Students' Personal Career Development Counseling - Its Benefits And Importance

It has become the practice for high schools in United States to observe Career Days for senior students for many decades now. On this day high school students are introduced to various careers open to them by local business professionals in the school. However, these days are proving insufficient to enable the students of high school to plan their future. That is why most middle-aged adults and youngsters seek the personal guidance of coaches in career development.

Personal coaches in the field of career development offer a very essential service to people who are late planners of their careers. A lot remains to be done to help the youngsters in career development. When the best career options are enumerated for students of high schools, it helps them develop a better understanding of the careers they would prefer, resulting in more efficient planning and more enrollments in colleges leading to a more productive future society.

For many high schools, the practice of a Career Day has taken the form of a whole Career Week to tackle these issues. A couple of days in this week are utilized to introduce the seniors to various career pathways by seasoned community professionals. The assessments resembling those by personal coaches in career development are taken up during the remaining week.

These assessments help the students of high school to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and also to explore where their values and interests lie. These assessments are then fed to a computer system. The system generates a report outlining the best career options for that particular student. The students then go through further training via Handbook of the Occupational Outlook.

The Handbook of Occupational Outlook is a top rated career development tool for personal career development in the arsenal of high school. The Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States has put this publication in electronic form as well as in the book form. This enables the students to access valuable information about details of career, industry outlooks and job prospects for the future, the education required and average salaries.

When these assessments of career development of high school students are over, they undergo interviews with either the counselor of the high school or the coach of career development. These students are led through the interviews to explore fully the career options, have discussions with the coaches and reach decisions about the field in which they want to make their careers. Then several resources are provided to the student of the high school to give him a start on his career development path.

Another aspect of activities of career development is that the counselors or the coaches of personal career development visit the senior classrooms and take important sessions on goal setting and its importance in career development. These students get resources to set their goals practically and begin to pen down their plan for personal career development.

Although personal career development concept and its importance is not new for students of high schools, plans for personal career development education are being put into place by schools only now. These initiatives will prepare more and more students of high schools to begin careers or education as soon as they finish high school, thereby leading to a more productive future society.

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The benefits of career advice and what to consider before you consult a career consultant

Every year, many thousands of people commits, or think to bring some form of career counseling. In fact, could run into millions, given the number of internet searches done every month on career advice. The reasons could be:

a. starting on a career after being a student,

b. a career change for older adults, and half life

c. an adult career was able to progress and needs advice on career of jump starting their stalled,

most other possible reasons. But what are the advantages of having career consulting sessions?

Benefits of career advice

There may be many benefits of career advice, but much will depend on experience, training and understanding of the Adviser. If is a career counselor in schools that does the job a few hours a month, because the head teacher says to him or her, the benefits could be very limited. On the other hand, if is a professionally trained career counselor who has years of experience, then there can be at least the following advantages:

1. as in the independent and expert advisor, the Advisor should be able to put your situation, personality, skills, experience and skills in a broad perspective. This should help to find their own position and direction in your career.

2. A qualified consultant will be experienced in getting the right information out of you in a structured way. The Advisor then will be able to use such information promptly, coupled with their intuitive assessment of you as an individual and your course better career chances.

3. an expert consultant career will have a lot of knowledge and experience of the various employment markets. This means that the Counsellor will see the other side of the coin, which may be unknown, and this can help greatly. Should also have a lot of experience on the departments of human resources and job recruiters.

4. If you are considering a career change experience the Counsellor might be valuable in view of the complexity, practical and personal, of the decision are considering.

5. Having someone objective and certain will help give confidence when making a decision about your future career.

6. the consultant may be able to provide or recommend various career coaching courses that may be of help to you.

Where to go for career advice

The growth of business consulting career in recent years has made it much easier to find good-quality career consulting services. Today, there are only local services that are an option, but also the online career coaching and consulting services, with a wealth of information about jobs and career related subjects.

If you're still at school, college or University, then they may be able to offer a useful service establishment or point you in the right direction. You can also search online and find many options. There is not necessarily a need to meet face to face, even if there is an advantage to have a face-to-face meeting, as the Counselor is more likely that you assess with greater precision during a personal meeting.

