When people look for career counselling services they are either looking for help finding a job or exploring a new career. Job Search is useful when you have a career but have lost a job and want to find another one in the same field.
I do not offer job search, but rather specialize in Career Planning and Exploration.
People come to me when they have a job or career but are not happy with it. They tell me they know there is “something else” out there for them to do, but they don’t know what it is.
My clients want a career they will enjoy, or one that will pay better, or one that offers more satisfaction or even a sense of purpose. They may not know what they want, but they know what they don’t want and they don’t want to keep working at the job they have. I have helped many people find a job they are happy with.
Career Counselling Assessment
The reason people often don’t know what they want is that they’ve never had a chance to figure out who they are and what they have to offer when it comes to the world of work.
They’ve never taken time to discover their skills, interests, values and what motivates them. It’s what I call “product knowledge”. Without it, you don’t know what you can do and what might be possible for you when you’re looking for a new career.
I start by asking questions you have probably never asked yourself, such as, “When time seems to pass really quickly, what are you doing?” Or “If you knew you could do anything and would not fail, what would you want to do?” I will also want to know if there are new careers you’ve already considered but ruled out for some reason.
You may already know what your dream job is, but assumed you aren’t qualified or wouldn’t be able to learn how to do it. I will suggest you question those assumptions to make sure they are actually accurate, particularly because most people don’t know their own strengths and gifts. They usually underestimate what is possible for them.
That is why we will do some exercises and assessments together. We pinpoint your interests, abilities, skills, values, and personality type. And it’s that kind of inventory that tells us what your options are.
It’s just like when you are hungry and open the fridge to see what you’ve got to eat. Maybe there’s some ham and cheese, some vegetables and eggs; well then you could make a sandwich or a salad or an omelette.
You discover possible careers the same way: by taking an inventory of what you enjoy, do well and what always gives you a sense of pride or accomplishment.
Explore New Career Paths
There will be careers you haven’t considered before that may be a great fit. I’ll show you how to learn more about them by doing research online and having information interviews with people who already work at what you’re considering.
Taking a part-time course or volunteering in the field you want to know more about, are other ways to help you find out whether or not a specific career may be right for you.
All along the way, we’ll discuss these possibilities until we find the one that passes the “reality test” and seems to be calling you. It’s always a feeling of “that’s it.” Then once you decide on the career you want to pursue, the next step is Career Planning to achieve your goal.
Working together we’ll come up with specific, achievable, realistic steps that you can take to make the career of your dreams a reality. Now that we’re in a pandemic with rampart un-employment, career counselling is vital and I am making my services available through online counselling via Skype or over the phone.
I, myself, have a career I love. I changed careers when I was 50 years old; my aim for every client is to help them find a career that’s as much fun and as meaningful to them as mine is to me. If I can do it, believe me, you can too.
To learn more about Alan Mayer, visit the homepage.