Well Counselor

Are you a new counselor or graduate student searching for a job at a mental health organization? Are you an experienced clinician looking for a change? Whether you are looking for your first job or you have been in the workforce for years, searching for a new job can be overwhelming and exhausting. If you don’t get called into interviews right away, you may begin to doubt whether you are going about finding a job in the right way. I’d like to help by providing some strategies I have picked up over the years that have been successful. Hopefully these strategies help you get started on your job search.

Online Searching

This one is probably obvious but…using a search engine like Google can be helpful in starting your search. It can compile career opportunities from many different job boards and websites. Simple searches like “mental health counselor+ [name of your location]” can bring together many job postings. But there are some job postings that can fall through the cracks of Google. I will share a few strategies that may help you to find some of these opportunities.  

Create a LinkedIn Profile

If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn profile. Not only can you use it to connect with other professionals, but it has a helpful job search function too. Create a profile and set up job alerts. LinkedIn sends you notification emails for jobs that may be relevant to you based on your profile. For instructions on how to set up alerts, view this link.

Search for Individual Organization Websites

Many smaller community-based organizations don’t advertise their positions on larger job board sites, and I’ve noticed that sometimes the search engines don’t include these jobs in their results. In order to find positions at smaller agencies or nonprofits: 

1. Search for mental health organizations in the areas you plan to work.
2. Visit the websites and social media pages for these organizations.
3. Look on the website for posted open positions- usually pages titled “Employment” or “Careers.” Sometimes you may have to really search for the link to the “Employment page in the site menu or at the bottom of the page.

This strategy can work for internships too. Many internships are posted on the same page as paid employment.

Build Relationships in Your Community

It is so important to get to know the other counselors and human service professionals in your community. Go to local and regional conferences, maintain relationships with your internship site contacts, and keep in touch with your peers from graduate school. This can easily be done by adding them on LinkedIn or another professional networking site. Get involved in your state counseling association or with national counseling organizations like the American Counseling Association. Just like in any other industry, it helps to know people when you are applying for jobs. It can jump you ahead of the line in the interview process and often outweigh the qualifications of another candidate who is unknown to the organization. Again, you can start building these relationships in your graduate program and during your internship placement. 

Search for Federal and State Jobs

Federal and state jobs advertise positions on their own career sites. One huge bonus of applying for these positions is that they salary range is usually posted. Downside to applying for these jobs is that it may take longer to go through the application and interview process, so plan ahead accordingly (the wheels of government tend to grind slowly). Don’t let that stop you from applying for these positions. Just remember to be patient and try not to get discouraged if you haven’t heard anything right away. There is a lot of need for mental health professionals right now and government jobs can provide a lot of benefits and stability. 

The federal jobs website is USAJOBS.GOV

• It includes postings for Veterans Affairs (VA) positions around the US and some non-VA positions too.
• Something to keep in mind is that many VA positions require an independent license so you may have to wait until you have completed your supervision hours before applying. Carefully read the position requirements to avoid wasting time and effort. 

To find career sites in your state, you can search [name of state]+ state jobs or employment. The state’s government personnel site usually appears as one of the first links in the search results.

I hope these tips help you begin your job search. I know that searching for a job can feel overwhelming at times. If you are unsure about what you are looking for in your first job as a counselor, read more about how to choose your first counseling job post-graduation. And if you find yourself feeling discouraged, remember that the work you do as a counselor is meaningful and important. You are needed, which means that you will find a job soon.

Happy Job Searching!