Once you have completed your counseling training, it can feel daunting to know you have to venture out into the world and find employment. However you’ll do it, if you put your mind to it, and here’s how…
Although there is great demand for paid counseling positions, the number available is increasing, so you’re sure to find something if you put your mind to it. There are many websites advertising all of the positions available across the UK, and many publications that do the same. These include the Guardian, the Times, the Times Educational Supplement, the New Statesmen, the Nursing Times and The Scotsman.
Vacancies can appear in any number of places; from schools, universities and doctor’s surgeries; to proper counseling institutes, in youth social care settings or at phone line services dedicated to helping people out – such as the Samaritans. However if you do decide to work for a phone service like the Samaritans, you may have to go through some special add-on training.
Counselors working on these phone lines need to have a specific technique; they need to get to the root of the problem, and quickly. Some callers to these lines are in real danger, perhaps contemplating harming themselves or living in an abusive domestic situation, so you need to know what’s wrong and let them know almost instantly what they need to do. If people have called just to talk something through, the same urgency doesn’t always apply, but it’s good to know what to do in all sorts of situations.
If you aren’t looking for paid work then don’t despair, there’s plenty out there for you, too. Voluntary opportunities are vast in Britain, and it’s a great avenue for honing your skills. This is particularly useful if you don’t need to work for money now, but will in the future.