Running head: CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

Career as an Outreach Counselor

Name
Institutional Affiliation

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

Career as an Outreach Counsellor

Choosing a career is one of the most crucial decisions that people make in their lives.
Since there are a wide variety of careers, it is important to balance between ones interests and
life ambitions. Although some people are lucky enough to know what they want and end up in
satisfying careers without much thought, most are not (Aksomitis, 2009). Definitely, some
careers are more paying than others. In each career, there are different roles or duties performed
and distinguishing characteristics that ensure that the purpose of that career is achieved.
Generally, people will want to choose careers that would make them happy. However, it is
always difficult to know what that will be as there might be no clear way to do the assessment.
According to research, human beings are known to be remarkably poor in predicting how they
will feel after doing some things in future (Aksomitis, 2009). Having a career field as an
outreach counselor means that one must begin by first knowing what is required of them. Some
of the general duties of an outreach counselor include providing of intake services of prospective
members of a group and reviewing the financial and/or support needed, counseling program
participants on issues of concern, facilitating and conducting workshops related to counseling
(Moon, 2010). Other roles include determining the eligibility of program participants, promoting
counseling programs through public relations, collecting and assembling the information
regarding counseling programs and assisting in looking for funds for the programs. Depending
on the type of participants, the roles of an outreach become specific. Therefore, this paper looks
at the specific interests behind engaging in the career, the experience acquired, required
qualifications and the ways in which one can get training or experience.
Likes and Difficulties of the Career
Like any other career, outreach counseling is two sided. Some factors make it likable
while others make it seem like a hard career to pursue. Whatever the reasons are, individuals that
seek a career in outreach counseling are driven by a strong desire to approach and help people

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

cope with lifes challenges. First, it is really fascinating to see the lives of demoralized clients
take a turn for the better. Secondly, whenever clients experience personal growth, improve
relationships and function levels and achieve their goals that greatly motivates the outreach
counselor who brought about the influence. Thirdly, outreach work may be very exciting as one
is exposed to a wide variety of settings and work with people of different ethnicities,
socioeconomic backgrounds and people of all ages. Fourth, switching from one job to another is
easy for an outreach counselor as one can find jobs in several settings. In addition, the high
number of people who need social support makes the career likable as there is an excellent
potential for job growth.
On the other hand, there exists a number of difficulties as far as outreach counselor job is
concerned. First, dealing with the struggles and experiences of clients may increase anxiety since
outreach counselors still face certain barriers in their lives. Secondly, the sheer volume of clients
requiring social support greatly increases the workload and pressure to workers as try to serve a
large number of people. Consequently, this may lead to personal stress due to unpredictable
working hours. Thirdly, undertaking massive amount of paperwork at work may be boring and
tedious. In the same breath, an outreach counselor must organize services which require spending
a lot of time in sending emails and phone calls as one checks on service delivery progress.
Fourth, working as an outreach counselor can be frustrating when one or several of the many
involved stakeholders fail to do their part. Finally, it becomes frustrating when some clients are
unwilling or unable to make changes deemed to improve their lives.
For those starting careers in outreach counseling, the field is very promising with the high
demand for social support services. To become a successful outreach counselor, some qualities
such as having the desire to help others, emotional strength, friendliness, and openness are a key
One must ensure that they obtain important skills such as good communication, organizational

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

capability, problem-solving, empathy, and flexibility. New entrants in the career should know
that the best way to get the skills is by getting involved.
Important Qualifications and Job Opportunities
Educational Requirements. Fortunately, there are many educational avenues that allow
people who wish to work as outreach workers to enter this field of work. In countries like the
US, there are plentiful of associate degree programs both on campus and online which take about
two years to complete and involve 60-semester coursework credits (Ehrenberg, 2010). With just
an associate's degree in human services fields such as education, psychology or sociology, some
workers can find an entry-level employment.
To get a wider range of job opportunities, a bachelors degree is required. Usually,
undergraduate studies may focus on social work, rehabilitation services or cultural anthropology
in addition to the earlier mentioned ones. Through such programs, students are well prepared to
work in the human services field by focusing on leadership, advocacy, ways of delivering social
services, why and how humans behave and interact. Unlike associate degree programs,
bachelors degree require about 60 credit hours of general education requirements and take four
years to complete (Ehrenberg, 2010). Still, the same number of credits of coursework are
required in ones major.
For further career paths, a master's degree is required which allows workers to get
advanced knowledge and skills allowing them to in managerial or supervisory positions. One's
skills and knowledge will be determined by the studies undertaken. For example, a military
outreach worker might study public policy development, human services or economics and take
courses on community organization.
Training. Due to the diverse educational background of outreach counselors and the wide
variety of sub-careers in which workers may be employed, the employer can offer training which
focusses on practical skills like conducting client assessments, methods of coordinating services,
devising and implementation of health promotion programs and accessing health information.

