When it comes to planning your career, it’s so easy to rely on the advice of friends and family, or even your own intuition, without considering getting professional advice and support. But when you do this, it’s easy to end up exploring a career that isn’t truly right for you.
Whether you’re a student with minimal work experience or an established professional with many years of experience under your belt, you may currently be in a position where you’re feeling bewildered about your career options or looking for a change. If this is the case, you may wish to consider employing the help of a professional career counsellor.
Career counselling is a process that helps an individual to understand themselves better, in order to make informed decisions about their career. Whether in person or online, there are plenty of options when it comes to obtaining career guidance and support. Career counselling presents countless advantages. Here are just some of the many benefits of career counselling!
1. You clarify your career goals: No 1 benefit of career counselling
Professional development is a lifelong process. Therefore career counselling is appropriate for everyone, from school students planning for the future right through to experienced professionals seeking to change jobs while employed.
Career counselling is a superb resource, enabling you to clarify your career goals through a range of discussions and assessments. Some key questions you may be asked include:
What are your work-related preferences, values and interests?
What are some of your favourite work experiences to date?
What kinds of relationships do you have with leaders and managers?
When you have disagreed with others, what did you do to resolve conflicts?
How do you learn best?
When are you most challenged when learning?
How do you overcome learning challenges?
Counselling plays an important role in choosing your career, giving you the opportunity to get to know and understand yourself and the world of work in detail, and thus helping you make more informed and meaningful career decisions.
“When you are searching for a new position or a sense of direction in your career, it is common for people to be fearful and anxious given the immensity of the challenge,” says Mike Fitzgerald, a career consultant at Clear Rock.
He goes on to say: “A good career coach can help a person to know what questions to ask and how to go about the process of designing and then implementing a comprehensive but customized approach to their career transition.”
2. Career counselling and coaching helps you understand your career options
When you seek professional career guidance, you’ll be able to discuss career options that are of interest to you. Together, you’ll be better able to understand the factors influencing your career development, including your personality, interests, capabilities, values and background.
In this setting, it will be made clear to you what education or training you need to pursue in order to achieve your career goals. Your career counsellor will help you to understand the scope of the career that interests you and also support you in locating the right resources and sources of information.
What’s more, you’ll also be able to discuss strategies that will help you to find employers who offer internships or jobs in your areas of interest.
3. You gain support from an objective guide
Another one of the big benefits of career counselling is that a career counsellor offers unbiased insights, information, expertise and advice, thus enabling you to figure out who you are and what you want from your career. A safe and casual environment is created where you feel at ease discussing your career, without any limitations.
Here, you can talk about your ideas, feelings and concerns about your career, and your career counsellor will help you to make sense of those ideas, feelings and concerns in an honest, transparent and confidential environment.
4. You determine your strengths and weaknesses
A professionally conducted career interest inventory is an excellent way to determine your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you to discover the best career options for you based on your interests, values, abilities and potentials.
Even if you excel in your chosen area and have plenty of qualifications, your career counsellor will show you which areas need improvement and will teach you how to improve in those areas.
5. You learn key skills
With a career counsellor, you’ll also learn a range of skills that will help you to excel when it comes to applying for jobs, attending interviews and excelling in the corporate world. For instance, you’ll have the opportunity to conduct a mock job interview where you’ll gain practice answering a variety of questions. You will receive feedback prior to the real thing, from how to improve your communication skills to how to answer those difficult questions!
Career advisors will also teach you how to be more assertive when it comes to getting what you need and want, whether from your current or a future role. You’ll also learn negotiation skills, as well as the ability to identify gaps in your professional preparation.
6. You broaden your perspective
The right career counsellor will help you to strategize your career and provide a long-term perspective that helps you to achieve your career goals faster. This will equip you with the confidence you need to master your goals and achieve true career satisfaction.
