Anyone ever use a pro career counselor?

[Vertifly 0]

If you've ever been to a career counselor - please tell your experience with them. I am considering going to this lady who promises to find out my unique innate ability and provide better direction in my professional career. But it is kinda expensive. About 150 an hour. That's lots but I am hoping the payback is mega-fold.

[AggieDave 6]

The closest thing to a career counselor I've used is my wife.


Good luck with your counselor, hopefully she'll be able to really help you out and you'll really reap the benifits.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Nightingale 0]

My high school hired one. She told me I should go into film editing. I worked in the industry for two years after I finished college, and realized that filmmaking is much better left as a hobby than a career.

They'll give you lots of tests which will indicate your strengths and weaknesses, and likes and dislikes (most of which you already know), and then they'll pick careers in line with your strengths and likes. The problem here is that many times, they'll hit on something you enjoy doing for recreation, and making a career out of it isn't always a good idea. When you take something fun and turn it into something you HAVE to do instead of something you WANT to do, your attitude about it can change dramatically.

In many cases, what really makes someone figure out a job is or isn't for them is the work environment, not the work itself. Do you work better with a manager that is constantly checking up on you? That sometimes helps people stay on task. However, others work better without management breathing down their necks, because it makes them nervous and more likely to make mistakes. I know that in my last job, I got about ten times as much done on my boss' days off, because I wasn't constantly fielding his phone calls to check up on me, and I wasn't having to stop what I was doing to explain to him what I was doing. My work style is "tell me what to do, then leave me the heck alone so I can do it, and if I have any questions, I will ask." However, some people (my bro, for example) accomplish a lot more with feedback along the way. He feels like he's left hanging if the boss completely ignores him unless he's got a question.

Find out what kind of management style you prefer, and then try to find a job that matches that style. You're more likely to enjoy your job if you can work in an environment that you're comfortable in. Liking the people you work with and being comfortable in your work location go a long way to making sure you're happy in your job. Even if you're just pushing paper, you'll probably be happier in a good work environment than you would be if you had your dream job but ended up with the boss-from-hell.

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

Save yourself some money and just take a few of those tests that RL posted...go on from there.


Bobbi

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[TFFTM 1]

When the company I used to work for merged I went to one for a free consultation. I took my current resume and other self marketing ideas with me. He pointed out several things (mainly about the resume) that I would never had thought of nor saw in any of the resume books.
I looked on it as not only an expensive resume service but also an agent so to speak with my interest in mind and not the hiring agencies.
They not only help identify your strengths and weaknesses but can also help you market those talents. (Its all about the marketing)
I honestly believe that if I had used him I could have gotten about 20% -30% more than I currently make. Not only do they know the "Tricks" but they usually have a good network of folks who can help in a job search and /or job upgrade.
I personally would recommend one though the one I went to was a flat fee (800.00)and not hourly based. I would be more hesitant to go to an hourly charge.
Just my .02 good luck

BSBD
Home of the Alabama Gang

[Vertifly 0]

Thanks all so far for the good advice and wishes. Very much appreciating all that. A lot of this stuff, I agree, is that job satisfaction has a lot to do with environment. My office is set up so that we are breathing down each others necks all day long - everyday. There is (let me count) the same 27 people, in the same room, 52 weeks a year. And on weekends, when I am running this place alone - I rock this place like it is a party. It drives me nuts.

What I was hoping for with the counselor is this:

She's local to NY so she may know the market better there.

...has a PhD in psychology so that may help with the direction.

...does the resume for me at the end.

...and yeah, gives those tests to give you better direction.

It sounds like very few people have had good experience. $800 bucks is a lot to waste on someone who will be of little help. Uggh. And if it ends up more than that, it would totally suck.

And I'll have to keep in mind the whole hobbie thing. Becoming a professional skydiver, artist, fitness instructor or snowboarder is too much at this stage of the game with the cost of living. There is rarely enough benefits to make a hobbie work life-long. I was thinking of advanced corporate instruction or or something in an executive ranks (and professional relocation - also geographically) is precisely why I'm thinking of turning to someone.