We surveyed 2,315 school counselors to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical school counselor. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a school counselor?
Low
High
Working as a school counselor typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a school counselor?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a school counselor typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a school counselor?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically difficult to find a job as a school counselor. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for school counselors.
Do school counselors work full-time or part-time?
80% of school counselors work in full-time roles while 20% work part-time.
Is being a school counselor stressful?
Low
High
Stress is not uncommon amongst school counselors, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.
Is being organized important as a school counselor?
Low
High
Some level of organization is generally required to be a school counselor.
How competitive is the workplace for school counselors?
Low
High
Competition at work is not common for school counselors.
Does being a school counselor require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for school counselors.
Are school counselors allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
School counselors are afforded a certain level of ability to express themselves creatively, compared to other careers.
Do school counselors have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
While sometimes the direction is set, occasionally school counselors will have some flexibility over the direction of their work.
Is being a school counselor physically demanding?
Low
High
Work as a school counselors is not the most physically demanding of careers, falling in the bottom half of all careers.
Are school counselors exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a school counselor changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a school counselor require attention to detail?
Low
High
Attention to detail isn't necessarily required to be successful as a school counselor.
Does being a good school counselor require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a school counselor.