10 Tips for Career Alignment as a NBCC Fellow

Alina Quintana, M.S. 2022, B.A. 2016

She/Ella. 2020-2021 Master's Fellow, National Board of Certified Counselors/Association for Addiction Professionals.

Current Profession: California Community College Institutional Effectiveness Analyst and Alina Quintana Career Consulting, Founder assisting BIPOC professionals to elevate their career

Those of us who apply and are successfully awarded the National Board of Certified Counselors Fellowship are without a doubt high achieving and hard working individuals. More importantly, wework towards this degree and engage in this fellowship because we are determined to become Counselors. As a graduate student, my goals were to secure work in the counseling field, develop my consulting business all while aspiring for a decent income. I juggled responsibilities like full time work, full time graduate studies, NBCC fellowship, my relationship, and etc. Since, “Hindsight is 20/20,” I share with you some lessons learned and recommendations that helped me successfully accomplish my goals as a recent graduate and fellow of the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program. These are the 10 Tips for Career Alignment as an NBCC Fellow.

1. Break down and prioritize your personal and NBCC fellowship goals

Fellows provide NBCC an overview of their personal and professional goals which NBCC periodically assesses to measure growth through impact reports. Take the opportunity to deeply consider your goals relative to your personal values. Rank your goals, establish an understanding of what is most valuable to you. I recommend engaging in activities that encourage goal visualization such as mind maps or vision boards. These activities often help us develop clear direction while also serving as visual reminders of our intentions. Reminders are powerful in shaping our thoughts and actions. Consider working with a career counselor at your institution for assistance with goal setting, career development or decision making should these be areas that require growth.

2. Journal about your fellowship experience

One of the greatest pieces of advice I received which has helped me better articulate my professional experience is to document the progression of my work! As such, my advice is to journal about the skills you are developing within your fellowship. Journal about the skills you intend to develop. Journal about your process and progress. If this feels like a big feat, simply bullet point weekly notes of what you have accomplished. At the end of the year, you will have a dense record of the skills you learned, training you attended and activities you engaged in. You will review your journal as you incorporate your notes into your resume’s accomplishment statements. You may even leverage your NBCC fellowship training for salary negotiation. Document, document, DOCUMENT!

3. Schedule time to reflect and measure progress towards your goals

Upon establishing and prioritizing your goals, consider what skills you already possess. NBCC progress reports serve as an opportunity to reflect on our growth. Set a monthly reminder to assess your development. This reminder will help you to be accountable to yourself in order to achieve the goals and fellowship requirements you’ve set. Take notes or journal about the work you did towards your fellowship or towards your goals. Below are some important questions to consider:

• What skills am I missing?

• Who or where can I get the help to develop these?

• What smaller steps do I need to take to obtain the skills that I need?

4. Prepare for unplanned events by crafting your elevator pitch

Luck is No Accident, Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career by Al S. Levin and John D. Krumboltz encourages us to be prepared for unplanned events. Happenstance theory essentially says that chance often determines life and career choices more than all the careful planning we do. As such, my advice is to prepare an introduction with elements you can use for meetings, college fairs, or LinkedIn. Keep this in your back pocket and be prepared for unplanned events.

Consider the following guidance for an authentic, bold and clear elevator pitch:

• Your employment history and career aspirations

• Your education and work highlights

• Your current situation and what you are seeking

5. Build your personal and professional network.

Networking is a cornerstone of career development and a necessary skill for our generation of professionals. The NBCC fellowship offers unique opportunities to establish relationships with emerging and established counselors across the country which you would otherwise not have access to. Maximize the time you spend in 1:1 spaces with your peers, mentor or with trainers. Connect via LinkedIn and find ways to establish longstanding communication beyond your fellowship. We do not often surround ourselves with individuals from your profession as we do when we attend events like NBCC Symposium. Staying connected will allow you to learn and remain in community beyond isolated opportunities provided by NBCC programming.

6. Develop your research skills

Analytical skills, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and independence are among the abilities developed through engaging in research. Consider bolstering your research efforts by working with mentors, who often have an interest in publishing. Those interested in furthering their education, this advice is for you. Engaging in research projects and contribution to knowledge through publishing is key to demonstrating that you have the skills to succeed in a doctoral program.

7. Participate in sponsored NBCC workshops and webinars

You will be extremely spread thin the year of your fellowship. In order to take advantage of the opportunities coordinated through NBCC, you must plan effectively. Review the list of webinars at the start of the semester and identify a minimum of two sessions most aligned with your gap in skills.

Commit to being present during the time you are on the webinar. Avoid multitasking, if possible! Maximize interaction during these sessions by introducing yourself and providing your elevator pitch (even if you are the only one to do this). Connect with presenters by asking questions, taking notes, and providing thorough impressions when appropriate. Stay connected with speakers and with your peers attending these webinars. Presenters often offer their contact information. If they don’t offer, ask. Subject matter experts enjoy connecting with individuals interested in their field and rarely decline to share their contact information. Connect with presenters on LinkedIn and become part of their network. Remember, on LinkedIn their network becomes your own. Connecting with other counselors is a great way to remain informed about the counseling field.

8. Utilize scholarships to cover the cost of membership to professional associations

Students receive discounted rates to become a member in professional associations. Associations offer access to job search resources, networks, professional development, journals, conference participation, leadership opportunities, mentorship, publishing and advocacy to name a few! You will not regret joining a professional association. For job search, paid membership enhances your credibility demonstrating active engagement or participation in a field.

9. Present or discuss your NBCC research or projects to captive audiences

We were selected to be NBCC fellows because we posed great promise to become counselors committed to helping underserved communities. We must take pride in being selected and find ways to amplify the work that we are doing in our respective communities. I encourage you all to be attentive to calls for participation in panels for graduate student experiences and public speaking engagements. Encourage other individuals to apply to this scholarship! Do not be afraid to showcase your work. If public speaking is terrifying, find ways to amplify your message by sharing your work with your LinkedIn network.

10. Purchase a LinkedIn Premium subscription.

The world of work and job search is concentrated online. LinkedIn is one of the greatest platforms worldwide for job search and networking with more than 875 million users in more than 200 countries. While you are building your career or seeking work be sure to utilize this platform for search and engage with the counseling community online.

Pro tip: You have the skills you need and through your institutions’ career center you likely have a team of individuals who are ready to assist you to land that dream job! Your career center will house experts in helping you articulate your knowledge and experiences through your LinkedIn profile. While job search can feel lonely, you are supported.