OPT Guidance Counselor Jobs
Guidance Counselor roles qualify for OPT when your degree is in counseling, psychology, social work, or a related field. Most positions are in K-12 schools, colleges, and community agencies. State licensure requirements vary, so confirm your eligibility timeline before applying.
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Get Access To All JobsFayette County Public Schools, KY
JOB DESCRIPTION
– Guidance Specialist - HS/MS (Social Worker)
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description.
Guidance Specialist - HS/MS (Social Worker)
Job Class Code: 4107
Position Type: Salary
Job Type: Certified
Pay Grade: Salary calculations are based on verified education and related experience levels
Reports To: Superintendent’s Designee
Supervises: N/A
Work Calendar Name: 10.5 month salaried
Days in work calendar: 209
JOB SUMMARY
Provides a functional, comprehensive program of direct services for all children utilizing the expertise gained through professional training in the areas of school counseling, school social work or school psychology. These services will emphasize counseling children; consultation with teachers, parents and other significant adults; and coordinating a variety of activities and functions related to the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of students.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
- Counsels children, individually and in small groups, concerning a variety of developmental tasks and problems
- Provides prevention programs through classroom guidance activities
- Consults with teachers and parents about children’s needs, concerns and academic issues
- Collaborates with school staff and community representatives in assessing student needs and utilizes the data to plan and evaluate the guidance program
- Coordinates with faculty, parents, attendance personnel and District Court to correct the attendance problems of truant students
- Provides home visits as needed to assess family circumstances and make needed referrals to community resources for problems interfering with the child’s academic progress, social, emotional or physical development
- Serves as a resource person on the Special Education Admissions and Release Committee when appropriate
- Refers students to the proper authorities for child abuse or neglect when suspicion exists and provides support services to those children as needed
- Assists or serves as the coordinator of testing and interprets test data to teachers and parents as needed
- Consults with teachers in planning and providing classroom guidance activities
- Assists new students with orientation and acclimation to their new school environment
- Selects and purchases program materials and manages their budget allocation
- Selects and attends professional development as required by the State and District
- Demonstrates the ability to communicate in more than one language or the willingness to learn to communicate in more than one language at the novice level of proficiency
- Performs other duties as assigned
- Maintains regular attendance
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Masters’ Degree in either School Counseling, Social Work or School Psychology
Three years of professional social work, teaching, or counseling experience is preferred.
Licenses or Certifications:
School Counseling Certification, School Social Work Certification or School Psychology Certification is required.
Relevant Kentucky Board of Psychology, Social Work or Professional Counseling is required.
Special Requirements:
N/A
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Work is performed while standing, sitting and/or walking
- Requires the ability to communicate effectively using speech, vision and hearing
- Requires the use of hands for simple grasping and fine manipulations
- Requires bending, squatting, crawling, climbing, reaching
- Requires the ability to lift, carry, push or pull light weights
The Fayette County Board of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Superintendent shall adhere to a policy of equal employment opportunity in all personnel matters. No person shall be subjected to discrimination in regard to employment, retention, promotion, demotion, transfer or dismissal because of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), genetic information, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, age or disabling condition or limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
Fayette County Public Schools, KY
JOB DESCRIPTION
– Guidance Specialist - HS/MS (Social Worker)
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description.
Guidance Specialist - HS/MS (Social Worker)
Job Class Code: 4107
Position Type: Salary
Job Type: Certified
Pay Grade: Salary calculations are based on verified education and related experience levels
Reports To: Superintendent’s Designee
Supervises: N/A
Work Calendar Name: 10.5 month salaried
Days in work calendar: 209
JOB SUMMARY
Provides a functional, comprehensive program of direct services for all children utilizing the expertise gained through professional training in the areas of school counseling, school social work or school psychology. These services will emphasize counseling children; consultation with teachers, parents and other significant adults; and coordinating a variety of activities and functions related to the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of students.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
- Counsels children, individually and in small groups, concerning a variety of developmental tasks and problems
- Provides prevention programs through classroom guidance activities
- Consults with teachers and parents about children’s needs, concerns and academic issues
- Collaborates with school staff and community representatives in assessing student needs and utilizes the data to plan and evaluate the guidance program
- Coordinates with faculty, parents, attendance personnel and District Court to correct the attendance problems of truant students
- Provides home visits as needed to assess family circumstances and make needed referrals to community resources for problems interfering with the child’s academic progress, social, emotional or physical development
- Serves as a resource person on the Special Education Admissions and Release Committee when appropriate
- Refers students to the proper authorities for child abuse or neglect when suspicion exists and provides support services to those children as needed
- Assists or serves as the coordinator of testing and interprets test data to teachers and parents as needed
- Consults with teachers in planning and providing classroom guidance activities
- Assists new students with orientation and acclimation to their new school environment
- Selects and purchases program materials and manages their budget allocation
- Selects and attends professional development as required by the State and District
- Demonstrates the ability to communicate in more than one language or the willingness to learn to communicate in more than one language at the novice level of proficiency
- Performs other duties as assigned
- Maintains regular attendance
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Masters’ Degree in either School Counseling, Social Work or School Psychology
Three years of professional social work, teaching, or counseling experience is preferred.
