I've earned my MS in Counseling, now what??

Congratulations, you earned a Master’s degree! When I started the graduate program, I thought three years was too long, but when I finished, I felt it wasn’t long enough. My mentors assured me everything else is learned on the job, so this article is focused on that: finding a full time counseling position.?

I have only worked in community colleges and UC/CSU, so this is focused on those systems. As I shared in the previous article, you are networking, learning skills, and making connections as a graduate student. The goal is to do your internship in the ideal setting you want to work in after graduation. You may have heard this already, but landing a full-time tenure-track counseling position at a California Community College is highly competitive. For one, there is a limited number of positions and countless applicants. This is partly because of the 50% law in CA Community Colleges where counselors are not grouped with instructional faculty. This law requires that colleges spend half their funding on instructional faculty, but counselors are not a part of this half. But wait, are we not all faculty under the same union? Yes! I still don’t understand this law. I digress. The other reason these positions are challenging to obtain is because most counselors stay in their positions until they retire,? some even coming back after retirement to work part-time. To add to the limitations, many colleges are experiencing financial constraints with drops in enrollment and may not have the funds or justification to hire more counselors. I personally don’t agree with this because if it is one thing students need more of is caring counselors.?

Back to the job search- the first question to ask yourself is if you are willing to move. You may be in an area where the competition is higher, and moving to a rural area or one with less competition may land you a position quicker. If the answer is yes, then I suggest casting a broad net and visiting the job databases every two weeks or so (for CCC, try cccregistry.org). If the answer is no, then the second question to ask yourself is are you willing to work on a part-time basis. I never worked as an associate faculty (part-time), but many folks start off this way. There are pros/cons to this, but I would say there are more benefits because it is a chance to try-out for the team and build skills. If the answer is no and you need to work a full-time role, then the last question is if you are willing to take a non-counseling position to get your foot in the door or work at a university.?

After my master’s degree, I started working at a UC as a counselor/coordinator for the Undocumented Student Program. I was managing a caseload, doing outreach, inreach, and coordinating activities like the dream lending library. Though I was only there for one year and six months, I strengthened my skills as a counselor and project manager that later made me a competitive applicant at the community college. It also made me well versed on how to provide resources and support for students who are undocumented which also made me stand out in the application process.?

The other alternative is to find a classified staff position at a community college close to you. This would allow for you to build relationships, learn the ins and outs of a community college, and see the possibility of also doing part-time hours at the counseling center. I know a few folks who were working full-time in Admissions & Records or another department on-campus and later applied for the Counseling part-time pool.?

During my graduate school field study, my supervisor and mentor Manuel Ruedas would invite me to campus committee meetings where I learned the alphabet soup and bureaucracy in an educational system. He explained the shared governance policy all community colleges are required to use and the power of key players on campus. A few years later when I was interviewing at the community college, Manuel helped me prepare and informed me of initiatives that were going on statewide. You need to get yourself a mentor like Manuel that is in the position you want so that you can navigate everything from the application to the role itself.?

Once you find a position you want to apply to, preparing for the application process is a part-time job in itself. For the job application, I spend about 6-8 hours on average working on it. For the first level interview, I spend about another 8-15 hours preparing. And for the second level interview, I spend about 4-6 hours preparing.?

Here is a brief summary of what I did and recommend for each of those steps:

1. Job Application:I reach out to anyone I know who may be able to tell me more about the position and the internal politics. This would answer if there is an internal candidate in line and decide if it is worth still applying.?Print or export a PDF of the job description because it will go away once the application closes. Read it multiple times.?For every required and desired skill/duty, I use the same language on my resume for the things I already have.For the main areas I see on the job description, I highlight examples I am proud of on the cover letter.?At CCC’s, there is always an “equity statement” which is outdated but essentially, is your place to show you understand the population and give examples of your commitment to social justice.?Ask one person I trust who has experience in that area to review everything before submitting.?
2. First Level Interview Prep:I reach out to anyone I know who may be able to tell me more and answer questions. I ask what are the key initiatives on campus I should know about and research them.Go through the campus website thoroughly, particularly the areas that would be involved.For every required and desired skill/duty on the job description, I come up with possible interview questions and answer them in bullet points. I bring this document with me to the interview for reference (yes, you are usually allowed to bring your own notes).At CC’s, expect a teaching demonstration that is usually 10 minutes on a focused topic. The goal is to show them your teaching style, so focus on your skills on how you would teach, not on how the slides look. Check with another person to make sure you understand the prompt correctly.?
3. Second Level Interview Prep:I reach out to anyone who may be able to tell me more about the President.?I review the College Strategic Plan, the Student Equity and Achievement Plan, and any data I can find on their website. Be ready to answer macro or higher level questions about how you fit in the institution.?

Lastly, when preparing for the job search, be sure to reflect on what makes you unique and why you want to work there. This is always a question in the first level interview. Make it personal, and don’t be afraid to share more about who you are as a person and how that will make a connection with the student population. I also think it is important to reflect after each step of the interview process by journaling or talking to someone you trust. By debriefing, you will gain more confidence every time. And when you don’t get a call back or don’t make it to the next round, don’t take it personal. Oftentimes, there was someone internal or they were looking for someone specific (such as a Spanish speaker). Keep calm, and keep going!