Every year, many thousands of people undertake, or think about undertaking, some form of career counseling. In fact, it could run into millions, given the number of internet searches done each month on career counseling. Reasons for that could be:
a. Starting out on a career after being a student,
b. A career change for older and mid life adults,
c. An adult in a career has been unable to progress and needs advice on jump starting their stalled career,
plus other possible reasons. But what are the advantages of having career counseling sessions?
Advantages of Career Counseling
There can be many advantages of career counseling, but much will depend on the experience, training and understanding of the counselor. If it is an in-school career counselor who does the job a few hours a month, because the head teacher tells him or her to, then the benefits could be very limited. On the other hand, if it is a professionally trained career counselor who has years of experience, then there can be the following advantages at least:
1. As in independent and experienced advisor, the counselor should be able to put your situation, personality, qualifications, experience and abilities into a broad perspective. This should help you find your own position and direction in your career.
2. A trained counselor will be expert in getting the right information out of you in a structured way. The counselor will then be able to use that information promptly, coupled with their intuitive assessment of you as as a person and your likely best career course.
3. An experienced career counselor will have a lot of knowledge and experience of various employment markets. This means the counselor will see the other side of the career coin, with which you may be unfamiliar, and this can help you a great deal. They should also have much experience on the way human resources departments and recruiters work.
4. If you are considering a career change the experience of the counselor could be invaluable, in view of the complexities, both practical and personal, of the decision you are considering.
5. Having somebody objective and assured will help to give you confidence when making a decision on your future career course.
6. The counselor may be able to offer or recommend various career coaching courses that could be of help to you.
Where to Go For Career Counseling
The growth of the career counseling business over recent years has made it much easier to find good quality career counseling services. Today, there are not just your local services that are an option, but also online career coaching and counseling services, with a wealth of information about jobs and career related subjects.
If you are still at school, college or university, then they may be able to offer you a useful service within the establishment, or point you in the right direction outside. You can also search online and find many options. There is not necessarily a need to meet face to face, although there is an advantage to having a face to face meeting, as the counselor is more likely to assess you more accurately during a personal meeting.
When choosing a career counselor, it is best to compare the experience, services and cost of several; if you can find one near you, all the better, but bear in mind that a structured approach is used by professional counselors, and much of that can be done effectively online and by telephone. It is best not to spend any money until you are comfortable with every aspect of what the counseling service offers.