How to become a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist
Official title: Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists
Also called: Career coach, Career adviser, Careers leader, Careers adviser, Careers officer, Careers teacher, Personal adviser, Careers assistant, Career consultant, Careers consultant, Graduate guidance tutor, Careers advisory officer
Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists give advice on careers or occupations, training courses and related matters, direct school leavers and other job seekers into employment and assess their progress.
Main tasks
- Uses an interview, questionnaire and/or psychological or other test to determine the aptitude, preferences and temperament of the client
- Advises on appropriate courses of study or avenues into employment
- Visits educational and other establishments to give talks and distribute information regarding careers
- Liaises with employers to determine employment opportunities and advises schools, colleges or individuals accordingly
- Organises careers forums and exhibitions and establishes and maintains contact with local employers, colleges and training providers
- Monitors progress and welfare of young people in employment and advises them on any difficulties
How to become one
Entrants often possess a degree, an approved diploma or equivalent qualification. Professional Qualifications are available at Leve 4 and 6. NVQs/SVQs in Advice and Guidance at levels 3 and 4 are also available. Those working with young people or vulnerable adults will require a DBS check.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship (England): Career development professional (level 6). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0694.
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £32,418 a year The middle half earn £28,749 to null.
- About 35,100 people work in this job now, and about 36,700 are projected by 2035. (+4.6%)
Related jobs
- Human resources and industrial relations officers
- Information technology trainers
- Other vocational and industrial trainers
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Questions people ask
How do I become a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?
Entrants often possess a degree, an approved diploma or equivalent qualification. Professional Qualifications are available at Leve 4 and 6. NVQs/SVQs in Advice and Guidance at levels 3 and 4 are also available. Those working with young people or vulnerable adults will require a DBS check.
How much does a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £32,418 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 35,100 to about 36,700 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?
Usually. 76% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.