Careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist - requirements

Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists help people make decisions about their careers through training, education and expert advice. Find out more about becoming a careers adviser, why this can be an incredibly rewarding career and how you can qualify for this type of role.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

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What qualifications do you need to be a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

A degree will obviously go a long way. Subjects to consider include:

You can study any subject at undergraduate level to be accepted onto a postgraduate course in career guidance/development.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

A master’s isn’t a must but it could help to demonstrate your interest in the field.

Examples of taught MAs and research degrees at the postgraduate level include MAs in:

  • Career guidance
  • Career development

What skills do you need to be a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

As well as being an organised and efficient person, you’ll also need to be compassionate and empathetic.

Hard skills usually include:
  • Customer relationship management
  • Microsoft Office
  • Group-working
  • Problem-solving
  • Public speaking
Soft skills include:
  • Communication
  • Customer service
  • Self-motivation
  • Organisation
  • Planning
  • Working well under stress

Do you need work experience to be a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

Ideally, you need experience of working with young people as this will help you to secure a place on a postgraduate course in career guidance/development. You can do this at university by speaking to your course leader or visiting a careers adviser to find out what work experience is available.

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