Employment counsellors and career development practitioners provide information and help to job seeker clients on all aspects of employment search and career planning. They also provide advice and information to employer clients regarding employment issues and human resources. Employment counsellors and career development practitioners are employed by human resource departments of establishments, employment service organizations, consulting firms, correctional facilities and by federal and provincial governments. Supervisors of employment counsellors are included in this group.

• career coach
• career counsellor
• career development practitioner
• career resource centre co-ordinator
• case manager
• employer engagement specialist
• employment counsellor
• employment maintenance worker
• job coach
• job counsellor
• job developer
• workforce development officer
• workshop facilitator

To work in this field, you should have an interest in the welfare of others and a desire to help them. Patience, maturity, and good listening skills are important. You must be able to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing. Leadership, reasoning and decision-making skills are also necessary. An understanding of human nature is also important.

• A bachelor's degree or college diploma in employment counselling, career development or in a related field, such as human resources development, psychology, education or social services is required.
• A master's degree in counselling psychology or a related field such as educational psychology, developmental psychology or social work may be required.

Mobility to positions in personnel or training is possible. Progression to supervisory positions is possible through experience.

The employment outlook over the next few years for this occupational group is “average”, which indicates the chances of a qualified individual finding work is comparable to the average for all occupations in Nova Scotia. This is not a large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities may not be that frequent. The number employed in this occupation is expected to grow moderately over the next few years, which will likely provide some additional opportunities for employment. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Career Practitioners (Employment Counsellors) most commonly work full-time hours. Furthermore, the jobs are typically permanent positions. With employment conditions being somewhat seasonal, periods of downtime or layoff throughout the year affect some workers.

The median employment income for 62% of Career Practitioners (Employment Counsellors) who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $43,225. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)

Hourly earnings data are from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. Data are not available for all occupations. Hourly earnings are calculated based on usual hours worked per week. This is how an annual salary, for instance, gets converted to an hourly rate. The data include full and part-time workers along with new and experienced workers. Self-employed workers are excluded.

Annual employment income data reported in the Work Prospects section, are from the 2011 National Household Survey by Statistics Canada. Much of the data (around 70%) came directly from tax records. The data relates to the year 2010 and includes total wages and salaries and net income from self-employment.

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