The qualification is having been there. What actually counts, and which objections are not real ones.
You do not need a counselling certificate to be a Real One. The qualification is having actually attended the college, or worked in the field, a student is asking about. Certification matters for professional career counselling — a different job, involving psychometric assessment and structured career planning. Answering what a specific college was really like needs lived experience, not a credential.
| Career counsellor | Real One |
|---|---|
| Assesses aptitude and interests | Answers from lived experience |
| Helps pick a direction | Explains what a specific place is really like |
| Certification is genuinely useful | Attendance is the qualification |
Both are valuable, and they answer different questions. If the counselling route interests you, how to become a career counsellor in India covers it. This page is about the other one.
You studied there. You know what the brochure left out.
You know what the degree is worth years later, and what actually gets hired.
You chose between the same options a student is weighing now.
Including about the parts that disappointed you.
"I am not senior enough." Recent graduates are often the most useful, because placement realities and campus culture change fast. A 2015 answer does not describe 2026.
"I did not go to a famous college." That makes you more needed, not less. Most students do not attend famous colleges, and those are exactly the colleges with no honest information available.
"My experience was mixed." Mixed is the useful kind. A student can already find people who will tell them everything was wonderful.
"I am not a trained advisor." You are not being asked to advise. You are being asked what it was actually like.
Every Real One is verified before listing — that you attended where you say, or worked where you say. That is the bar: not a credential, but a confirmed connection to the experience you are speaking from.
We are actively looking for alumni from specific campuses — the colleges we need Real Ones from.
On fitting it around a job: mentoring alongside full-time work.
Recency beats seniority here — why recent graduates make the best Real Ones.
No. Certification matters for professional career counselling, which involves psychometric assessment and structured career planning. Answering what a specific college or job is actually like requires lived experience, not a credential. Verification confirms you attended or worked where you say you did.
Yes, and they are often the most useful. Placement realities and campus culture change quickly, so a recent batch can answer questions an older alumnus genuinely cannot.
A career counsellor helps you work out what direction suits you, using assessment and structured planning. A Real One tells you what a specific college, course or role is actually like, from having been there. Different questions, different jobs.
Free to join, you set your own rate and hours, and verification is quick.
Register as a Real One