With thousands of workers being laid off, the competition for jobs should be strong. A career counselor may be able to help people become more focused and strategic about their job search.Most people would probably rather get a root canal than hunt for a new job. Whether a person has been downsized, is changing careers, or just wants to find a better opportunity, hunting for a job can be frustrating and intimidating. And since more than 230,000 people have lost their jobs this year, the competition for employment is likely to be fierce. People who want to increase their odds for getting hired may want to consider finding a career counselor.What Career Counselors DoCareer counselors can help people evaluate their skills and abilities to find a job that fits their goals and interests. They serve as coaches, teachers, and mentors to people with all different types of job experience. A qualified counselor should be able to assess a client’s traits and abilities to help direct them to an appropriate position. They also should be good listeners who can communicate well with people who may be dealing with a lot of stress and uncertainty about their job situation–and life in general.
Some career counselors may have a degree in counseling or a related field, but others may have experience in a particular field that gives them the expertise to help others. A master career counselor usually has the highest level of expertise in career counseling and has met other qualifications, such as being licensed by a state board.
Who Should Consider Counseling?Not everyone looking to change jobs needs to see a career counselor. But people who aren’t sure where they’re headed in their careers and need help focusing may benefit from working with a coach. Workers who are thinking about getting help with their career should ask themselves:
1. Am I satisfied with my current job?2. What do I like or dislike about my current job?3. How can I improve my current job?4. Do I have the work-life balance I want?5. What are my short- and long-term goals for my career?6. What other jobs can I qualify for with my skills?
Downsized in AmericaPeople who haven’t had to look for a job in many years may be ill-equipped for their search and may be perfect candidates for career counseling. Companies all across America are cutting jobs, forcing many workers to dust off outdated resumes. A qualified counselor can help put together a resume, practice interviewing techniques, administer assessment tests, or evaluate new career paths. The right coach can help a person evaluate jobs they’ve never considered that may allow them to use their current skills.
Changing CareersFor people who are looking for a whole new career, a counselor can help them decide whether they have the necessary skills or need to continue their education. Some people may find that the type of work they’ve been doing has become obsolete. Many unskilled workers have found themselves forced out of jobs that can be done by a computer or a machine. A good career counselor should listen to workers’ needs and assess their strengths and weaknesses to help them transition to a new career. That may mean directing clients to places they can learn about new technology or employment trends in fields that interest them.
Getting EncouragementRichard Nelson Bolles writes in What Color Is Your Parachute? 2008: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career-Changers that “Researchers discovered some years ago that while the typical job-hunt lasted around fifteen to nineteen weeks, depending on the economy, one-third to one-half of all job-hunters simply give up by the second month of their job-hunt.” Having the support of a career counselor may help some people stay focused on their job search and not become easily discouraged. The right coach can also redirect job-hunting efforts that have stalled or become unproductive.
Moving to the Next LevelAlways being passed over for promotions is like going to a spring fling and never being asked to dance. It’s no fun! Workers who are having trouble advancing in their career may need some help figuring out exactly what they need to do differently to get noticed by higher ups. For some people it may be as simple as taking a few courses to learn necessary skills. Others may need advice from a career coach on how to dress, talk, or act more professionally.
Setting Career GoalsCounselors can also be helpful if people just want to make sure they are setting the right goals for their career. They may not be looking to change companies, but may be more concerned about protecting their future job security. A person who hasn’t bothered to keep abreast of changes in their industry, learn new skills, or network with influential peers are more likely to fall under the downsizing axe than someone who has worked to remain competitive.
Choosing the Right CounselorIt’s important for people to find a career counselor that fits their goals and is reputable. A good counselor should:
1. Disclose the terms of their service and fees upfront2. Provide a copy of their ethical guidelines3. Charge only for services provided4. Let clients choose the services they want5. Not make unrealistic promises.
They should also discuss what type of time commitment clients should expect to make to their counseling sessions and job-hunting strategies.
While career counselors can be helpful they may not have all the answers. They can help individuals assess their strengths and weaknesses to choose a career that fits their unique goals and needs. Like any other counseling relationship, it may take more than one try to find the right person. People looking for a career coach can check with their former employer, local job centers, universities, alumni groups, churches, and other organizations for recommendations.
