School counselors are seen as a guidance figure to help students with everything from choosing a college to some dealing with teenage angst they may be experiencing. Counselors have to be prepared to handle an array of issues, and they should try to have a fair and balanced view so they can appear sympathetic. Many children turn to their school counselors when they are facing tough issues.

Up until recently, a law in North Dakota mandated that there be a 450-to-1 counselor/student ratio in the public school system. However, many complained that this put too much pressure on the counselors, who may have been overwhelmed by the amount of students they had, according to Inforum.com.

The state recently passed the 2009 legislature, which lowers the ratio to 300 students to one guidance counselor. Counselors are happy with this decision, saying it will give them more availability to help students.

"It's an opportunity for us to do more of what we already do," counselor Lori DeRemer told the news provider. "It will increase our visibility in the classrooms."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in school counseling are expected to increase by 14% by 2018.