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College Advisor

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Explore Being a College Advisor with Scott Daigle

cz:Briefly describe your job.


I work as a college admissions consultant for private hire. Families who aren’t receiving the services that they need from their own high school seek my guidance. I am also used to supplement what the school counselor may be doing. I become an advocate for the student and provide them direction.

cz:How long have you been working in this field?


I worked in public schools for ten years before going private. I was a tutor, substitute, coach, teacher, recruiter, and college advisor. I worked in both middle and high schools. For the past three years I have been self-employed.

cz:When and how did you decide to choose this career?

I have always had an interest in higher education and I used to visit college campuses as a hobby. Some of the high schools in Maine (where I grew up) use private consultants and that is where I got the idea. When I researched the Florida educational system I found that there was a huge market for these services. I always knew I wanted to work in guidance but I didn’t find my niche until after I worked as a public high school advisor.

cz:What education and training did you receive before entering your field?

I earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Florida Atlantic University. My years in the classroom paid direct dividends to working with students. I joined the professional associations in the field and attend their conferences. I have mentors who assist with advanced training and who oversee some of the new projects that I undertake – it’s a team effort.

cz:How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field?

I went private as soon as I completed my guidance practicum and couldn’t find a counselor position open at a local high school. I had planned to work in guidance for a couple years first, but I realized that I knew the college admissions end I just needed training with the business side of things.

cz:Describe a typical day on the job?

My days can vary greatly. In the morning I can be attending chamber of commerce meetings, networking with others in the field or responding to emails and phone calls. Most days are spent reading and doing research – and lots of it! I read close to three hours every day to stay on top of the latest information. I don’t work with students under late in the afternoon or on the weekends. A lot of time is spent reviewing student submissions to colleges.

cz:What do you like most about what you do?

I love the fact that I am working in a field that excites me. I don’t have days where I dread having to do what I do. My schedule is completely flexible and I take on the jobs that I want. With the internet I am able to run my entire consulting business from my home, which eliminates a daily commute.

cz:What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career?


I would have to say that winning a court settlement in Atlantic City, NJ testifying as an expert witness meant quite a bit to me. I proved to myself that I could do something that was completely outside of the “normal” duties in my profession and I made my client very happy with the final result.

cz:What do you like least about your job?


I truly do not like having to track families down who want me to contact them to tell them about my services. People are always busy and I feel like I am constantly interrupting whatever it is that they are doing.

cz:What is the biggest challenge for you in this job?

By far it is all about educating the public about what it is that I do and marketing my services to a wider range of families. There are so many misconceptions about this field and the people who work in it. It only takes a couple bad apples to cause people to be suspicious about your services.

cz:What would you like to say to someone considering this career?

This is a GREAT occupation to have, but you can’t go into it before you are fully prepared – there is no learning curve. When people pay you money to advise them, they fully expect you to have the experience and all the answers that they are looking for (and rightfully so). Doing a bad job hurts us all.

cz:What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field?


Personally, you need to have great people skills. You must be able to communicate with families/students on a level that they can understand. It doesn’t matter how much you know if you can’t share that knowledge with others. Professionally, you must be able to instill confidence in others that you can (and will) get the job done. Marketing is such an important aspect of this career. Strong word of mouth can make your whole practice.

cz:What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it?

“Good” is a relative term here. You don’t have to make huge money to love what you do. There are very few companies that actually hire college consultants – and the ones that do only have 3 – 6 employees. There is not much work out there if you don’t plan to go into private practice on your own.

cz:What could someone who is interested in this field do to learn more about it right now?

There is a professional association that oversees the private consultants in the country – HECA. The website for the Higher Education Consultants Association is http://www.hecaonline.org. I have been a member ever since I went private and this is actually how the family in Atlantic City found me.

cz:Is there any general advice you would like to offer to students on making a career choice or on work life itself?

If you want to work for yourself, you have to be serious about the commitment you are willing to make. You won’t receive all the benefits that a big company would be able to offer you. And if you don’t get any business that week then you don’t make any money. You are responsible for all the good and bad that occurs and things will never go exactly as you might have planned.

Scott Daigle, M.Ed.

P.O. Box 971321
Boca Raton, FL 33497

(954) 448 – 1624 Cell
www.PremierCollegeAdvisors.com

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