" Helping my advisees is my favorite part of the job! These students have so many options and choices and often need someone to help them figure out a good path. I’m naturally a caring and helpful person so, ultimately, this job doesn't feel like work. Many people assume that academic advising is just about helping a student register for a class, but it's far more than that. I’m a one-stop shop for students. I connect them to different departments on campus, give advice, and become someone they can confide in when things get tough. Even though I'm helping them, I am also am learning from them. A quick example is when one of my information and technology advisees taught me how to screen record and do a voiceover for an instructional guide. This quick tutorial from him was a game-changer! His teaching made it easier for me to share "how to" videos with my advisees instead of crafting those long-written step-by-step guides."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 21-1012

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors advise and assist students and provide educational and vocational guidance services.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Mathematical concepts/skills
• Developing lesson plans
• Crisis intervention
• Develop educational programs
• Customer service

General Work Activities:

• Mental Processes
  • Evaluate characteristics of individuals to determine needs or eligibility
• Interacting With Others
  • Counsel clients regarding educational or vocational issues
  • Counsel clients regarding personal/interpersonal issues
  • Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients
  • Help clients get needed services or resources
  • Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments
  • Confer with family members to discuss client treatment plans or progress
  • Refer individuals to educational or work programs
• Information Input
  • Interview clients to gather information about their backgrounds, needs, or progress
• Work Output
  • Write reports or evaluations

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, Images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the Identity of employees and businesses.

Job Statistics

 

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

 

• Midlands
• Greenville
• Waccamaw
• Upstate
• Trident
• Pee Dee

 

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area.

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands of SC and SCVIA
• Coastal Carolina University
• Charleston County School District

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area

Related Occupations

• Rehabilitation Counselors
• School Psychologists
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Special Education Teachers, Elementary School
• Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten

NOTE: All data based on state averages. Information may vary depending on region, experience, and specific employment situation. Last Updated: 2025

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.