Neuvoja

Neuvoja is a Finnish noun that denotes a person who provides advice, guidance, or counseling. A neuvoja can be a professional adviser, a counselor, a mentor, or a consultant who helps individuals or organizations make decisions, solve problems, or plan actions. The term is formed from the verb neuvoa, meaning to advise, with the agent suffix -ja, producing a word that identifies someone who performs the action. The plural form is neuvojat, and the genitive is neuvojan.

In everyday use, neuvoja appears across many fields. In education, guidance and counseling roles may be described as opinto-ohjaaja or generally as neuvoja in broader contexts. In employment and social services, terms such as uraneuvoja (career adviser) or asiakasneuvoja (customer adviser) reflect the same idea of providing targeted information and support. In professional settings, a neuvonantaja or consultant may be used for individuals with specialized expertise who offer strategic guidance.

Typical duties associated with a neuvoja include assessing needs, delivering information about options, helping plan steps, and connecting clients with appropriate services or resources. The role emphasizes facilitating informed choices rather than prescribing a single correct course of action. The word is distinct from neuvonantaja, which often carries a sense of more formal or expert consultation, and from neuvonta, the act of giving advice or counseling itself rather than the person providing it.

See also: neuvonta, opinto-ohjaus, uraneuvoja, asiakasneuvoja.