This intake questionnaire is a structured document used by college career centers, university counseling offices, and workforce development programs to gather background information before a first appointment. By collecting key details upfront, counselors can tailor each session to the individual's specific situation rather than spending valuable meeting time on basic data collection.
The document captures six broad categories of information. Personal details include name, date, age, gender, and ethnicity. Academic background covers the school identification number, declared major or program, and years enrolled. A dedicated field asks whether the individual is a first-generation college student, a critical data point since first-generation students often benefit from additional outreach and resource referrals. The reasons section is especially detailed, covering assessment of interests and skills, setting career goals, managing career transitions, changing careers, confirming an existing career choice, clarifying personal values, being undecided about a career or major, seeking informational interviews, and personal development. Current enrollment status captures whether the individual is registered in classes and whether they work with a Disability Services Counselor at their institution. The form closes with a goals statement where the individual articulates specific objectives for the counseling engagement in their own words.
The reasons section is the most diagnostic part of the questionnaire. It allows individuals to select multiple concerns at once. A student might check both "undecided about a career or major" and "seeking informational interviews," which tells the counselor to prioritize exploration activities. Another participant might select "changing careers" alongside "dealing with transitions," indicating a need for structured decision-making tools and emotional support around a major life change.
The form also includes a disclosure regarding criminal background. This information is kept confidential within the counseling department and is used only to ensure the counselor can provide realistic guidance about pathways that may be affected by licensing restrictions or employer policies in certain fields.
Career counselors review completed questionnaires before each appointment to plan the session agenda. Research in career development shows that a structured pre-session intake process reduces the time counselors spend on initial discovery and increases the proportion of each meeting devoted to actionable strategies. Students who complete the goals statement specifically - even a rough draft - typically experience more focused first sessions than those who leave it blank. A specific statement such as "I want to decide between nursing and education programs" is far more useful to a counselor than a vague phrase like "figure out my career."
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form Name | Career Counseling Intake Form |
| Form Length | 1 pages |
| Fillable? | No |
| Fillable fields | 0 |
| Avg. time to fill out | 15 sec |
| Other names | career coaching intake, career intake, career intake form, employment intake form |
