How Can Career Counseling Help Me?

A Better You Blog, How Can Career Counseling Help Me?: Photo of person standing with the word change in front of them written on the ground

For those looking for a career change by chance or choice, career counseling can help bring clarity to the uncertain or unknown. Career counseling helps in getting answers to questions about personal interests, skills, strengths, and guidance on how to achieve your career goals.

Why Seek Career Counseling? How Can Career Counseling Help Me?

According to Gallup’s annual Work and Education Survey, 48 percent of Americans are unhappy with their current job situation. Oftentimes, job dissatisfaction can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, mood changes, eating disorders, and sleep problems.

In this day and age, it’s common for people to go through multiple jobs by the time they reach retirement. Therefore, professional development is extremely important for staying current so you can make informative decisions to find something that is fulfilling. Frequently, interests and even passions lie dormant.

People spend about a third of their life working. It doesn’t make sense to do something you don’t like for that amount of time.

Some of the benefits of career counseling are:

Acquiring More Insight About Jobs.

Understanding what skills are important. What training, certification, or education is needed? So many people don’t move towards a goal because they don’t know the answers to their own questions. Career counseling helps answer questions that keep people stuck.

Can Career Testing Be Helpful?

One of the benefits of career counseling is the opportunity to take career tests to get powerful insight and knowledge about your interests and jobs that match them. There are so many careers that people don’t even know about.

Whether you are a confused high schooler, reentering the job market in several years, tired of your current situation, forced to examine other avenues due to an unforeseen closing, or simply confused about where to go next, a career test will help you take those first steps in the right direction. Here are the top five ways that a career test can help you get started:

Discover Career Desires
The findings of an accurate career test will help you learn about your personality and identify your ultimate passions. It can help you to figure out whether you would gain satisfaction. For example, would you be better suited in the computer science field, law enforcement, carpentry, truck driving, or nursing?

With knowledge comes power. I’m sure you heard of this famous quote. Yet, it is true. Most people live from a place of uncertainty or fear. If you are considering a career change, the results of your career test will help you decide what to do and where to go. The first step creates momentum to take further action to change your current situation.

Trying to fit a round peg into a square hole never works. Tired of being a number instead of a person with a unique skill set? Is it the environment that you are not happy with, such as being micromanaged or never feeling appreciated? Do you count the minutes to quitting time the moment you start the day? Do you often get a case of the Sunday night blues dreading a five-day workweek that will soon begin as the weekend winds down? Or are you simply disengaged from the field because your interests lie in a different area? A career test will help you answer all of those difficult questions.

Finding Your Niche
There’s a pot for every lid. Another classic quote that fits. A career test can help you match your unique personality with a list of the potential careers available, some of which you may not have heard of or even considered! Once exposed, after completing the assessment(s) light bulbs go off. Wow! Magic! Imagine whistling on your way to work.

Gain Certainty
No matter the reasons, matching your personality and interests with a job is the key to not only a fulfilling career but a better you outside of the job. A happier you improves physical, social, and mental health outside of work. Even if you already have some idea of your interests, a career test can give you the confidence that your career interests are well matched to your personality.

Getting Your Job
By clearly pinpointing your latent personality traits, interests, and work qualities, the results of your career test will help you to understand and express the motives behind why you chose a particular path. This will help you in those difficult conversations with potential hiring managers when they ask: Why did you choose this field? Why do you want to work here? What can you offer us? What makes you different? Being able to communicate your passions, reasons, and strengths to future employers will set you apart in the competitive job market.

Save Lots of Time, Effort, and Money
Many people take a job simply because it was available. They accept the offer and hope for the best. Eventually, even the most positive attitudes wither into apathy. The one thing you can’t get back in life is time. Stop wasting yours. Also, consider how much money you’re losing out on by staying in that job. Knowing your value, who you truly are, and what you really like – your personality, interests, and skill set – is critical for making the right decisions about your new career.

If this is you, let me know so you can begin the process of getting paid for doing what you love.