Career Counselor or Career Coach?
Career Counselor or Career Coach? Are you curious as to whether they should seek out services from a Career Counselor or Career Coach? Career Counseling is very different from Career Coaching. Generally, a career counselor provides direction, whereas career coach provides action planning. They have very different training though they work in complementary roles. FOCUS AREAS: A Career Coach focuses on job searching and developing resumes, cover letters and interview prep. They work primarily with clients already in transition. They provide job...
read moreJob Search Strategy
A job search strategy should be constructed based on the following: 1. What’s my target date of employment? 2. What industry am I pursuing? 3. What role am I looking for? 4. What type of work environment do I prefer? 5. What is my geographical location? If you are having trouble answering these questions, or if answering them feels limiting, then you may need to visit a career counselor If you are comfortable answering these questions, even if generally, then you are ready to construct a job search strategy. A recent client of...
read moreFailure to Launch
Failure to launch is a concept that everyone seems to know, made famous by the movie of the same name. In all seriousness, failure to launch happens, and it’s really sad for both the young adult and the parent. Both young adult and family system must be adjusted to establish an optimal environment for a successful career launch for the young adult. Parents patiently waiting and saying nothing, hoping “someday” the kid will get off the couch, only breeds anger and resentment. Yelling and nagging is even worse. There is...
read moreWhich Career Assessment is Right for You?
A career assessment is designed to help you understand more about one particular area of your personality as it relates to a career. These particular areas are called ‘domains’. There is a career assessment for each of them, in fact there are many which have been designed for each of the 4 main career domains. Below is an outline of the 4 main career domains, examples of assessments in each category, and what these assessments can tell you: Interests – Common assessments: Strong Interest Inventory, SDS, CEI, O*NET Career...
read moreWhy Career Assessments Don’t Work
Career assessments can be so frustrating! There is so much junk on the internet, some free and some quite expensive. How is a consumer to know the difference between a waste of time and something that will lead them to the answers they are looking for? Regardless of what assessments you choose to take, remember that the magic of assessments come from 2 things: Taking an assessment at the right time in the career counseling process, after at least one private or group session Having a qualified career counselor interpret your results so you...
read moreOutplacement Firms Aren’t All Alike
Outplacement firms aren’t just for senior executives anymore. Over the next decade there will be close to ONE HUNDRED MILLION young adults employed in Corporate America. These young folks need outplacement too. I love to work with young adults and help them find their way. I personally feel that everyone should be working daily toward either creating a new job or helping someone land one. Outplacement does just this. And, companies who offer outplacement services to their employees will have a better chance of building and...
read moreHow to Make a Career Change
Clients often tell me they want to make a career change but don’t know where to start. I respond by providing the with the structure needed to conceptualize their career change, get the right information, and decide how to take the first steps. Here are 5 points to consider when conceptualizing a career change: 1. Role vs. Industry – Most people are straight up confused about how to begin. You want to consider “do I know my role” and “do I know what field/industry.” If you know your role, or if you know the...
read moreTransferable Skills
It all comes down to skills. Do you know yours? More and more, hiring managers look first at skills . . . and then at experience. In today’s world, you must have a solid grasp of your transferable skills. Sign up for a Transferable Skills Workshop that’s right for you. Whether you are a college grad entering the job market for the first time, a young worker with a nice foundation of experience, or a polished professional with a well-developed niche, you will benefit from a clear understanding which helps you: Articulate your...
read moreMy advice for after college
My advice for after college is this: Every college grad should obtain 2 years of sales experience. Period. Why? It’s sales skills that get you your job, maintain your job and advance your career. Every now and then I dust off the old telephone and make a few cold calls for friends with small businesses just to keep my skills sharp. Otherwise, it’s too easy to get complacent and think the world will deliver opportunities to your doorstep. Another very compelling reason is because sales can be . . . FUN! You get to meet new people, and...
read moreWhat can you do with a history major?
What can you do with a history major? Or any other general major, for that matter? Chances are you selected your major because, well, you liked it! Just because it doesn’t translate directly to a line of work doesn’t mean it’s not valuable. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find a nice surprise in that liberal arts or social sciences major that might just surprise you, and lead you to finding a career direction worth working toward. One way to make use of the major is to identify your “life theme”. A life theme is an expression of oneself...
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