Licenses or Certifications:
School Counseling Certification, School Social Work Certification or School Psychology Certification is required.
Relevant Kentucky Board of Psychology, Social Work or Professional Counseling is required.
Special Requirements:
N/A
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Work is performed while standing, sitting and/or walking
- Requires the ability to communicate effectively using speech, vision and hearing
- Requires the use of hands for simple grasping and fine manipulations
- Requires bending, squatting, crawling, climbing, reaching
- Requires the ability to lift, carry, push or pull light weights
The Fayette County Board of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Superintendent shall adhere to a policy of equal employment opportunity in all personnel matters. No person shall be subjected to discrimination in regard to employment, retention, promotion, demotion, transfer or dismissal because of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), genetic information, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, age or disabling condition or limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Guidance Counselor
Lead with your licensure status upfront
Many school districts require state licensure or eligibility for licensure. Make clear in your cover letter whether you hold a license, are license-eligible, or are completing supervised hours required for licensure. Ambiguity here costs you interviews.
Target employers already familiar with OPT
Universities, large school districts, and nonprofit counseling agencies are more likely to have hired international staff before. Smaller private practices may be unfamiliar with OPT authorization and hesitant. Focus your applications where the employer already understands work authorization.
Clarify your OPT end date and STEM extension eligibility
Guidance Counselor roles typically fall under non-STEM OPT, giving you 12 months. If your degree is in a STEM-adjacent field like educational psychology, confirm with your DSO whether a 24-month extension applies before communicating timelines to employers.
Align your degree field with the job title explicitly
Your OPT must be directly related to your degree. A counseling role with a social work degree is straightforward. A psychology degree for a school counselor role may need brief explanation. Address the connection clearly so employers and your DSO see alignment.
Start your job search early relative to your OPT start date
School and university hiring cycles often run months ahead of start dates. If your OPT begins in May, district hiring may close in February. Map your OPT authorization window against typical hiring timelines for your target institution type.
Prepare a one-page OPT explainer for skeptical employers
Many school administrators have not hired on OPT before. A brief document explaining that OPT requires no employer sponsorship, no petition, and no government approval reduces friction and positions you as someone who makes the process easy for them.
Guidance Counselor OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Guidance Counselor jobs qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes, as long as your degree is directly related to the role. Degrees in school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, psychology, social work, and related fields typically satisfy the OPT relatedness requirement for Guidance Counselor positions. Your DSO can confirm the connection between your specific degree and the job before you accept an offer.
Is Guidance Counselor work eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension?
Most Guidance Counselor roles are not STEM-eligible because counseling and social work degree programs are not on the STEM Designated Degree Program list. If your degree is in educational psychology or a quantitative field, check your program's CIP code with your DSO. For most counseling graduates, the standard 12-month OPT period applies.
Do I need a state license to work as a Guidance Counselor on OPT?
It depends on the employer and state. K-12 school counselors often need a school counseling credential or state certification, which is separate from clinical licensure. Some employers hire license-eligible candidates while they complete supervised hours. Confirm the specific requirement with each employer before applying, since your OPT timeline may affect how many supervised hours you can accumulate.
Will employers in schools and universities sponsor me after my OPT expires?
School districts and universities vary widely. Public K-12 schools rarely sponsor H-1B visas due to budget constraints and unfamiliarity with the process. Universities and colleges are more likely to sponsor because they are often cap-exempt H-1B employers, meaning they can file anytime without lottery risk. Prioritize institutions with cap-exempt status if long-term sponsorship matters to your plans.
Where can I find Guidance Counselor jobs that are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters job listings to show roles where employers are open to OPT work authorization. Browsing Migrate Mate saves time you would otherwise spend screening out employers unfamiliar with OPT, letting you focus on applications that actually match your authorization status and timeline.