With experience and training, you can be involved in advising or counselling clients.
Most counsellors and advisers choose to specialise in a particular area so they can build up a high level of expertise. You could work with young people or adults.
Example jobs
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) caseworker
Advising clients about welfare benefits, housing or legal issues.
Helpline adviser
Answering calls from the public, providing advice and information.
Listening volunteer
Taking calls from people who are having difficulty with their lives, including suicidal thoughts.
Careers adviser
Working with young people or adults to help them make decisions about qualifications, jobs and career progression.
Youth offending team mentor
Encouraging and supporting a young person at risk of offending.
Things you need to know
Typical working conditions
- You will usually be office-based and will work with clients either face to face or by phone.
- The work can be fast-paced.
- You will be dealing with difficult issues in people’s lives.
Qualifications needed
For advising, you need some experience of customer service work. For counselling, you need some experience of advice or counselling. It may help to have knowledge or experience of the issues you will be advising on, such as debt, bereavement, etc. (although you will receive training). A counselling qualification is useful. For call centre work you need IT skills.
Useful links
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