How to Answer: Discuss your short and long term career goals.
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Mental Health Counselor job interview.
3. Discuss your short and long term career goals.
How to Answer
Having a clear short and long term career plan will reveal to the interviewer that you have ambitions for growth and development as a Mental Health Counselor. The more detailed you are when responding to this question, the more engaged you will appear. As a Mental Health Counselor, you work with clients to help them attain their goals, so why not set some for yourself? When discussing your goals, be sure to include how you intend to reach them.
Written by Ryan Brown on August 11th, 2014
Entry Level Example
"As a recent graduate and an enthusiast for continued education, I will always look to broaden my skillset so that I can be a more effective Mental Health Counselor. Over the years, I want to learn a range of modalities since I recognize that there's no one-size-fits-all therapy technique. For example, I think that psychodynamic therapy can help clients who are working on improving their anxiety and depression. For that reason, I have set a short-term goal of learning this particular therapy approach. I have already enrolled in an online training program, which begins next month. Also, I plan to study somatic therapy to help patients with deep-seated trauma. In five years, I plan to offer both psychodynamic and somatic therapy treatment options, which I believe will benefit your clinic as clients at the same time."
Written by Rachelle Enns on August 15th, 2020
Answer Example
"My short term goals are to become a better Mental Health Counselor in general. This goal means getting quicker at typing up my assessment reports, learning better time management, and balancing my work and home life with more finesse. My long term goals are to finish my masters' degree in counseling and take on more leadership responsibilities, eventually becoming a supervisor in your mental health clinic. I have a passion for making positive changes in our system, and I am excited to see what I can do as a supervisor, making processes and therapies more efficient and effective for everyone."
Written by Ryan Brown on August 11th, 2014
Anonymous Interview Answers with Professional Feedback
Anonymous Answer
My short-term goals are to gain the necessary training in leadership, training in having a successful counseling center, and training for relevant skill development."
Stephanie's Feedback