Guidance Counselor

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Guidance Counselor:

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher) that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours appropriate to the position to be filled in one or a combination of the areas described below. **At least one course must have been from (1) or (2) below:

1. Tests and measurement: Study of the selection, evaluation, administration, scoring, interpretation, and uses of group and individual aptitude, proficiency, interest, and other tests.
2. Adult education: Study of the adult as a learner, teaching-learning theories for adults, models and procedures for planning, designing, managing, and evaluating adult learning activities.
3. Educational program administration: Study of the foundation and methods in organizing for adult and continuing education programs.
4. Curriculum development or design: Study of the principles and techniques for development of curricula for adult or vocational education programs.
5. Teaching methods: Study of teaching strategies and learning styles of the adult learner.
6. Guidance and counseling: Study of the purposes and methods in counseling and guidance, the role of the counselor in various settings, approaches to counseling, and the uses of tests in the counseling situation.
7. Career planning: Study of career development, learning activities, systems, approaches, program coordination, use of educational and community resources, and vocational counseling systems.
8. Occupational information: Study of theories of occupational choice and vocational development and their application to the guidance process. Identification and utilization of various types of occupational information and resources.

AND

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

College or university-sponsored practicum: This position requires a college or university-sponsored practicum in Counseling.

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: assessing individual's current education and career goals; providing education counseling to meet education/career goals; conducting education briefings for groups or units; utilizing automated education software and providing administrative support for education services. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

-OR-

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: school counseling, or educational counseling.

-OR-

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

• Education Management
• Guidance Counseling
• Oral Communication
• Written Communication