Career Counsellor

Meeting students and parents, using aptitude and interest tests, explaining streams, courses and job options, and helping them make a plan. Work happens in schools, NCS career centres, private practice, colleges and workshops.

A day in the work
You start the morning by reviewing notes from a student's aptitude test and deciding what to talk about. Much of the day goes to one-to-one sessions where you ask questions, listen and check interests against real courses and jobs. In the afternoon you might meet parents, prepare a group talk on streams after Class 10, or write a short session report. The day ends with follow-up messages and planning for the next week.

1. Step 1 · Class 10–12Choose any stream you can do well in. Psychology, Humanities or Economics help you learn about people and society, but they are not required. Ask your school counsellor about the tests they use. (reported — check with the official body)
2. Step 2 · After Class 12Complete a bachelor's degree in any subject. Education, psychology, social work or sociology are the most useful choices for this work. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · 1 year after graduationTake a PG Diploma in Guidance and Counselling or career counselling. Check the course's syllabus for psychometric tools, counselling practice and ethics. Choose a recognised university or institute. (reported — check with the official body)
4. Step 4 · Early practiceBuild supervised experience through internships, school or NGO work, or volunteering. CBSE school posts also ask for 50 hours of approved training. (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · OptionalRegister as a counsellor on the National Career Service portal if your qualifications and experience meet its empanelment rules. Registration on the portal is free.

Fees from: National Career Service portal (no fee at any stage of registration) · MGM University, PG Diploma in Guidance & Counseling fee table (2026–27 admissions) · Sanskriti University, PG Diploma in Guidance and Counselling (fee listing). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings vary a lot. A new counsellor in a school, a private practice owner and an experienced counsellor with a strong client base can be paid very differently, and city and employer matter too.

• Class 7–9Take a free introductory psychology or career-related course on SWAYAM. Write down two topics that interest you and why.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12Ask your school counsellor which aptitude or interest test they use. Then try the free aptitude tests on the National Career Service portal and compare the results with what you like doing.Open link ↗
• College or afterVolunteer for a few hours with a school or youth programme that helps students plan their studies. Sign up through MY Bharat if you are 15 or older.Open link ↗

• No law licenses career counsellors in India, as far as I could find. Treat any 'government approved' or 'international' certificate with care and check what the course actually covers.
• CBSE has made career counsellors compulsory in affiliated schools for Classes 9–12, at one counsellor per 500 students. A trained teacher can fill in for up to two academic years (reported from news reports of the January 2026 circular, which I could not open directly).
• A career counsellor uses tests as a guide, not as a verdict. Good work means explaining results with the student and family and checking how the student feels about them.
• Many courses are private and online. Their fees and claims about job placement vary a lot, so compare the syllabus and the trainers before you pay.