Choosing a career counselling service is perhaps one of the most important decisions you can make. Because it helps you to pinpoint what you should be doing for the rest of your life – a pretty important choice.
So it stands to reason that you need to find the best career counselling service you can. This article is going to guide you in the right direction and provide invaluable data in terms of the service itself and how much you can expect to pay. You’ll learn what a career counselling service can provide and what you can typically expect during a session.
What is Career Counselling?
Just what is career counselling? A career counselling service is one that assesses you and provides guidance on what career choices are most suitable. Actually, it is more of a science than you might think. People with distinct characteristics are far more likely to enter and succeed in a given profession.
The methodology with which a career counselling service uses to provide advice is important. There are a huge range of techniques that can be deployed. Some of the techniques are described below. Many career counselling services will use a mix of the below to provide guidance.
1. The Aptitude Test – This is a test taken to evaluate a candidate’s ability to complete a particular task. Certain skills are very relevant in specific professions.
2. The Personality Test – It has been found that certain personality types have a predisposition to specific careers. And success within them.
3. Goals/Desires – After the aptitude and personality tests have been taken, the goals/desires of the individual need to be assessed to see if they line up.
4. The Job Market – This is a secondary consideration but is still important. If there are no jobs or a diminishing market, then alternative or customised suggestions are necessary.
5. Psychology – The person might have personal trauma or be dealing with particular issues. If a person is dealing with personal issues, it could cripple their chances of pursuing their career, no matter how skilful they may be. It can impact motivation and confidence, which are needed in all professions.
How will career counselling help me?
The best career counsellors don’t merely give the results of the tests to clients. This is merely the first step. They need to take the time to develop a meaningful relationship and do more of an in-depth exploration. It can be useful to have 3 or more sessions with a career counsellor. You will learn more about yourself in this manner and will be able to make clearer decisions.
You should be able to see the amazing benefits of having a career counsellor that highlights your skills and gives you a structure to work with. Everybody has a unique skillset – you will be shown what you are good at and why you are a great fit for a particular career. This will give you confidence and motivation, as you have the backing of a lot of scientific research.
You might have a strong hunch of what you want to do, but backing it up with psychological research and solid numbers will give you much needed clarity. For instance, if you are interested in nursing, then you might need to score highly on the trait of agreeableness and empathy. In contrast, for law or financial trading, you will need aggression and personal dedication. These are the traits prominent in successful people in these given areas.
Career counselling cost
You can expect to pay between $90 – $200 for a one hour career counselling session. Given the importance of career counselling, this is actually quite affordable. After 3 or 4 sessions, you will have a very clear idea of where you are headed and you can start your new career with clarity.
It’s definitely better than remaining in uncertainty, or worse – starting a career you’re not fit for!
If you’re interested in becoming a career counsellor, then you need a bachelor’s degree. In Australia, counselling is self-regulated. Many counsellors become members of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and/or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
Career counsellors in Australia make an average of $103,000 annually. They get paid more highly than substance abuse counsellors ($63,000 annually), bereavement counsellors ($50,000 annually), and work rehabilitation counsellors ($83,000 annually). These figures are taken from indeed.com and may not accurately reflect the situation. Salaries will obviously vary depending on location, experience, and market demand.
The benefits of career counselling
Career counselling goes above and beyond the aptitude and personality tests, though both of these are critical foundational platforms. A session with an experienced career counsellor will assist in:
★ Finding and removing limiting beliefs.
★ Identifying personal blockages and issues.
★ Increasing personal confidence and motivation.
★ Providing a sense of clarity and empowerment.
★ Helping to identify goals and expectations.
★ Creating a framework for achieving goals.
★ Highlighting personal strengths and weaknesses.
★ Removing incorrect beliefs about strengths and weaknesses.
★ Removing false personas.
★ Clarifying personal desires (travel, salary, co-working expectations, etc).
★ Finding side projects to assist in major goals.
★ Identifying areas to work on for maximum success within a chosen career.
In sum, a good career counselling service will make you a better person overall. You will come to know your strengths and weaknesses, and it helps to have somebody to talk to so you can clarify what you want. Even if you do know what career to choose, a counsellor can help you to find the best way to get there and provide further refinement in terms of goals, expectations, and up-skilling.
What to look for in a counselling service
Choosing a counsellor is largely a personal choice. You need to find one that you connect with on a personal and meaningful level. This can be done simply by visiting their webpage and viewing their offerings. Sometimes, you might not resonate with a good counsellor because it is not what you’re after.
Aside from personal preferences and feeling comfortable with your choice of counsellor, there are still some down to earth factors to consider, such as:
1. The credentials of the counselling service.
2. The years of experience of the counselling service.
3. The cost of the counselling service.
4. The type of counselling service session (online, in-person, group, etc).
5. The contents of the session itself.
6. Previous client testimonials and social proofs.
7. Academic and professional qualifications.
The more experience the counsellor has, the better. They will have eliminated processes that don’t work and fine-tuned their service so that they can deliver quality advice. Nothing beats experience in the field and they will have worked with a larger variety of clients.
Is career counselling really necessary?
Absolutely. Even if you have a clear idea of what you wish to do, it is still necessary to talk it over with a specialist. Consider the following questions that a career counselling service can answer but you may not have considered:
1. For what specific reasons are you drawn to this particular field?
2. What framework do you have on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis for achieving your goals?
3. Do you have side projects that will have lateral effects on your career decision?
4. Do you have past issues that could potentially prevent you from reaching your full potential in your given field?
5. Do you possess the resume writing and interview skills necessary to qualify for positions?
6. Is the market increasing, declining, or stagnating?
7. Are you prepared to sacrifice your leisure time to achieve success in your career?
8. Is this something you want to pursue for many years to glean knowledge?
9. Are you truly passionate about the career or is it merely the best available option?
If nothing else, the career counselling helps to crystallise your thoughts and feelings so you can come to your own conclusions. You may even realise that what you think you want, is not what you want at all! You will only reach this understanding by talking it through with a professional.
What’s the difference between career counselling, life coaching, and psychology?
You have to be careful when it comes to counselling and the many different terms and services that are being advertised. Career counselling will provide exactly that – it will provide guidance on what career to take and how to achieve success within that career. It may also provide some level of life coaching and therapy services, in order to provide the best career advice.
Psychology is more concerned with informing you as to your emotions and thought processes and the resolutions of previous/existing traumas. Life coaching is a generic term that puts your life in perspective. The danger is that no qualification is needed for ‘life coaching’. It’s safer to stick strictly with professional counselling services as these require degrees.
Conclusion – The Importance of Career Counselling
The importance of career counselling cannot be understated. This applies not only to younger generations – career counselling for professionals is available for those switching careers. You can take old skills with you while transitioning to your new enterprise.
Choosing the right career counselling service could be the best decision you ever make. It will clarify your expectations, provide a clear framework, and offer you motivation, confidence and enthusiasm for a new role.
Consider using Lifeskills Australia to make the decisions a little easier. Our high-quality counselling promotes emotional and mental wellbeing and we have assisted many clients to achieve their full potential using a variety of proven techniques.
Call now on 1800 870 080 for expert-level career guidance from qualified and experienced professionals.