Best Practice when Applying for a Counselling Placement
Applying for a counselling placement is in most regards no different from applying for any job. The quality and type of placement interviews you are offered will be determined by the quality of the applications you put forward. No matter where you apply for a counselling placement, your potential placement host is looking for someone who will represent their organization with professionalism, who will work reliably and with integrity, and who has excellent communication skills. First impressions are crucial, and will help make the difference between a dead end and an offer of an outstanding placement.
CV PointersCover Letter Pointers
Are you and the placement right for each other?
Pointers for securing an interview
Successful interviews
CV Pointers
Your CV should make a great first impression. Placement hosts will make a quick decision about whether or not to offer you an interview on the basis of this impression. Their decision will depend on two factors: are you appropriately qualified, and have you done a good job presenting yourself on paper. Include a photo if you feel it is appropriate.
Do tailor your CV and letter to highlight your counselling experience and training to date. If you have little practical counselling experience so far, highlight your academic learning and counselling skills learned in class role plays.
Keep your CV brief, well-organized and relevant to the post you are applying for. Your readers don't want to plough through detailed material, especially if it's about your work or education in a different field than the one you are applying for. Also bear in mind that personal information (such as your marital status or hobbies) has no place on a professional CV and is not of interest to your potential placement host.
Make sure your education and experience sections in your CV are in chronological order with most recent at top. Always include dates, the names of the institutions where you studied, your qualifications, and any distinctions.
Make sure your CV and cover letter are polished. Proofread them several times and have someone else proofread them for you before you send them out. Careless spelling and grammar, and inferior writing style are some of the top reasons applications are rejected.
Cover Letter Pointers
You cover letter is your opportunity to concisely, yet personally, introduce yourself to your potential placement host. Your cover letter should ideally be no more than one page in length. You must include a summary of your relevant skills and experience, and you must highlight what you can offer your potential host. Demonstrate that you have some knowledge of the work conducted by the organization or of the particular population it serves. Address the letter to the person who handles placement applications. Do not ever send a generic "Dear Sir" cover letter.
Your cover letter should only include information which is directly relevant to the post you are applying for. A brief description of any previous counselling work you have done is useful. Do not include personal information such as problems you have overcome or your hobbies. If your potential placement host wants this type of information they will ask in your interview.
Unfortunately some students approach a potential placement provider with the assumption that the placement provider has an obligation to provide students the experience they require. Some students highlight what the placement provider must do for them rather than what they can do for the placement provider. Demonstrating either of these attitudes is a mistake and will damage your application. There is stiff competition for good quality placement positions, and the onus is on you to demonstrate what you have to offer that will benefit the organization's clients and therapy team.
Are you and the placement right for each other?
Do check the person specification and job description for the post you are applying for. If the placement provider states essentials for the post which you do not possess (e.g. level of training, prior work experience or type of counselling theory you should be trained in), probably best not to waste your time and theirs by applying. On the other hand if the person specification is broader, and you think you might qualify, put forward a good application!
Likewise, check the requirements of the post before applying. If, for instance, the placement provider is looking for trainee counsellors who will work evenings, and you are only available daytimes, don't go to the effort of applying. Consider factors such as distance from your home. It might be a great placement but if you have to drive an hour in heavy traffic to get there, will you be able to maintain your enthusiasm for the post over many months?
Do not apply for placements with organizations that you have no genuine interest in working for.
Some people are drawn to train as counsellors after experiencing their own mental health problem. If this is your situation, you must carefully examine your level of preparedness to engage in counselling work. If you are still struggling with ongoing symptoms it is best to address and resolve these before pursuing a placement.
Does the placement offer the experience and support you need to meet your training objectives? Do you know anyone else who had a placement there? How do they rate the experience? Do you get the impression the placement programme is well-organized? Some students land placements that turn out to be practically useless because they are not given the required workload or supervision. Some information about what the placement offers you won't find out unless you get an interview, but if you develop any doubts about a potential placement, give it a miss.
Pointers for securing an interview
Be contactable! Make sure your phone is turned on and has voice mail. If a potential placement host finds it hard to get in touch with you, it sends a bad signal about your availability and professionalism, and will damage your application.
Your telephone manner gives a strong initial impression. Do practice good telephone etiquette when you receive a call from a potential placement host. Return phone calls promptly. Be upbeat, positive and proactive in your manner. If you have given your mobile number, and your potential host rings you when you are looking after your toddler, out on the street with buses and ambulances going past, or at a rock concert, do not attempt to conduct a conversation! Offer to call back at a time you will be undisturbed and can really talk.
If you are turned down for an interview, see if you can find out why. It may be that you could be better qualified for the post you really want in another year, and should reapply in future. On the other hand, if you were turned down for an irremediable reason, take what you have learned from the experience and improve your application to the next organization.
Successful interviews
Do prepare well should you be offered an interview. Don't be shy about asking in advance what sorts of questions might be posed in the interview. The placement host will certainly want to find out more about your work style and how you might handle difficult situations or clients with complex needs. You may also be asked how the experience gained on this placement would fit into your overall career development plan. You may be asked personal questions such as why you want to be a counsellor. Ask a counselling student colleague to do a mock interview with you beforehand.
Do be on time for your interview (this includes not arriving too early). Dress neatly. Do not wear jeans and a t-shirt even if it is likely counsellors at the organization dress casually. Bring a copy of your CV and your CRB and, if you have one, your liability insurance cover page. Be prepared to provide references, complete with addresses, post codes and telephone numbers. Show your interviewer that you are ready to start your placement and have anticipated their needs.
Do, above all, convey your enthusiasm for counselling, and demonstrate your knowledge about latest developments in the particular area of counselling you are applying for.
Your interview is not only your host's opportunity to find out more about you and your skills, but it's also the best time for you to find out more about the placement. Prepare questions in advance. If you are offered the placement but you have doubts about its suitability, do not feel obliged to take it. It may serve you better in the long run to extend your search for the right placement!