In general, education consultants provide guidance and advice to those seeking their service, which may include families, schools, colleges, universities, and educational organizations. As an educational consultant, you act as an advisor. You review how teachers and districts carry out their educational processes and make suggestions for better ways to accomplish those tasks. You can also create long-term strategic plans to modify the course of a district or modify curriculum standards.
Your responsibilities require you to use your knowledge of admissions, curriculum, learning, and educational products to advise students and families on educational opportunities that best fit their needs or objectives. Your job duties may include evaluating students, setting goals for students to help their admissions prospects, and finding schools that meet their requirements. Excellent communication skills are a must. If you choose to work independently, you must be certified to demonstrate your competence and value. Independent educational consultants focus on college admissions and help students prepare for college transition.
They generally work under the IECA and are members of the HECA. The IECA requires a master's degree or higher from an accredited institution, three years of experience in educational placement counseling or admissions, on-campus evaluations, and professional referrals from its members. For some educational consultants, clients are parents and students thinking about post-high school education options. They focus on training and advising members of the educational community on new technologies, classroom policies, student performance and much more. In any case, you should advise them on the opportunities that best fit their educational goals or needs. Education consultants must have a solid knowledge base and strong leadership and other skills to succeed.
To a large extent, you will need a few years of experience working with students or teachers, and you will need knowledge of state and federal education regulations. Many educational consultants can provide assistance in the administration of charter schools and their education policies. The day-to-day responsibilities of an educational consultant may vary depending on where they work. Examples of work tasks may include advice on the use of new educational tools, organizational recommendations, staff recommendations for a school, and more. When working independently or as part of an educational consulting company, educational consultants have a variety of options as to how to guide their consultation.
