Career Counseling

Location: On the Internet.

Prerequisites: The motivation to learn.

Required Text: None.

Objectives: Find out whether a career counselor is right for you.

How do you know whether you need a career counselor? You already have a job, so what benefits can you get from a professional counselor? A competent career counselor doesn’t come cheap, but the results can sometimes change your life for the better. If you're unhappy in your career or don't feel fulfilled or challenged in your current position, a career counselor might be an investment that yields a very high return. Part of achieving success in your career comes from finding the right niche. Just because you're unhappy or not accomplishing enough in your current job or career, doesn't mean you won't do leagues better and be much happier at a different company or in a different profession.

If any of the following situations sounds like your personal diary, then a career counselor may be able to help:

• You fell into your job rather than choosing your career. Perhaps you never had a definite career plan and came across an opportunity that seemed right at the time. Now, years later, you realize you've gone as far as you can in your current position or you're in the wrong profession altogether.

• You've hit the big 4-0 and are ready for a change, but you have no idea how to go about making it happen. You don't know how to pursue a new career or what opportunities are available now that you're 40-something.

• You don't feel like talking about your day at the office once you leave it. You come home from work and can't bring yourself to relive your day by telling your spouse about it. Your response to, "How was your day?" is, "I don't want to talk about it."

• You constantly find yourself looking for a new job. You feel so dissatisfied with where you are in your career that you keep searching for something new. You can barely last one or two years at a job before you're once again scanning the employment ads on a consistent basis.

• You sense that you need a change, but it's a vague feeling with no real direction. You know you want to do something else, but you don't know what. You're not sure what opportunities are available for someone with your background and interests.

• You feel trapped in your job by financial or family obligations. You wake up every morning and your first thought is how many hours you have until you can come home from work. But you feel like you have no options because you have commitments to fulfill and expenses to pay.

If any of these scenarios sounds all too familiar, you may be able to benefit from a career counselor. A counselor can help you steer your interests and goals into a realistic and fulfilling career choice. But professional guidance isn't the answer for everyone. You need to figure out whether the benefits outweigh the costs. Read through the rest of the information on this website, and it will hopefully help you determine whether seeking advice from a career counselor is the next logical step for you.