When you choose a career consultant, we recommend that you compare the experience, facilities and other costs; If you can find one near you, so much the better, but keep in mind that a structured approach is used by professional consultants and much of this can be done effectively online and by phone. You should not spend money until you are comfortable with every aspect of the consultancy service.

This article career development was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and author of the broken website Self Improvement to.

Why Career Path Counseling?

In 1991 I took my first "calculated" career leap from practicing vocational rehabilitation counseling to career counseling. After my son was born, I took a ten year "hiatus" to create KidzArt, an acclaimed International Art Franchise. It is often said that many of us return to our first career path when we get "older". When I became obsessed with KidzArt's success, I had to take a step back and reassess my goals. In doing so, I realized that my true career is and always has been career path counseling.

With my Treasure Map in hand, I knew that career counseling would incorporate many of my preferences for doing work that I love using the skills I love to use - working with motivated people who are confused and want/need direction. As an educator, my job now is to provide valuable information about the importance of seeking career counseling before making any career-related decision. The truth is that this work is really essential to helping anyone, particularly in today's media-rich, recession-focused society. Taking steps toward ultimate career satisfaction will not only bring a joy-filled life, but puts you heads above any competition that you "think" is stopping you. Armed with a Roadmap and new found confidence in your career direction, you can beat the odds in ANY job-related climate.

Here are some reasons why you may want to consider one on one or group career path counseling:

*You seek medical help when you're ill; you go to a counselor when you need a mental health check-up; when your car's sick, you see a mechanic, and on and on. So why not use the same self-care toward the development of your personal career path. The result: doing a a lifetime of work that is fun, exciting, fulfills your mission, is purposeful, rewarding and financially satisfying.

*Navigate career-related information via media, internet, social media, with ease.

*Overcome the "Safekeeping Self" who keeps you stuck in jobs and careers that just don't work, no matter how hard you try.

*Develop Roadmap to confidently take the next step on your true path.

*Receive unbiased support to stay on the path and focused on determining your true career direction.

*Explore career options and overcome blocks to success while staying true to yourself and accountable.

*Strategize realistic options with a trained professional who asks the right questions at the right time and allows you to discover and digest the answers at your own pace.

*Craft a college major that really works to your benefit to learn new ideas AND gain important lifelong skills, while developing your career path.

*Have FUN, be confident and prepared for the journey.

*Receive professional guidance, human connection, support, wisdom and action plan from a wise source.

*Receive support to stay on track until you reach your first goal.

I recently met with a mother and son who own a fairly successful business. The mom told me that her parents spent thousands and thousands of dollars more on her education than was necessary because she didn't have any understanding of who she was and where she wanted to go before changing majors several times and attending very expensive private colleges. She told me that her parents would gladly have paid a professional to work with her to help her focus on a few areas, explore those areas one-on-one, and learn more about herself and what really makes her happy before launching into several majors that she could not leverage later on, had they known. The cost of professional career counseling is a fraction of what it cost her in frustration and debt incurred by her parents.

The following are just a few more reasons why career path counseling can be compared to preventative medicine and what a difference it can in the bigger picture.

*Provides clarification of possible directions by taking a confusing and somewhat ambiguous process and putting a structure to it. It is short term v. long term, and within two months or less, you will know what to do next. Your counselor is your guide in this process, providing feedback and helping to navigate the waters of all the possible choices out there, and always coaching you to see the patterns and to take them seriously, becoming your voice of reason - or career alter ego.

*If you are a "Jack of all trades and master of none, career path counseling can get to the heart of what's preventing you from making a choice to pursue one avenue and to stick with it. Or, to move on.

*If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and not much patience (no labels here, but you may recognize yourself), career path counseling can help you identify your ideal business. Or, it could lead to identifying your best work environment and structuring how best to spend your working hours.

*Do you already know that you want to go into business for yourself, but don't know what in? Do you have loads of ideas, and one thing looks better than the next, but you aren't completely comfortable or confident in your decision even after you've done all the research on several businesses. Now is the time a career professional can really help you focus and identify what is right for YOU.

As you can see, there are so many reasons to work with a highly skilled professional who understands the world of work, human nature, coaching and mentoring to aid in making one of the most important decisions you'll ever make.

