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What is Career Counseling And How Can I Benefit From It?
Today’s job market changes at a rapid pace.
Something that was great for our parents is no longer an option. Instead, each year we see numerous new professions emerging as highly popular and profitable. If you are a person who is looking to enroll in a university or a school, this can be quite a confusing situation.
Even if we get a good advice or if we graduated a good school, that doesn’t necessarily mean we are fit for a particular profession. People develop and change over time together with their interests. In fact, we have many clients who have been working in a particular field for a while only to discover that the job is no longer fulfilling.
This is why there is career counseling.
Career advisor, the person moderating the process, can give you some valuable insights and help you establish what the optimal career choice for you is. Keep in mind that these are just suggestions; the final decision still falls on you!
Who can benefit from career counseling and when?
Career counseling is ideal for young people between 13 and 17 years. Still, it can be efficiently used by older individuals such as university graduates, people changing careers, or those who are looking for a job promotion. Whether you’re a teen or an adult, you have to decide which career path to choose and in which direction to specialize. Sometimes, the job that you’re doing may become dull. We’ve met numerous people in their thirties and even forties who decided to change their career and try something that is a better fit for their character and personal preferences.
Parents usually take part in their children’s careers which is a very good sign. Given that lots of young people are not able to understand the repercussions of their actions as well as the necessity to find the right profession that will fit their interests, abilities, skills, and personality, it is very important to have good parental support on this matter. Still, while parents might want the best for their kids, they are not the best people to help them out. Due to their bias, they might not see the situation as clearly as careers advisors can.
Career counseling is very important as it allows people to learn more about themselves. Through the process, candidates will learn what their personal and educational flaws and strengths are and how to utilize them to the best of their ability. By assessing these traits, a counselor is able to tell what the ideal profession for this individual would be.
But there is much more to it. Career counseling, as a process, allows people to express themselves and discuss their wishes with a person that has a vast experience in the field. Oftentimes we are forced into making choices that are not the best fit for us. We continue doing one and the same thing even though we know it’s wrong.
Job counseling can be used as a great way to clarify the situation and get the second opinion you need.
How can career counseling help me?
There are lots of people who are skeptical regarding this process. They might say that a person has to make a choice by themselves and that a counselor may have a negative impact on young and older individuals. Still, there are lots of empirical studies that prove how efficient career counseling can be. It is especially important for people who are facing career-related challenges and who are uncertain as to what they wish to do with their lives.
If you’re still unsure after reading the previous section, here are some additional reasons why you should consider going to career counseling:
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Helps discover the right career for an individual
Councilors are very proficient in dealing with both youngsters and adults. They have a strong background in pedagogy and psychology and are able to communicate with people of all ages in the right way. By analyzing a person’s passions, aptitude, and financial expectations, they can recommend a job that will be the best for them. However, job advisors are more than just professionals who learned their craft through a school; they are also in close touch with the current job market trends and can find something that is relevant at a given moment.
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Provides crucial resources
Assistance provided by a counselor goes way beyond a simple analysis of behavior. The expert is able to share resources with teenagers showing all the opportunities that lie ahead of them. Even if teenagers are unwilling to take counselors advice, perhaps they can find something similar that would fit their needs, something they didn’t know anything about prior to these consultations.
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Instills confidence and stability
Choosing or changing a career is an important transitional period which poses a problem for many individuals. They might believe they are not well suited for a particular role due to their lack of confidence. As a result, they will avoid a particular career path even though it looks appealing to them. Professional advisors are there to help a person out and instill strength and will which is necessary to overcome these obstacles. They can tell them success stories about their peers who faced similar challenges and managed to conquer them with flying colors. This will give the necessary confidence boost helping a person choose the right profession.
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Helps eliminate negative behavior
Most students take career counseling as they prepare for the next step in their education. Career development can be very arduous and even if a person has set their mind on something, they might not have the will to fully pursue it. The advisor can help a student by eliminating all these negative types of behavior that may hinder not only university work but also pose a problem for employers going forward. At the same time, the coach can remove all the frustration that both graduate and parents are feeling. Given that this is a stressful period for the whole family, it is good to have an experienced professional with clarity next to you.
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Everything is done in a safe environment
Many students have trouble expressing themselves. Sometimes, this is due to the fact they don’t trust their professors or elders, sometimes they have a problem with the whole system, and sometimes, they are simply shy or introvert. No matter the case, they might have issues communicating with their parents or other people when it comes to choosing their career path. One of the great things about job counseling is that everything is done in a safe environment. This helps a person express himself. As a result, it is much easier to find the right solution and career path.
What not to expect during career counseling?
Lots of people don’t truly understand the advising process. They might think it’s something completely different or they might not understand the full extent of service.
In order to help you out and eliminate any misconceptions, here are some things that career counseling is not:
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It is not a general advice
The process is different for every person. It is not generalized nor it can be. The pieces of advice are not based only on the current state of the industry but also on how a person can fit in that industry according to their personal preferences, skills, etc.
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It cannot help you get into a university
Counselors cannot get you into a certain program or connect you to particular people. Their job is to ensure your success and to guide you but without involving themselves with the elimination process.
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The process is not quick
A counseling professional needs time to get to know you. In fact, if you wish to be thorough, you will not rush things but instead, make sure to provide all the information necessary and assist the expert in any way possible. You will also need time to analyze the job market and schools thoroughly and to get acquainted with different types of jobs or graduate programs.
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It isn’t hit-or-miss kind of a deal
Counseling is not quasi-science. Instead, everything is based on methodology and follows certain processes. The advisor is there to lead you on your way to employment or education and everything you do together is done so you can eliminate variables and uncertainty.
Counseling in today’s job market
While career counseling as a process hasn’t changed much, today’s job market and education system have seen some innovations.
Due to the internet, ease of travel and living in other countries, a person has much more options ahead of him. On top of that, there are more internet jobs than ever or at least jobs that rely on the internet for promotion. In fact, there are new jobs appearing almost any day.
This might seem hectic for most people and even frightening. It is true that we have much more options in comparison to our grandparents or parents but that should not be a scary thing. In fact, this should motivate you to find the right job for your particular skills and education.
Education has changed as well. You can learn a lot by just browsing online for free. Furthermore, some big companies have removed the necessary degree for performing certain responsible jobs. While all of this can seem a bit messy, it might make you think that career counseling is no longer important. In the end, you can educate yourself or you can create a new type of profession, right?
Sadly, that’s not the case. It is quite the opposite! Due to all this hectic movement, job advisers are more important than ever. They help you find the clarity you need and to discover more about yourself and what you want from your job.
If you want to schedule a career consultation, make sure to contact us today!
