The national shortage of school counselors has left approximately 8 million students without access to a school counselor (American School Counselor Association, 2021). The lack of adequate counseling services negatively affects graduation rates, college enrollment, and behavior issues (Lapan et al., 2012). This phenomenological study explores 11 novice school counselors' perceptions of career readiness who graduated from a school counselor preparation program in New Mexico. Social cognitive theory grounded the study, and findings were viewed through the lens of learning requiring human agency. A significant proponent of social cognitive theory is the assumption of triadic reciprocal determinism, which claims that human performance is shaped by behavioral, personal, and environmental factors (Harris et al., 2018). Data was collected by interviewing participants, transcribing, and coding data to create themes. The van Manen interpretation of hermeneutic phenomenology was followed in this study, which asserts that research should not be reduced to a methodical schedule or an interpretive set of procedures (Neubauer et al., 2019). The themes generated from this study are Broad-Based Theoretical Learning, Advocating for Appropriate School Counselor Roles, Experiential Learning, and Previous School Experience. The findings of this study may contribute to social change by presenting areas for improvement within school counseling preparation programs. These improvements can help create day-one-ready school counselors, positively impacting student learning outcomes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]