Academic Counsellor job description template (India, 2026)
A Academic Counsellor job description written for Indian companies: responsibilities, requirements, CTC and notice-period framing, five screening questions, and the full text to copy or post on ofper.
Last updated 3 September 2026. Competitor pricing and plan limits are re-verified against each vendor’s own pages.
What does a Academic Counsellor do?
Every edtech company, coaching institute, online degree platform and private university in India runs on academic counsellors: the people who call the leads generated by marketing, understand what the student or parent wants, explain the course and its outcomes honestly, address the doubts about fees, time and placement, and convert to an enrolment. The role carries a monthly target and is measured on conversion and revenue, but the best counsellors are the ones whose students stay and complete.
The posting should say which courses and audience — school students and parents, working professionals, test-prep aspirants — the lead source and volume, the target and incentive structure, the shift and days, and whether the role is phone-based or includes in-person counselling. The 'counsellor' title covers a sales role and should be honest about that while stating the ethical standard expected.
Academic Counsellor responsibilities
Written as work the person does, not qualities they have. A responsibility a candidate can picture is one they can decide about.
- Call and follow up with assigned leads within the response-time standard, understand the student's or parent's goals, and recommend the course that genuinely fits.
- Explain programmes accurately — curriculum, duration, fees, outcomes and placement support as they actually are — and handle doubts without over-promising.
- Convert enquiries to enrolments against a monthly target, and manage the enrolment steps: documentation, fee payment or EMI setup, onboarding handover.
- Maintain the CRM with every interaction, stage and follow-up date, so any colleague can pick up the lead.
- Run counselling sessions — phone, video or in person — including with parents, and represent the institution at webinars or events where required.
- Follow up on partial payments, deferred decisions and re-enrolment opportunities with the agreed cadence.
- Feed back what students ask, object to and misunderstand, so marketing and academics can improve.
- Meet activity standards — calls, connects, counselling sessions — and quality standards on accuracy and tone.
Academic Counsellor requirements and qualifications
Keep the required list to what you would actually reject a candidate for. Everything else goes under nice to have — a long required list mostly filters out the people you wanted.
- Graduate, with 1 to 4 years in academic counselling, admissions or education sales with a monthly enrolment or revenue target.
- Clear, warm spoken English and Hindi; a regional language for regional audiences. Comfortable speaking with both students and parents.
- Genuine understanding of the courses and the outcomes, and the integrity to say when a course is not the right fit.
- Disciplined CRM use and follow-up; organised under a large lead volume.
- Comfortable with targets, incentives and a fast feedback loop; resilient through rejection.
- Basic comfort with fee structures, EMI options and enrolment documentation.
Nice to have
- Experience counselling for our specific segment — test prep, online degrees, upskilling, K-12.
- Experience with webinars or in-person counselling events.
- A teaching or academic background that adds credibility with parents.
Salary, CTC and terms for a Academic Counsellor in India
State a CTC range. Postings without one get fewer and worse-matched applications, and the range is the first thing an Indian candidate looks for. Say how the CTC is made up — fixed, variable, and any statutory components — so the in-hand figure is not a surprise at offer stage.
- State the fixed salary and the incentive structure — per enrolment, revenue slabs, quality gates — with typical earnings at target. Counsellors compare offers on this line and on whether incentives are clawed back for refunds; say how refunds are treated.
- State the shift and working days honestly: evening and weekend calling is normal because students and parents are available then.
- State whether the role is in-office, hybrid or remote, and whether in-person counselling or events are expected.
- PF and ESI as applicable are part of the CTC; say so. Notice period is typically 15 to 30 days.
Academic Counsellor job description template
Replace every [placeholder]. Cut anything that is not true of your company — a generic paragraph is worse than no paragraph.
