Career Counselling
What Does A Careers Counsellor Do?
Careers Counselling involves more than just finding work for people. Among other things, Careers Counselling may involve helping people -
- identify the best job for their skills and interests;
- find any job to meet their personal and financial needs;
- find a better or more appropriate job for their situation;
- achieve job satisfaction through appropriate choices;
- plan and cope with career changes;
- better adapt to the workplace;
- improve their potential for advancement in the workplace;
- identify new career possibilities when circumstances change.
To be able to assist a client in each or any of these processes, a Careers Counsellor must be aware of -
- the diverse nature of employment opportunities;
- the requirements for success in different types of jobs;
- reasons that people hire and fire employees;
- workplace conditions including contract law, industrial relations systems, health and safety issues, ethics;
- useful contacts among employers, government departments, funding bodies, professional associations, industry experts, etc;
- factors that hinder or promote a person’s job-seeking effectiveness;
- trends in the local job market.
Assumptions Underlying the Practice of Careers Counselling
Careers counselling has a number of underlying assumptions, which should be considered when supporting clients :–
- People have the ability and opportunity to make careers choices within their lives. The amount of freedom of choice will depend on their economic, social and cultural context.
- Individuals are presented with careers choices throughout their lives.
- Opportunities should be available to people regardless of their disability, sexual orientation, age, cultural background, gender or religion.
- People will have a wide range of work roles during their lives. These include paid and unpaid work.
- Careers counsellors support people to explore, pursue and attain their career goals.
- Individuals will enter particular occupations according to personal preferences, interests, external influences etc.
- Career decision making happens throughout a person’s life. It is an ongoing process. It doesn’t happen only once.
- All forms of work are valuable and all contribute to the well-being of society.
Careers counselling has four main elements
- Helping individuals gain a greater self-awareness in areas of interests, values, personality style and abilities.
- Connecting students to resources so they can become knowledgeable about jobs and occupations.
- Engaging students in the decision making process, so they choose a career path well-suited to their individual needs, abilities, values and personality.
- Assisting individuals to be active managers of their career path – such as career transitions, balancing life roles, as well as becoming lifelong learners to develop over their career.
Being a Careers Counsellor is extremely rewarding. Employment consultants help change people's vocational prospects everyday of their lives, as well as assist young people to start off on the right pathway toward a career that utilises their unique talents and abilities. Learn how to become a career counsellor and start your own rewarding career today!
If you are interested in careers counselling or occupational psychology, take a look at the following courses from ACS:
Careers Counselling
Certificate In Careers Counselling
Counselling Techniques
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