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Career Exploration

Credit Counselors

Also called: Certified Consumer Credit and Housing Counselor, Certified Credit Counselor, Credit Counselor, Housing Counselor

What they do:

Advise and educate individuals or organizations on acquiring and managing debt. May provide guidance in determining the best type of loan and explain loan requirements or restrictions. May help develop debt management plans or student financial aid packages. May advise on credit issues, or provide budget, mortgage, bankruptcy, or student financial aid counseling.

On the job, you would:
  • Calculate clients' available monthly income to meet debt obligations.
  • Explain services or policies to clients, such as debt management program rules, advantages and disadvantages of using services, or creditor concession policies.
  • Create debt management plans, spending plans, or budgets to assist clients to meet financial goals.
On the job, you'll need:

Business

  • customer service
  • administrative services

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • psychology

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Basic Skills

  • talking to others
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social

  • looking for ways to help people
  • talking people into changing their minds or their behavior

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Math

  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Attention to Detail
  • Self Control
  • Cooperation

Data base user interface and query software

  • CoreLogic DebtorTrace
  • Microsoft Access

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Financial analysis software

  • Freddie Mac Loan Prospector
  • Prime Debt Software Credit Repair

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $47,320

Education

Bachelor's degree or high school diploma/GED is usually needed.