Academic Counsellor — [Company name], [City] Employment type: Full-time | Location: [City] / [On-site, hybrid or remote] | CTC: [range] per annum | Experience: [years] About the role Every edtech company, coaching institute, online degree platform and private university in India runs on academic counsellors: the people who call the leads generated by marketing, understand what the student or parent wants, explain the course and its outcomes honestly, address the doubts about fees, time and placement, and convert to an enrolment. The role carries a monthly target and is measured on conversion and revenue, but the best counsellors are the ones whose students stay and complete. The posting should say which courses and audience — school students and parents, working professionals, test-prep aspirants — the lead source and volume, the target and incentive structure, the shift and days, and whether the role is phone-based or includes in-person counselling. The 'counsellor' title covers a sales role and should be honest about that while stating the ethical standard expected. What you will do - Call and follow up with assigned leads within the response-time standard, understand the student's or parent's goals, and recommend the course that genuinely fits. - Explain programmes accurately — curriculum, duration, fees, outcomes and placement support as they actually are — and handle doubts without over-promising. - Convert enquiries to enrolments against a monthly target, and manage the enrolment steps: documentation, fee payment or EMI setup, onboarding handover. - Maintain the CRM with every interaction, stage and follow-up date, so any colleague can pick up the lead. - Run counselling sessions — phone, video or in person — including with parents, and represent the institution at webinars or events where required. - Follow up on partial payments, deferred decisions and re-enrolment opportunities with the agreed cadence. - Feed back what students ask, object to and misunderstand, so marketing and academics can improve. - Meet activity standards — calls, connects, counselling sessions — and quality standards on accuracy and tone. What we are looking for - Graduate, with 1 to 4 years in academic counselling, admissions or education sales with a monthly enrolment or revenue target. - Clear, warm spoken English and Hindi; a regional language for regional audiences. Comfortable speaking with both students and parents. - Genuine understanding of the courses and the outcomes, and the integrity to say when a course is not the right fit. - Disciplined CRM use and follow-up; organised under a large lead volume. - Comfortable with targets, incentives and a fast feedback loop; resilient through rejection. - Basic comfort with fee structures, EMI options and enrolment documentation. Nice to have - Experience counselling for our specific segment — test prep, online degrees, upskilling, K-12. - Experience with webinars or in-person counselling events. - A teaching or academic background that adds credibility with parents. Compensation and terms - State the fixed salary and the incentive structure — per enrolment, revenue slabs, quality gates — with typical earnings at target. Counsellors compare offers on this line and on whether incentives are clawed back for refunds; say how refunds are treated. - State the shift and working days honestly: evening and weekend calling is normal because students and parents are available then. - State whether the role is in-office, hybrid or remote, and whether in-person counselling or events are expected. - PF and ESI as applicable are part of the CTC; say so. Notice period is typically 15 to 30 days. How to apply Apply with your resume through this page. We reply to every application, and shortlisted candidates hear from us within [number] working days.
Opens a free ofper workspace with the title, description and screening questions filled in.
Screening questions for Academic Counsellor applicants
Five questions is the ceiling on ofper, and it is the right ceiling: a form that asks more than that costs applications. Use them for the things that decide a shortlist, not for anything the resume already says.
| Question | Type | Knockout | Why it earns a slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Have you worked in academic counselling, admissions or education sales with a monthly enrolment or revenue target for at least 1 year? | Yes / No (pass: Yes) | Yes | Target-carrying counselling experience is the core; general counselling or teaching is a different profile. |
| Are you able to work [evening shifts and weekends / the stated shift] from [our office / home with a stable connection]? | Yes / No (pass: Yes) | Yes | Shift mismatch is the top reason counsellors leave in the first month. |
| Roughly how many enrolments did you close in your best month? | Number (pass: 1+) | No | Not a knockout — calibrates volume against your funnel. |
| What is your current notice period, in days? | Number (pass: 0 to 30) | No | Scheduling. |
Questions, answered straight
What should an Academic Counsellor job description include?
The courses and audience, the lead source and volume, the target and incentive structure with typical earnings and the treatment of refunds, the shift and working days, whether the role is phone-based or in-person, and the ethical standard expected. Counsellors decide on incentives, shift and the credibility of the courses.
Is an Academic Counsellor a sales role?
Yes, with a target and incentives, and the posting should say so honestly. The best counsellors are also genuinely advisory — they match students to courses that fit and turn away mismatches — and the posting should state that standard, because it is what produces students who stay.
How should incentives be structured for counsellors?
Per enrolment or revenue slabs, with a quality gate — incentives clawed back for early refunds — so that counsellors are rewarded for enrolments that stick. State the structure and typical earnings in the posting; hiding the clawback produces resignations at the first payout.