For one-on-one discussion, they can talk to students regarding their current job, plans for the future as well as how their new degree will broaden their resources. Students can check their evaluation report with the center regarding their competencies. They work with students to better communicate their talents and weaknesses to new employers or a current one. Through their job search, they can partner with them, share leads, check-in, and allow you to stay on track to achieve your goals.
Location: Chicago, Illinois
North Carolina Central University
Career and Professional Development Center
The North Carolina Central University Career and Professional Development Center is dedicated to working with faculty and institutions to achieve this goal for students. Brief videos show important information about interviews, networking, and finding a job, as well as other trendy job topics. It includes a reference to all the programs and services, including application tip sheets, interview methods, and other resources to advise students in terms of job skills.
An administrative account can be established through the Eagle Career Network/ Handshake system. Through training, the account will help them post and advertise jobs, organize career interviews and activities, send students mass emails and monitor candidate applications online in one centralized location.
Volunteering at the career fair is essential for helping students navigate the fairs and network with companies. Students participating in the fairs are often doubtful and nervous as to what employers they should be talking to.
The office works ideally with faculty members within their school to enhance and support professional and career development activities. They invite faculty liaisons to participate in the Interdivisional Collaboration Committee to share collaborative ideas, programs, and events.
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Oakland University
Adult Career Counseling Center
The Oakland University Adult Career Counseling Center provides resources such as basic lessons to discuss the critical situation, career or life goals. In addition, they conduct and evaluate tests and inventories, which may help identify priorities, beliefs, skills, and provide encouragement through the different career discovery processes through Web searches and assignments beyond sessions.
The center also has job-hunting methods, interpersonal skills, and assistance in writing a cover letter and resume. If someone has been laid off, there are a variety of ways one can gain support. Job counselors look at the short-term and long-term goals of students as well. Job counselors also work on refining one’s resume and test his or her interviewing skills. Additionally, they can classify qualities used in one’s previous job that could be applied to a new job.
Through the student’s choices, they can utilize conversation, inventories, and card types to screen, along with some decision-making techniques to identify alternatives that one can feel more confident in pursuing. They can help work through a student’s transitional ambitions, maneuver through the confusion, and gather information about themselves that can help them find a better job.
The center’s job counselors are skilled and competent in these fields and can help them brush up on their skills. They might also be able to help them evaluate what skills they already have and what abilities they may need to learn to make that transition.
While each transformation is unique, they will help guide students through their transition process, and how it impacts their career. Job counselors will help them understand the appearance of a strong network and how to create one that could contribute to the next opportunity.
Location: Rochester, Michigan
Ottawa University
Adawe LifePlan Center
The Ottawa University Adawe LifePlan Center offers its services through a consultant center for your career preparation; anything from degree planning to preparing every student for an exceptional college experience. They will also assist you in planning for your first job interview to figuring out who they are as a person, job coaches are there to guide them.
Students can discuss all the following aspects of life through the Adawe job counselor, including enlightened spirituality, health and well-being, personality development, healthy relationships, profession and lifestyle, and educational and intellectual dimensions.
The Adawe LifePlan Center was established to be more than the consulting center of Ottawa University. The Center is an open marketplace of ideas, allowing students to participate in big or small debates and come up with ideas and interests through a safe environment.
The center offers a training program targeted at personally supporting students, alumni, and other university community members. They aim to provide support, direction, advice, and accessibility to tools and resources that can prepare, guide, and assist in any profession a student needs.
Service areas include identity and job evaluation, advice and network links through our official support system; athlete career services; career discussions and job counseling; resumes, essential writing, and assistance; interview advice and experience; Job Shadow links and perspectives; internship seeking assistance; conferences or seminars; job fairs; and job vacancy lists.
Location: Ottawa, Kansas
Southern New Hampshire University
Career Services
At the Southern New Hampshire University Career Services, students should expect professional resume preparation, portfolio creation, and mock interviews to support them. During their studies and after graduation, the team works with students to discover, build and attain their career goals. The cycle of discovering your career interests will be driven through the university’s job counselors.
The job evaluations of the center will help students gain insights into their talents, desires, and how they relate individual skills to future majors and career opportunities. Students can consider points of entry through career path tools, and traditional career ladders ascend while seeking prospects in a particular professional field.
Job counselors are guided on the industry through individualized job counseling and provide insight into potential career areas to help students develop the experience and skills needed to pursue their chosen career more efficiently.
SNHU’s career resources often take advantage of internships that are provided on credit- and non-credit basis to check possible jobs and acquire professional experience. The learning program allows students to develop their resume by linking to organizations for project completion.
Many of the university’s activities integrate hands-on experiences into classes as opportunities to enhance their skills in terms of experiential learning. Many initiatives put students and employers together to address real-world problems, while others aid students in the development of critical skills.
Location: Manchester, New Hampshire
University of Colorado-Denver
Career Center
The University of Colorado Career Center pursues early and regularly engaged students in job discussions to help you understand what classes to take, how you might build up interactions and connections, and appreciate your career potential.
Drop-ins or appointment discussions will address all work-related areas such as deciding a major, having a career change, creating a career plan, writing a resume, recruiting help, looking for jobs, searching for graduate schools and qualifications, building a positive image, and even checking LinkedIn.
