• Credit counselors may gain great satisfaction from helping people, but dealing with creditors is no picnic.credit 3d sign image by onlinebewerbung.de from Fotolia.com
  
  The consumer culture that pervades the U.S. population can have dramatic consequences. It's not uncommon for consumers to struggle under huge and overwhelming debt burdens. Credit counselors are the professionals who deal with individual consumers and their creditors. The best counselors are able to put a consumer back on the path to financial health.
  
  

Pro: What to Avoid

• Credit counselors are exposed, usually on a daily basis, to the woes of unwieldy debt loads. These professionals see people of all stripes--low-income folks, doctors, teachers--struggling to meet their monthly payments. One of largest advantages of being a credit counselor is witnessing poor borrowing behavior and knowing what to avoid. A credit counselor will understand that it doesn't matter how much you earn--what matters is how well you live within your means.
  
  

Pro: Helping

• Previous experience influences some credit counselors into the field. Much like alcohol and drug counselors, some credit counselors have been in the same situation as their clients. With the wealth of experience, these professionals can not only empathize and recognize the pain that is caused by debt, but they can also use strategies that worked for them to help their clients. In addition, with a strong track record of navigating consumers out of debt, credit counselors will find that their business increases through referrals.
  
  

Con: Creditors

• Consumer lenders are in the profit-making business. Therefore, these creditors are often unwilling to make concessions or sacrifices when it comes to consumer debt. As a result, the main function of the credit counselor is to be on the phone with acerbic and often ill-tempered creditors, persuading them to change their accounts. The credit counselor must always be diplomatic and kind--even when it is not called for. Therefore, credit counselors can sometimes end up resenting the credit industry, the creditors themselves and sometimes even their clients.