At this point, you may be asking why use the word "Path" in career path counseling? Isn't it extraneous? The Path denotes that over the course of a lifetime, one's career is never linear. Unless you are one of the few who still unrealistically think that you will work for the same employer until retirement and be promoted according to the company plan, there are generally twists and turns, starts, restarts along the "career path." Career is not necessarily defined as doing one thing. It is a series of experiences. Personally, my career took me from one type of vocational counseling to another, to the founder of an art franchise and now back to career (more definitively defined) path counseling. Yet, my transition from one to the other was fairly painless because I've always had my original Roadmap. The forks in the road lead to easy decisions. Knowing who you are in relation to your career path help you recognize the signs when it's time to move on.

Shell Mendelson, MS, has been a Career Path Counselor for over 22 years, and trained directly with Richard Bolles, Master Career Counselor and author of What Color Is Your Parachute. Shell is the founder and former CEO of KidzArt, an international art education franchise in 29 states and 8 countries. Contact Shell at NB CAREERS, 830-626-6334, email: shell@nbcareersnow.com, visit website at http://www.passiontocareer.com.

Career Counseling for Change - Five Important Keys to a Successful Direction and Transition

Are you unsatisfied with your career and want to make a change? Do you feel like you are not achieving your full career potential? Do you want to make a change, but want to make sure it is the right career this time? Don't know what you want to do, but know its not what you do now?

People are most fulfilled and successful when they find work they love to do and that suits their talents and abilities. This article shares five important keys to making a successful career change. Some concepts may be new to you, some may not. I encourage you to read through them either way, and let them stimulate your thinking. The exercises included are optional, but you are invited to reap

the full benefits by participating in them.

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

The first stages of a career change involve thinking, self-assessment, exploring, and planning. You can embark on these steps now--without disrupting your current employment situation. After you know more about your new direction, you can decide when to make your move. A career-direction goal should always aim for the ideal career and job fit for yourself. The first steps to identifying the ideal career involve self-assessment and generating insights into what career will make you most satisfied while meeting your needs. Research shows that people who are most satisfied and motivated in their careers are people who have a career that reflects their values, interests, skills, and talents plus their ideal work environment.

How can you clarify these kinds of self-understanding insights? You can do this first of all through a process of reflection on your favorite passions, skills, and interests as well as preferences. Career tests or assessments can also provide help here, and lend some objectivity to the exploration. There are a number of reliable and valid career-oriented tests that are widely available through career counselors and coaches.

Career counseling is geared exactly for this purpose. You may enjoy and benefit from the guidance of a counselor or coach to facilitate the development of a career direction based on who you are. This kind of self-understanding then translates into identifying specific careers that match up with who you are, and are likely to bring you the most satisfaction and motivation.

Here are some tips:

* Think ideally. What do you really want?

* Listen to your longings and desires.

* Pay attention to what attracts you.

* Stay away from things that repel you.

* Understand fully your unique style.

As you go about a career change, it is important to realize you cannot do everything well. You must choose a career direction and a job based on your best abilities and strengths. There are businesses that very much need the capabilities that you are able to provide.

Key #2 to a successful career change is to take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and to be able to articulate these well to potential employers as well as others.

Go with your strengths, and be able to communicate them impressively.If you think you have already identified your skills, talents, and strengths, and are looking for work that emphasizes these, great.

Take this opportunity to ask yourself, "Am I successfully saying no to careers and jobs that do not focus on my favorite skills, talents, and strengths?"

Focus your career direction into a career and job for which you are especially equipped. Each person has natural talent and intelligence in one or more areas. The idea is to be very clear on what you are naturally gifted at and let your talents guide you to your next career.

To further discover or clarify where your strengths and talents fall, think back on your life and previous work experience. What tasks and projects came easiest to you? What were the most important accomplishments in your life? What have you received the most recognition for?

You may want to ask several friends what they see as your greatest professional strengths. Career assessment can also yield good information. Take stock. Write down a list now. What themes emerge as you reflect on this?

This is a valuable exercise for self-understanding and career direction, but also when it comes to getting a job. The better you can articulate who you are and the talents and skills you bring to a business, the better impression you make on a potential employer.

There are a number of variables to consider in choosing a career or a job, including the market realities. This brings us to another concept that is necessary to be successful in your transition.

