Certification for Career Counselors

A career counselor provides help to clients who have yet to choose a career, as well as clients who are dissatisfied with their current career, and desire a change. By evaluating the client's employment history, training, skills, and areas of interest, a career counselor can help determine which jobs might be suitable for a client. Career counselor certification is a source of pride, and can lead to advanced career opportunities, but a state license is necessary to practice.

Certification

Graduates from a master's degree program that is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), are eligible for National Counselor Certification. Before applying for certification, applicants should verify that their career counselor program was accredited by CACREP within a year of your graduation.

Exam

As part of the application for certification, an applicant must pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE). Applications are held open by the NBCC for either a period of two years, or three unsuccessful attempts to pass the NCE, whichever occurs first.If an applicant has previously passed the NCE, she can document her score by submitting a photocopy of her score report to the NBCC, or providing testing information on her application form.

Colleague Endorsement

An endorsement from a professional colleague is required for certification, and he must hold at least a master's degree in counseling, psychology, marriage and family, social work, or psychiatry. State licensing is not a requirement for a professional colleague, and he cannot be related to the applicant. An endorsement states that the applicant is of good moral character, is in good standing with the counseling profession, and is endorsed by the professional colleague for certification.

Counseling Endorsement

An endorsement form from a counseling supervisor is another requirement for career counselor certification. A supervisor should have at least a master's degree in a mental health field, and spend supervision hours answering the applicant's counseling questions, discussing how counseling skills can be improved, and how to build relationships with counseling clients. Total clock hours of supervision should be listed on the form, and a paragraph endorsing the applicant for certification.

Re-Certification
During a five year certification period, each NCC must complete 100 continuing education clock hours, also called "hour for hour" credit. Hours can be counted in semester or quarter hours, with one academic semester hour equaling 15 clock hours, and one quarter hour equaling 10 clock hours.