Should I Get Help From a Career Counselor?
September 2nd, 2010Every Professional Should Work With A Reputable Career Management Group
September 2nd, 2010Roughly five years after I graduated from business school, I was becoming depressed about my lack of upward mobility. Certainly my MBA had given me a considerable head start on climbing the corporate ladder, but despite the fact that I had applied for several Vice President roles that I was more than qualified for, I seemed to be stuck at the level of Director. When my firm downsized, the division I headed up was eliminated and I found myself unemployed. Some people would have taken this as the ultimate kick in the pants, but I decided to turn misfortune into a prime opportunity to revitalize my career. I took a week off to decompress, did some research on few career management firms and then contacted a company that specializes in executive career management. It was an interesting experience. I underwent a series of assessments that were designed to determine my key skill sets and worked with an extremely professional woman named Jill who was assigned to be my private “career change consultant.” Together we mapped out my career goals and developed a plan with defined objectives that outlined my path to achieving the position I was aiming for. At that point, the value of Jill and her colleagues became even more apparent. Using their vast network of alumni and contacts, they began to arrange introductions to people who were extremely connected within the business world. When I landed a meeting with a software company in California that was searching for a key new executive position, Jill helped fine tune my CV and spent hours preparing me for the upcoming interviews. And when it looked like I was one of the final candidates, the career management firm also contacted my previous employer to ensure that they honored my termination agreement, complete with the agreed upon recommendation. I landed the position as Executive Vice President and while I was hired based on my own merits, it was largely because of the efforts of Jill and her career development team that I was able to make the positive impression I did with the interview team. Now I encourage my own staff to have clearly defined career plans in place so they avoid the frustration I felt for those first five years in the work force.
Online Tutoring Jobs: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
September 2nd, 2010Some educators earning a living in the domain of online learning offer a variety of services. In theory you could offer a mix of subject tutoring, homework help, test prep and delivering online courses. Some design their online teaching jobs with a narrower focus on one or two of these, with a specialty in online tutoring job the choice of many. Specializing in this sub-field of online learning will still offer variety and your tutoring jobs will be as diverse as your students.A typical reason for people to seek out the help of people in online tutoring jobs is that they require personalized, individual tuition. Even if you specialize in a certain learner demographic (let’s say senior secondary school learners), you will only be able to deliver a set online tutoring program to a certain extent. For one thing, tutoring jobs focused on helping school age learners (in this example) may require you to tailor your help to accord with the syllabus offered in different schools or states. Above all, you will be required to adapt the approach you take in your tutoring jobs to the needs of individual learners.Establishing What Learners’ Needs AreHow do you decide what approach to take when you take on a new student? Sometimes the objectives in your individual tutoring jobs will be clear. For example, student X has been ill and needs catch-up tutoring in subject Y. You will meet online sufficiently regularly to run through the material and it can all be straightforward.This won’t always be the case. Some students seek help because they are not making the grade but have no idea why. It is your job to assess that and target your tutoring accordingly. You may also encounter students whose under-achievement is attributed to lack of application, poor teaching at school or one of a host of other reasons. You can’t always take learners’ (or parents’) assessments at face value. A student who is labeled as ‘lazy’ may in fact be gifted but bored, or a clearly smart but under-achieving student may have a hidden learning disability such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder.Experienced educators are often able to make accurate intuitive judgments about where to concentrate their attention in each of their tutoring jobs. It can be helpful for less experienced tutors to make a more formal assessment at the outset. There may be existing tools to do this in your subject area or you may want to devise your own. In online tutoring jobs it can be a little harder to establish a relationship with learners than in face-to-face teaching contexts. Rather than starting your tutoring with a conventional test, you can try using interactive materials to assess learners without putting them off.Personalizing Your Tutoring JobsOnce you have an idea what individual students need you can personalize your tutoring jobs as appropriate. Though this clearly means more work for you, it also means that your tutoring jobs will demand you to develop and use a range of skills – and that can add variety and interest to your work.