Do you want to create a positive impact on the students’ lives and education? Are you interested in guiding students from different backgrounds and education levels? Do you want to help them in achieving academic success and career goals?
If the answers to these questions are a big yes, then welcome to a rewarding and exciting career as an Academic Advisor. You can help students in establishing an effective academic plan based on their needs and goals. Your role exceeds more than a single aspect of Academic Planning; you can help and guide them in finding resources and information for their chosen career field.
Who are Academic Advisors?
These professionals’ help students in developing their academic plans maintain their grades and support and motivate them in reaching their goals.
As an Academic Advisor, you devote your career to help and advice students to achieve their full potential and prepare them for life after their graduation as they step into the corporate world for working and making a living.
Their advising process begins usually with Aptitude testing that will help them in assessing where students stand academically by evaluation of their knowledge and skill set. They are a crucial aspect in guiding students in credits logistics, applications, tests, schedules and various assistance programs.
After a detailed review of student’s academic achievements, performance in aptitude tests and their discussions, an academic advisor guides a student in the development of his academic and career strategies.
Responsibilities
The following are some of the responsibilities of an Academic Advisor:
- Meeting with students to know their interests, skills, academic choices, career options and help them develop their academic plans and career paths.
- Monitoring the student’s progress and assisting them in course registration and encouraging them for successful and timely completion of their degree.
- Build strong and friendly relationships with students to understand their academic and personal needs.
- Be updated on institutional policies, procedures and enforce the rules if required.
- Maintain accurate electronic records of students’ interaction and refer them to specialized professionals for financial assistance, studying abroad, comprehensive counselling etc.
Education and Eligibility
As such, there is no particular degree tailored for Academic Advisors. Below is the relevant education path to become an Academic Advisor.
- The minimum requirement is the completion of bachelors in fields like education and counselling.
- A master degree in disciplines like higher education leadership, psychology, counselling, social work, marketing, student development, social work or career development is mostly preferred by employers.
- In some cases, you need to get a teacher license to become an Academic Advisor. The license can be state-provided or you can get licensed by the National Board of Certified Counselors.
Required Skills
To become a successful academic advisor whom the majority of the students approach for their academic success and career planning, you need to possess the following skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Passionate and dedicated to connecting with students.
- Problem-solving abilities and detail-oriented.
- Be Empathetic and patient while dealing with students.
- Be Resourceful and organized.
- Proficient in database software like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and other Microsoft tools.
- Teaching skills with service orientation.
- Good sense of humour.
- Excellent understanding of college and universities systems.
- Work independently or in a team.
Working Environment
An Academic Advisor can work in the following settings.
- High School: As a high school academic advisor, your job is to guiding teen students to graduation and helps them get admission to their desired institute of higher learning.
For other students who are interested to pursue a career after graduation, their academic advisors help them in planning their career, choosing internships or apprenticeships, creating job resumes and developing interview skills alongside completing job applications.
- Postsecondary or College: At the college level, these advisors work with students of different age groups like teenagers, middle-aged people and retirees. At this level, you need to advise students on enrolling in the right classes, university transfer for completing their bachelors or seeking jobs.
They support students in managing their priorities, tests and exams, class anxiety and helping them to gain independence. You need to maintain and develop meaningful connections and a supportive environment.
Salary and Career Outlook
In India, the average salary of an Academic Advisor is around INR 3 LPA. Advisors at major universities are paid more than the advisors in high school or community colleges.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average median annual salary of an Academic Advisor is $50,000 and according to their survey, career employment is projected at a rate of 8% from 2019 to 2029.
These advisors will always be in demand for navigating the education system and for guiding the increasing population of students.
– Samiya Firdous
