Career Counseling
Career counseling, also known as
career guidance, is counseling designed to help with choosing, changing, or leaving a career and
is available at any stage in life. One's career is often one of the most important aspects of
adulthood, and embarking on a new career, whether for the first time, the second time, or any
time thereafter, can be a stressful event, especially when economic difficulties such as recession
are a factor. A career counselor can help by outlining and discussing one's potential career
options.
What Is Career Counseling?
Most Americans will spend a third of their lives at work, but a 2014 study showed that only
52.3% of Americans report being satisfied with their jobs. Job stress may lead to anxiety or
depression, so finding a fulfilling career is considered to be important to mental well-being.
When choosing the most fitting career or finding a new job when one proves unsatisfying or
frustrating, the services of a career counselor may be helpful.
A career counselor could be a therapist, life coach, or a volunteer from the business world but
will generally be trained to provide career information resources, discuss career development,
and administer and interpret aptitude and ability assessments. Students might see a guidance
counselor in high school before applying to college and then again in college before choosing or
changing majors, but career counseling can help anyone who wishes to change careers, leave
work altogether, or explore ways to be more satisfied with a current career.
Choosing a Career
Choosing a career is an important task, but it may also be a difficult one. It may not be easy to
decide what type of job will be the best fit, and since career counseling helps people assess their
skills, needs, and desires in order to find a career that works for them, this type of counseling is
considered to be an important step to take before deciding on a permanent career. Researching a
wide variety of potential careers may be overwhelming, and information on the skill sets and
education needed for a particular position may be contradictory or difficult to find. A career
counselor will often be able to provide valuable information in these areas and others.
Some of the following questions may be helpful for narrowing one's focus when considering a
career change:
What do I enjoy doing?
What kinds of activities are fun and fulfilling for me?
What am I good at?
What is my skill set?
What qualifications do I have, such as a degree or experience?
How much money do I need to make to feel satisfied?
What jobs are available in the place(s) I’d like to live?
Do I want to travel?
What are my values?
Is it important to me to be of service to others?
Am I looking for intensely challenging work or something relatively easy?
Am I willing to do what others tell me without question, or would I rather make most
decisions on my own?
To what degree do I need stability and security?
How Career Counseling Can Help
In a career counseling session, the counselor will help a person explore skills and strengths,
consider education levels and give advice about continuing education, and determine interests
and personality type. Counselors may also administer an IQ test or an aptitude test. The Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator has also been shown to be useful at helping individuals determine possible
careers based on personality traits.
Some potential topics of discussion in career counseling:
Particular skills or talents. In which careers might they be useful?
The educational commitment required of various careers.
The potential earnings of various careers.
The daily working environment. Some people enjoy working in an office, while others
might be more successful in a fast-paced or outdoor environment.
The opportunities for change or advancement in a particular career. Some careers are
more flexible than others. Lawyers and doctors, for example, may shift their focus or area
of specialty but will generally remain lawyers and doctors. Other careers or education
paths might more allow mobility between positions in a given field.
The necessary skills/education for a desired career.
Some counselors may also be able to offer advice on how to improve one's position at a job that
is, for the most part, enjoyable. For example, possible ways to earn a promotion or the best
methods to negotiate a salary adjustment could be discussed.
Case Example
Therapy to cope with stress from returning to school while working full-time:
Mandy, 30, is unhappy in her career as a paralegal but not sure how to make a change.
She would like a less stressful job where she can be of more help to people, but most of
the jobs she thinks she would enjoy require more education, and she cannot afford to stop
working. Working 45 hours a week while going to school sounds stressful and frightens
her, and she makes an appointment with a therapist, who helps to normalize her feelings
and discuss Mandy's fears about going to school while working full-time. After a session
of exploring her goals and current stress level, it becomes quite clear to Mandy that she
cannot stay in her current job for much longer. She realizes that, despite the possible
difficulties, she needs to continue her education in order to change careers. The therapist
helps her identify resources, including financial aid resources as well as ways to manage
stress, so that Mandy can explore ways to successfully continue working while attending
school at night. The therapist also points out to Mandy her own strengths, made apparent
by her work as a paralegal: the ability to multitask, work long hours, do extensive
research, and complete projects and difficult tasks on her own. This knowledge gives
Mandy hope and the confidence that she will be able to finish school while working.
