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Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

SOC 21-1012.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers educational, guidance, and career counseling practice across K–12 schools, community colleges, and multi-campus institutions, spanning individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, academic advising, record compliance, and program leadership.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Student records and documentation — maintain accurately under supervisor review, applying district policies and applicable legal requirements in a school or academic setting.
  2. Course selection and scheduling inquiries — respond to with structured guidance using established protocols under direct supervision in a secondary or post-secondary counseling office.
  3. Crisis intervention procedures — recognize warning signs and follow established response protocols under the direction of a licensed senior counselor in a school environment.
  4. Personal and social problem-solving conversations — conduct initial intake sessions with students under close mentorship, applying foundational counseling techniques learned in graduate training.
  5. Transcript review checklists — apply consistently to verify graduation and college entrance requirements for assigned student caseloads with supervisor oversight.
  6. Referral pathways to outside counseling services — identify and initiate with guidance from a supervising counselor when student needs exceed in-house scope.
  7. Career interest inventories and educational assessments — administer and score accurately using approved analytical software tools under structured supervision.
  8. Degree program information — compile and present to students based on assessed interests and aptitudes using prepared resources in a counseling appointment setting.
  9. Active listening and empathic communication — demonstrate in individual student sessions to build rapport while following structured intake frameworks provided by the department.
  10. Counseling case notes and session records — draft in compliance with administrative regulations using department-approved database software under quality-review by a supervising counselor.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Student records and compliance documentation — manage independently across a full assigned caseload, ensuring accuracy and adherence to FERPA and district policy in a K–12 or college advising environment.
  2. Educational counseling sessions — conduct routinely for course selection, class registration, and study habit development with reduced oversight, adapting approaches for diverse student populations.
  3. Crisis intervention responses — execute with confidence in acute school situations, applying evidence-based de-escalation techniques and coordinating with school psychologists and administrators.
  4. Group counseling sessions — facilitate for students addressing personal, social, or behavioral challenges that affect academic or vocational progress in a school or community college setting.
  5. Graduation and college entrance audits — complete independently, identifying deficiencies and drafting personalized letters of recommendation that reflect each student's academic narrative.
  6. Referral coordination — manage effectively by matching student needs to appropriate external mental health and social service providers and tracking follow-through via CRM software.
  7. Career planning conversations — lead using structured frameworks and labor market data to help students explore viable educational pathways aligned with their assessed aptitudes.
  8. Learning opportunity presentations — develop and deliver to student groups, encouraging persistence with challenging coursework using presentation software in classroom or workshop settings.
  9. Multidisciplinary team collaboration — participate actively in student support meetings, synthesizing counseling observations with input from teachers, administrators, and family members.
  10. Assessment data interpretation — analyze results from standardized instruments using analytical software to inform individualized academic and career planning recommendations.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Comprehensive student records systems — oversee and audit across large, complex caseloads to ensure full legal compliance with district, state, and federal regulations in a diverse institutional environment.
  2. Multi-modal counseling interventions — deliver autonomously across individual, group, and family contexts to address the full range of educational, vocational, and behavioral challenges students present.
  3. School-wide crisis response — lead as primary counselor during critical incidents, applying advanced intervention models and coordinating mental health resources across the institution.
  4. Complex personal and social barriers to learning — assess and address through sustained counseling relationships, integrating psychological frameworks and community resources in high-needs school environments.
  5. Individualized graduation and transfer plans — develop and monitor for at-risk or special-population students, resolving non-routine transcript complications and advocating effectively in institutional processes.
  6. Strategic referral networks — cultivate and maintain with external mental health, career, and social service agencies to ensure students receive seamless wraparound support beyond the school setting.
  7. Data-driven academic advising — execute by synthesizing transcript data, assessment results, and labor market intelligence to guide students toward optimal degree programs and career trajectories.
  8. Resilience and perseverance coaching — provide through evidence-based motivational techniques that prepare students for the academic and personal demands of advanced educational transitions.
  9. Ethical and culturally responsive practice — apply consistently across all counseling interactions, navigating complex confidentiality, equity, and mandated-reporting obligations in diverse school communities.
  10. Professional consultation — provide to colleagues and school staff on student behavioral concerns, counseling best practices, and legislative compliance, drawing on deep domain expertise.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Institutional counseling program strategy — design and lead at the district or multi-campus level, establishing vision, goals, and accountability systems aligned with student outcomes and organizational priorities.
  2. Counseling staff development and supervision — direct through structured mentorship, clinical supervision, and professional learning communities that elevate practitioner competency across the department.
  3. Crisis intervention policy and infrastructure — architect and institutionalize, creating evidence-based protocols, training curricula, and rapid-response systems that protect students at organizational scale.
  4. Systemic equity and access initiatives — champion by identifying and dismantling structural barriers in course placement, graduation pathways, and post-secondary transitions for underserved student populations.
  5. Cross-agency partnership ecosystems — establish and govern with community mental health providers, workforce development agencies, and higher education institutions to expand student support capacity.
  6. Data governance and program evaluation — lead by designing metrics frameworks, overseeing CRM and student information systems, and presenting outcome analyses to executive leadership and governing boards.
  7. Legislative and policy advocacy — engage in at the state and national level, representing the profession's perspective on counseling ratios, mental health funding, and career education mandates.
  8. Comprehensive school counseling model implementation — drive district-wide adoption of ASCA National Model or equivalent framework, aligning resources, staffing, and professional standards to best practices.
  9. Workforce and succession planning — execute for the counseling division by forecasting staffing needs, recruiting advanced-degree talent, and designing onboarding systems that accelerate new counselor effectiveness.
  10. Thought leadership and scholarship — contribute through conference presentations, published research, and community partnerships that advance the field of educational counseling and influence practice standards.

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Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Academic Advisor · Academic Counselor · Admissions Counselor · Adult School Counselor · Advisor · Articulation Officer · Assessment Specialist · Career Advisor · Career Coach · Career Consultant · Career Coordinator · Career Counselor
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingService OrientationReading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingLearning StrategiesMonitoringActive LearningComplex Problem SolvingInstructingJudgment and Decision MakingCoordinationPersuasionNegotiationTime ManagementSystems AnalysisSystems Evaluation
Knowledge domains
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageTherapy and CounselingEducation and TrainingPsychologyAdministrative
Abilities
Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech ClarityFluency of IdeasSpeech Recognition
Work styles
EmpathyCooperationDependabilityOptimismSocial OrientationSincerity
Technology
Data base user interface and query softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareDevelopment environment softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareMedical softwareCustomer relationship management CRM softwarePresentation softwareDesktop communications softwareNetwork conferencing softwareComputer based training software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
  2. Counsel students regarding educational issues, such as course and program selection, class scheduling and registration, school adjustment, truancy, study habits, and career planning.
  3. Provide crisis intervention to students when difficult situations occur at schools.
  4. Counsel individuals or groups to help them understand and overcome personal, social, or behavioral problems affecting their educational or vocational situations.
  5. Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements, and write letters of recommendation.
  6. Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  7. Refer students to outside counseling services.
  8. Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
CIP education codes
13.110113.110213.119942.280552.1006

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.