It's easy to lose focus, feel isolated, and become discouraged when you're looking for a new job. It is sometimes hard to know how to interpret what is happening when you apply to a job and get no response, or when you start to lose your confidence for a time and become convinced that your age, race or gender may be precluding you from being fairly considered.
A good counsellor has the ability to adjust your mindset and make you realize that you have what it takes to make a career move (if that’s what you’re considering). Good career counselling is focused on mindset and attitudes, with a leaning toward cultivating positivity, resilience and self-determination in one’s life.
7. You develop the right strategies
The job search is a unique process that differs based on the individual in question, their experience and the type of job they’re seeking. Career counsellors will help you to craft a strategy that suits you specifically.
They will teach you a range of strategies, from how to network to improve your career to how to find a job using social media and other online resources.
They will also help you to find education, training and development opportunities, whether that involves course options for college or university students, or adult learning or development opportunities for professionals seeking a career change.
8. You gain job search support
Once you’re ready to begin your quest for a new job, your career advisor will be able to provide you with job search information, resources and practical guidance.
They are highly trained and experienced in handling all aspects of your job search and are fully aware of the jobs in the market, offering excellent support throughout the entire process.
They can point you in the right direction with resources and provide you with tips on how to locate specific job openings or research specific companies or organizations.
They will also help you to identify your network and develop your networking skills in order to discover job vacancies. In our fast-paced world, networking can prove critical for accelerating career development, connecting you to employers within the industries that you are passionate about.
9. You capitalize on a range of resources
With the support of your career counsellor, you’ll be able to determine which areas you need to focus on and will have access to specialized career coaching and other resources. You’ll also benefit from:
· Résumé and cover letter writing services
· Higher education and training admission guidance
· Education and training planning to serve you over the course of your career
· Guidance on developing opportunities in your professional area
Together, you’ll be able to identify which resources will best suit you. You’ll also learn how to use these resources most effectively to gain better access to job opportunities.
10. You get better at negotiating
Though career counselling will teach you many skills, this one deserves special attention. The reason for this is that effective negotiation is the one skill that can open doors, minimize conflicts, and help you advance your career the most.
After the process of illuminating strengths and uncovering weaknesses, your counsellor will show you how to use this information to your benefit. This will come in handy not just in the job offer stage, where you’ll manage to negotiate more valuable contracts, but also in taking next steps in your career.
Whether you want to negotiate a higher salary, better benefits, or your job title, career counselling will do more than just teach you how to back up a request with evidence. It will also help you cultivate the confidence you need to consistently go after what you deserve.
11. You become equipped for change
Whether you’ve recently found yourself out of work or feel that your job doesn’t suit you, navigating change on your own can be difficult. Stressful and confusing emotions can arise with any sudden change or realization, which can make moving on to something new even more challenging.
Career counselling can help you stay afloat at a time of uncertainty with practical job-hunting advice and guidance. This is particularly beneficial in the case of wanting to do a 180-degree turn and explore career options in an unfamiliar industry.
12. You maximize your potential
Internalizing shortcomings, feeling inadequate and losing hope in a work setting are things that most people will experience at some point. While this is normal, harbouring these emotions for too long can really harm your confidence. And without confidence in the job hunt or the workplace, it’s unlikely you will ever achieve your goals or fulfill your potential.
This holds true not just for experienced professionals, but also for students and young adults just entering the workforce. Your career counsellor will guide you in better defining your aspirations, understanding your potential, and setting the bar higher. In other words, no more questioning and underselling yourself! Instead, you will start entering your career negotiations with sharpened focus.
Final thoughts
Even if you feel confident about your career path and don’t plan on taking the advice of a career counsellor, think again! From creating multiple career options and plans to connecting with industry professionals, this is the perfect way to empower yourself with the resources you need to begin your dream career. You’ll also gain access to the resources you need to gain a promotion or ask for a salary increase.
The type of experience you will gain from a career counsellor - and the network that will come with it - will be truly beneficial and the best possible investment you can make in your future.
