Finding and navigating your career path can be a tricky business!
Whether you’re looking for your first job, trying to succeed at your current one, or thinking about a major career shift, it can be tough to figure out where to go and how to get there. Thankfully, there’s someone who can help.
A career counselor is a certified professional who can help you find and excel in a career that’s right for you. Here are the benefits of working with a career counselor and how to find one.
A unique career for a unique person (you!)
Pressure from finances, family, and other sources can lead workers to make hasty career decisions that they may later regret.
Career counselors offer a variety of tools that can help you find the career path best suited to your values and strengths — often more quickly than if you had done it yourself.
A counselor may have you complete a personality profile such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
By highlighting your personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, these tests will help your counselor determine the work you’ll be happiest doing and the environment that you’ll need in order to perform your best.
Refining your career goals
With this basic picture in mind, your career counselor can make your plans even more specific by helping you find and refine your career goals.
- What are you hoping to get out of work?
- Are you looking to get rich or make just enough to live comfortably?
- Where do you want to live?
By finding the answers to these and other questions, you and your career counselor can narrow down your options to simplify your job hunt or career transition. But the counselor’s work doesn’t end there.
On the hunt
A good counselor will help you tailor your resume and cover letters while you reach out to interesting companies. They’ll work with you to find and highlight your strengths in ways that will stand out to a hiring manager or recruiter.
In addition, your counselor can help you get ready for interviews by practicing your communication skills. You also will explore the best ways to discuss yourself and your previous job experience.
If you find interviewing very stressful, your counselor can even make a referral to a qualified therapist.
Finding a counselor
College career centers are a quick way to get connected with qualified career counselors. If you are currently a student, it can be as simple as walking into your college’s career center and making an appointment to see a counselor on campus.
If you’ve already graduated, try calling the career center of your closest college or university. They may be able to refer you to one or more local career counselors who can give you the help you need.
Alternatively, if you’d like to conduct a search yourself, you can start with the free Counselor Find tool offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors.
By selecting “Career Development” from the search tool’s “Area of Practice” drop-down menu, you’ll be presented with a list of qualified counselors in your area.
The bottom line
If it’s time for a change and you’re looking for guidance as you take the next step in your career, a career counselor can provide the help and support you need to make sure your next job is a great one.
