Most Important Skills For A Career Counselor At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
A career counselor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo emphasizes "unconditional positive regard" as a crucial skill, believing it essential to effectively support stressed students and employers. This approach, trusting that each interaction is genuinely intended to be positive and collaborative, allows the counselor to provide the best resources and foster a productive working relationship.
Empathy, Active Listening, Supportive Communication, Unconditional Positive Regard, Collaboration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Travis Raynaud
Career Counselor
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
Masters in Counseling and Guidance for Higher Education
Psychology
Coaching, Speaking & Writing, Education
Education
Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Empathy and Supportive Communication: A career counselor must be empathetic, supportive, and able to actively listen to students' concerns and challenges.
2. Unconditional Positive Regard: Counselors need to approach each interaction with the belief that students want help and are there to collaborate, fostering a positive and trusting environment.
3. Collaborative Approach: The ability to work collaboratively with students is crucial in helping them navigate career decisions and challenges. Counselors should see themselves as partners in the process, not just information providers
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours as a career counselor?
There are so many. I feel it's kind of inferred because, as I said at the beginning, this is a helping profession. It falls under that umbrella of a helping profession.
So, a lot of times, the terms you hear with those skills are needing to be empathetic, a good listener, and supportive. All of that is true, for sure. You can't be someone that students trust to ask questions if you're not empathetic, supportive, and kind.
But there is a term that I kind of live by. It's an old counseling term called unconditional positive regard. Really, what that means is that every single student that comes into my office, every employer who reaches out to post a job, every faculty member that says they want to assign a resume assignment – I have to trust that they have only the best intentions.
I have to trust that they are here to interact with me in a positive way and that they genuinely want my help and support. This is a skill you need to have because, in this role, the people you're working with are going to be stressed trying to secure a job, overwhelmed because they have to change their major, or nervous because they have their first interview.
If I come in with preconceived notions that they don't want to be in this meeting, or they just want me to answer all their questions, or they'll be disappointed if I don't answer everything for them, then I'm not giving them the benefit of the doubt. I'm not giving them a chance to truly utilize our collaborative services.
So, unconditional positive regard. I trust that every student who comes into my office is there to work together with me, take the advice I give, and ask the questions that will help me provide them with the best resources. That's a skill that's important.