Key #3 is to identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Imagine a Ven diagram consisting of three overlapping circles. One circle represents those activities, tasks, functions, and roles that you love to do. All of us at one time or another have experienced doing work that really did not seem like work because we enjoyed doing it. That's what I mean by work that you love to do.

The second circle represents work that you have the potential to be best at--work that you can do better than most others. This means tasks and projects that you have the right skills and natural talent for, and excel at. Work that you will be highly competitive at and perhaps (potentially) better than anyone else.

The third circle represents work that you will be paid well for. If there is work that you love to do and are great at, it will not matter unless someone will compensate you what you need. It is important to understand and take into account the realities of the job market.

Now, in this Ven diagram, the three circles overlap with each other equally. In the center is an area where the three circles converge and all three circles are overlapping. This is the area that represents the right career(s) for you. You want to consider careers or jobs that align with these three areas--work that you love to do, can do best, and will be well- compensated for.

By the way, if this sounds similar to Jim Collin's Hedgehog Concept in his book "Good to Great", it is. It is an adaptation of his model for business success applied to career success. I highly recommend his book.

So now, I suggest you take a few minutes and apply this to yourself. Where is the convergence of these three circles for you? If you cannot discover this, how will you find out? When all is said and done, one of the biggest factors in a career transition is money. Although you may love the idea of quitting your job and jumping into your next career, financial realities are in play.

Key #4: To transition smoothly into your next career, plan the best

way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

I know from my work as a career counselor and coach that the money issue can cause significant angst and difficulty. Here are some ideas for managing it well.

1. Use your current income wisely. If you have a job, keep it. There's a saying that its easier to get a job when you have one. Before initiating a move: increase your savings, reduce your expenses, live within, or better, below your means for a while.

2. Build cash reserves through supplementing your full-time job with other work. You can get a part-time job, do contract work, etc.

3. Add a part-time business to your full-time job. If you must let go of your full-time job, then do what you can to produce an income while you are in transition.

4. Get an interim full-time or part-time job.

5. Do contract or freelance work.

6. Have a well-paying part-time job while you work on starting a business, if that will be your next career.

7. Use consulting gigs to generate income. Put your key strengths and capabilities to good use to generate income as a consultant while in transition.

8. Work full-time or part-time while attending school to prepare for your next career, if that is your plan.

A number of these options also have fringe benefits. While providing income, you can hopefully put yourself in positions where you can develop skills, experience, or contacts for your next career. How will you make the finances work during your career transition? Take a few minutes and jot down your thoughts.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

People who are most successful at career change and job-hunting use methods that require more effort. People who are less successful do the usual: passive methods such as sending out resumes, going through agencies, looking at the ads, and using the Internet. There is nothing wrong with these methods; in a strong job market they may be sufficient.

More active approaches include researching organizations in detail, doing informational interviewing, and building a network of contacts. These methods involve more work, but they are also the most effective.

Despite the fact that we are in the age of the Internet (it is estimated that about 5 to 10% of jobs are filled by on-line job boards--not bad, but what about the other 90%?), networking is still the best strategy.

So, to be successful in making a career change, it really pays to build a strong list of contacts and reconnect with them. If you don't know how to network effectively or your skills could be better, it is a good time to work on this. Consider utilizing the help of a career counselor or coach.

Never underestimate who your friends and associates know. Keep track of your contacts as your list grows, and revitalize old relationships.

Your contacts may be the key to getting job leads, crucial inside information, getting the attention of whoever is hiring for the position you want, and many other valuable benefits. Many, many people have a job they love because they knew someone who knew someone.

Now comes the end of this article on keys to a successful career change.

Review:

Key #1: Establish a career direction based on excellent self-understanding.

Key #2: Take stock of your skills, natural talents, competencies, and strengths, and be able to articulate these well.

Key #3: Identify a career that involves what you love to do, can be the best at, and for which you can be well compensated.

Key #4 Plan the best way to juggle the finances to support you along the way.

Key #5: Network, network, network.

I hope you have enjoyed this article and are now taking steps to make a great career change. What was the biggest thing you will take away from this? What questions remain unanswered? Where will you go from here? Write out your thoughts.

William Morgan, Psy.D. is a career counselor and coach in the greater Philadelphia area serving clients nationwide. For more information on his career transition and development services and helpful resources visit his website at http://www.Counseling4Careers.com