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

Depending on the focus, the employer determines the frequency, extent and the type of the
specific training. In addition, some employees require outreach counselors to be fluent in a
second language as well. Fluency in several languages is advantageous as one can work with
more communities. Furthering education training is required especially in cases where the
worker is licensed. Such training may take different forms including completing online exams
and courses, attending workshops or participating in educational classes.
Licensing Requirements. Licensing requirements for outreach counselors will depend
on the level of education attained. Entry-level workers must not necessarily be licensed as their
positions require lower education level. On the other hand, individuals with bachelors and
masters degree may need licensing in certain cases. It is important to note that licensure
requirements vary from one state to another but generally, the standards require one to have a
passing score on a national exam, at least a masters degree from any accredited institution and
several hours of supervised practice.
Inarguably, there are a lot of job opportunities for outreach counselors due to the high
demand for social support. In states like Georgia, famous agencies such as Georgia Tech
Counseling Center and Georgia Therapists and Counselors offer service which is highly
demanded locally and internationally.
Internship and the Future of the Career
During internship as military transition counselor, the aspects of one's career as an
outreach counselor can be clearly brought out. It is at internship stage when there it total
exposure and reassessment as to whether the career one chose is the one that fits an individual's
likes and strengths. Some of the major roles during the internship included the provision of
information, tools, and training in ensuring that all the military service members and their
spouses are well prepared to face civilian life. The position involved looking at career goals,
education plans and budget plans to the clients and helping them to find ways of finding a job

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

that will help them realize their dreams (Hall, 2008). It was a great opportunity that examined the
strength that the interns career had on peoples lives. Of great concern was seeing the worry and
guilt that the service men and their families had as some realized that they did not have any
future plans. However, the involvement of the intern helped to sweep out the fear and guilt as the
clients began to make plans which formed the center of job satisfaction and pride in the career.
Even though the experience of working as a military transition counselor intern stamped
the urge to still work as an outreach counselor, it was realized that the passion of helping the
soldiers was not that great. Perhaps the best idea to change the passion was to change the type of
clients. As there had been a lot of interest in dealing with the affairs of the youth, the intern
decided to look for a job as a youth outreach counselor after graduating. Unlike the soldiers, the
youth have more direct problems facing them majorly being the lack of jobs, engaging in drug
abuse and being out of school as they get off to streets. Therefore, there could be a greater impact
working to help the youths as opposed to aid the soldiers.
Outreach Counsellor for Youths: At Crossroads Agency
About At Crossroads. Started in 1996 by Rob Gitin and Taj Mustapha in Stanford, the
agency's mission is to reach homeless youths and young adults at their most needy point and
working to build healthy and fulfilling lives. To date, they have reached over 7,500 young people
and helped over 1,100 youth with intensive counseling relationships (Austin, 2013). At
Crossroads has been one of the most influential agencies in the US and has even received several
awards.
Job Description. In the At Crossroads organization, an outreach counselor for the youth
must be to perform certain responsibilities including outreaching, counseling, collaboration and
organizational development and maintenance. In outreaching, they should be able to conduct
three outreach evenings for every week as they build relationships with young adults and street
youth while providing needed supplies and developing counseling relationships. In counseling,

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

the outreach counselor must make and keep appointments with the youth at day time and for five
days in a week. In collaboration, the At Crossroads outreach counselor must build and nurture
good relationships with fellow agencies and ensure that there is a strong network of service
offered to the clients (Austin, 2013). In organizational development and maintenance, the
employee must be involved in all projects that contribute to the growth and development of the
agency (Luxmoore, 2000). In addition, the team member will help in the operational and
administrative programs of the agency.
In order to be employed as an outreach counselor for the youths, the At the Crossroads'
management gives a preference to an individual with professional and/or personal experience
with the street youth or any related field. Although they are not very strict on the educational
requirement, any applicant from a street background must have spent several years off the street.
In addition, they require one to passionate and be able to meet deadlines. To attain the
qualification for the job, exposure to street childrens way of life is important. Hence, it would be
important to do a thorough research on the conditions of the street life and how it impacts the
youths. Still, graduating with a masters degree would help me get more qualified for the job as
my skills will have been sharpened.
Strengths to the Work
Since the interviewee can go the extra step for people, flexibility about time and
willingness to work at night would not be a problem. Being hardworking, they would produce
consistent results and stamp their commitment to the mission of the agency. In addition, working
with the youths had been a passion and thus it would be easy to work with all from different
racial, ethnic and ideological backgrounds (Luxmoore, 2000). The oral and written
communication skills are excellent and organizing teams and showing team-work spirit is a
guarantee.

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

To sharpen the skills and shape the individual to work as the outreach counselor, it has
been noted that some training is required. First, to serve the clients well, it important that one is
trained of writing and speaking fluent Spanish which is a key requirement. Apart from that,
studying the psychological behavior of young adults especially those who were neglected by
their parents at a tender age will be vital in dealing with the street children. In spite of this, the
job will still be challenging and it is expected that some youth will be ignorant, obstinate and
reluctant to respond to the calls for them to make changes in their lives. With enough resources
from the agency and proper networking with other agencies, this problem can be solved as it will
be easier to attract the youths from the streets by first satisfying their needs.
In conclusion, pursuing a career as an outreach counselor requires a lot of commitment.
Since it is a general career, the clients served determine how the services are offered. As such,
the employers encourage in-job training and advancement of knowledge for their new workers to
suit them for their roles. In this way, the employer, the employee and the clients happily achieve
their purpose.

CAREER AS AN OUTREACH COUNSELOR

References
Aksomitis, L. (2009). Choosing a career. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Austin, M. (2013). Organizational histories of nonprofit human service organizations. London:
Routledge.
Ehrenberg, R. (2010). Educating scholars. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Hall, L. (2008). Counseling military families. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor and Francis
Group.
Luxmoore, N. (2000). Listening to young people in school, youth work, and counseling. London:
J. Kingsley Publishers.
Moon, L. (2010). Counseling ideologies. Farnham: Ashgate.