Location: Denver, Colorado
Liberty University
Career Center
The Liberty University Career Center conducts job fairs to aid students in interacting with companies searching for them to fulfill full-time and internship roles. For graduates, they may create links with the workforce. Students can look for internships and jobs through Handshake, discover career alternatives and tools, interact with big businesses and companies, and create ways for companies to be able to recruit more interested applicants.
The center emphasizes the best experience, skills, and talents of an applicant with a portfolio or resume that catches the imagination of an employer. Students can take the game ahead and check themselves before getting a planned career interview. Along with strategic direction, the mock interviews provide a comfortable experience. One can obtain practical experience via an internship before graduation.
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Career Services
The University of Wisconsin Career Services offers services and resources to online, undergraduate, and graduate students. We remain dedicated to supporting all of our graduates with their careers and professional advancement. It also offers regular meetings for job counselors to assist with resumes, cover letters, co-op or internship and career search, interpersonal skills, and training for graduate school.
Cooperative colleges (co-op) allows you to obtain significant work experience once you graduate. This training is intended to aid in springboarding your future. The Job Shadowing Program matches graduates from UW-Stout with UW-Stout Employers for an opportunity to experience a day at work over winter break. One goal of the center is to link employers and students through recruitment and internship opportunities.
Location: Menomonie, Wisconsin
University of South Florida
career express
The University of South Florida Career Express program provides candidates the opportunity to seek walk-in job hunt coaching without scheduling an appointment beforehand. The career peer advisors will explore job search approaches through Career Express, evaluate your curriculum vitae and cover letter, aid you in improving your interview skills, and respond to questions on Handshake.
Career Express is available to the alumni of the university who have not yet finished their degree. They can use the program for one year after their graduation date.
Location: Tampa, Florida
Walden University
Career Center
The Walden University Career Center helps the students prepare for full-time employment. The first impression a potential employer receives comes from a well-written cover letter. Therefore, the university’s job counseling services seek to teach students the sections of a cover letter, tips to differentiate themselves in terms of showcasing their successes, and tools towards proper cover letter development.
The center also aids students in the development of tools to navigate their job proactively and evaluate the available resources on their Career Services website. It also helps students learn approaches to create an eye-catching portfolio and to assess the resources and tools they have at their fingertips.
Most research and teaching jobs in higher education involve a curriculum vitae or “CV.” The center also offers techniques and tools through a webinar to create a strong resume.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Marshall University
Career Services
The Marshall University Career Services offers a wide range of resources to aid students in the next stages of their college career and into the workforce. They also have a link where students can find an internship position, internship requirements, and communicate with the internship coordinator.
The university also aids students in looking for the ideal intern with their choice of company or organization. Also, the university’s job counseling service provides a gateway to incentives for college internships. Postings typically appear in their site’s existing internship opportunities section, and the connection will be circulated to students via email or social media.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
San Francisco State University
Career Services
The San Francisco State University Career Services provides personalized career advisory services to existing alumni and students. Topics involve Resume and Cover Letter Review, Job and Internship Searching, Handshake Assistance, Graduate School Advising, Choosing a Major, and Interviewing. Alternatively, job counselors can prescribe career assessments, including Strengths Finder and The Strong Interest Inventory, to aid them in understanding the career path of a student.
Drop-In Hours are first-come, first-served. Drop-in appointments may last for at least 10 to 15 minutes and are structured to provide the student with simple, job-related questions or guidance in making a short resume, online profile feedback, or cover letter.
Location: San Francisco, California
Santa Clara University
career center
The Santa Clara University Career Center takes pride in helping students enter the workplace while giving priority to morals and social equity over earning money. The career center is among the essential resources for students.
It also aids students through LinkedIn to develop a career resume. This is crucial for setting students apart from other job candidates in a competitive industry. The Career Center caters to undergraduate students, Pastoral Ministries graduate students and provides employment and psychology, research, and mentoring services even to alumni.
Santa Clara University has also collaborated with Handshake, a modern and interactive career advancement tool needed for job counseling.
Location: Santa Clara, California
University of South Carolina
Career Center
The University of South Carolina Career Center trains and inspires alumni and students in their enhancement of long-term career management skills, create mutually beneficial networking partnerships between job applicants and employers, and act as a preparation tool for university faculty. It is committed to supporting the interests of the students at all stages, whether they still make decisions on their future path, are searching for hands-on opportunities, or are preparing for the next phase that will enable them to achieve their job goals.
The center is aimed at helping students discover career opportunities. The job mentors provide support throughout the process from the acceptance of the student at the university to the preparation of the postgraduate course.
The Career Center also aids students in career planning, through the utilization of their resources and tips to evaluate their degree or career choice, gain experience at work, and learn how to work in their area of study with a part-time job, co-op or internship. They aim to aid students in building a resume that sticks out to draw employers. They also help with details and reviews of the resume.
Also, they offer concrete advice, personal and online interviews, and explicit instruction. They communicate with employers in person at one of their job fairs or through online search engines. They also need to determine whether an advanced degree is the right option through effective communication with their staff. They offer forensic and self-analytical tools.
Location: Columbia, South Carolina