Careers in Educational Consulting: Shaping Others' Careers
By Roshan Tolani
Failure to select an appropriate educational program may prove to be one of the costliest mistakes in life. In an age of infinite education options and an explosion of information, it can be a daunting task for students to choose the right options. To assist with these tough decisions, professional educational consultants counsel students and their families in the selection of schools, universities, and colleges in order to reduce the loss of money, time, and educational opportunities.
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Like other professions, educational consultants' earnings vary widely depending on the reputation of the individual and company, location, and needs of the client.
Roles of Educational Consultants
Educational consultants, utilizing their extensive knowledge and experiences, reduce the stress and confusion of students and their parents and become silent partners in their educational progresses.
In general, experienced and professional educational consultants:
Identify students' education needs and their families' specific needs
Collect and review all of the data related to students' performances, potential, health, and behaviors in order to help them choose appropriate educational programs and select schools or colleges
Provide clients with information, guidance, and objective evaluations of potentially suitable educational programs
Recommend between one and three programs that parents may like to explore
Gather in-depth feedback about select educational programs
Develop a strategy to address all concerns about students' educational needs in the chosen educational program
Be with the family to help them with all future program adjustments
Careers in Educational Consulting
The dynamic world of educational consulting has been gaining prominence and is opening up new career opportunities. Degrees are not essential to be an educational consultant, though many people who want to pursue consulting careers do take courses on educational foundations or educational inquiry. These provide future educational consultants with good doses of theory but not many insights into the practical aspects of education. Therefore, it is not unusual for people with doctoral degrees in education to perform poorly in comparison to those who have only a few years of experience in the classroom.
What, then, is necessary to succeed as a consultant? As consulting is a specialized field, it is essential to assess one's abilities and aptitude critically before one plunges into this career. From an employer's perspective, the following skills, abilities, and experiences can be beneficial:
Ability to handle multiple agendas and personalities
Organizational skills
Understanding of the functioning of schools and universities
Ability to handle and interpret vast quantities of information
Writing and verbal skills
Teamwork
Ability to present complex matters to a variety of audiences
Ability to guide others
Business and computer skills
Qualifications of Educational Consultants
Unfortunately, no federal or state licensing is required, making it difficult for parents and students to select credible consultants. However, a large number of consultants are finding it advantageous to associate themselves with reputable professional organizations. Some of these organizations do insist on giving membership only to educated and experienced consultants.
Fees and Salaries of Educational Consultants
Like other professions, educational consultants' earnings vary widely depending on the reputation of the individual and company, location, and needs of the client. There are consultants who make their livings by charging processing fees, while some work purely on an hourly basis and charge accordingly. Considering the uncertainties of the profession, many consultants prefer to work on salary basis. Some consultants are able to negotiate annual contracts with clients. An associate with a company may earn an annual salary in the range of $40,000 to $75,000, while senior professionals may earn between $65,000 and $110,000.
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