Career Consultants

But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Job

Galen Tinder explains how to understand & use a career consultant

In this chapter:
o Introduction
o What do career consultants do?
o How to choose a career consultant
o Career consulting for expatriates
o Remote consultants
o Making the most of it
o Case studies

Introduction
Austin
Austin is a 33 year old computer network administrator who has decided, after 12 years in the field, to change careers. He wants to spend less time with machines and more with people, but beyond this he does not know what direction he wants to head in. Does he want to stay in the computer field but orient himself toward management? Or should he bid farewell to computers altogether? He has often thought about teaching high school students, but this would require the major commitment of returning to school.

Janice
Since graduating from college 16 years ago Janice has worked for the marketing department of a regional supermarket chain, the last five years as Senior Vice President. By nearly all standards she is in the middle of a successful career. The only fly in the ointment is that Janice does not enjoy her work. She has decided that while she is still in her thirties it is time to move in a new direction. She has even identified her goal: Janice wants to direct the marketing efforts of a not-for-profit artistic organisation. She is not aiming for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art; she would be happy with a county art centre with a budget of $200,000. But Janice, who was recruited by her present company straight from college, has never had to conduct a job search and doesn’t even have a resumé.

Suzanne
Suzanne is 49 years old and after raising her children into their mid teens is ready for the work world. She has never held a paying job but has been active in responsible positions for volunteer organisations. She is interested in working as an administrative assistant, but is unsure about the best way to obtain such a position.

These people represent just three of the many situations in which professional career consultants (also called career counsellors or careers advisers) can provide valuable help and guidance.

In order to understand what career consultants do,it’s helpful to compare them with other professionals. Let’s take attorneys and financial advisers. All three kinds of professionals possess a body of knowledge and a set of skills in applying that knowledge to individual situations. As with attorneys and financial advisers, much of what career consultants provide for their clients is intangible, consisting of counsel and advice. This is the major reason why it’s not easy to be sure that you’ve selected the right person and are getting the services you need.

This was an extract from the Chapter entitled Career Consultants from Career In Your Suitcase 2 written by Jo Parfitt.

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