National Counselor Exam (NCE)

Which of the following is NOT a role of a professional career counselor?

1. Assist clients in job placement

2. Teach vocational skills

3. Offer personal therapy

4. Guide clients in exploring career options

The correct answer is: Offer personal therapy

The role of a professional career counselor primarily revolves around assisting clients with career-related issues, including job placement, exploration of career options, and skill development relevant to vocations. Teaching vocational skills and guiding clients through the career exploration process are integral to the career counseling profession. These aspects are focused on helping individuals understand their career aspirations and enhancing their employability. Offering personal therapy, however, falls outside the primary scope of a career counselor’s duties. While career counselors may address certain personal issues that impact a client's career decisions, their formal role does not include providing psychotherapy or in-depth personal counseling. Such practices are specifically reserved for licensed mental health professionals. Therefore, this choice accurately reflects a responsibility that is not typically associated with the role of a career counselor.