Career Coach/Vocational Counseling

[frugalone]

I know a while back, I had a thread going (possibly on the "old board") about finding a career coach/vocational counselor. I've tried the phone book here, and nobody's listed. I know that they abound online...but I want to make sure I get someone w/recommendations.

With Skype and the whole world growing smaller, I can do this by e-mail and/or by phone. Has anyone utilized the services of a career coach? If so, can you recommend his or her services? Also I would love to hear about your experience.

Thank you!

[Lainey]

Our local community college system offers vocational testing, and I believe that is available to the public, not just students. A friend used it years ago and identified a career path from which she just retired. It was very successful for her.

Worthwhile to check with your local colleges.

[puglogic]

Adult education centers (you know, the ones that offer cool night/weekend classes in a variety of topics) often have "find the right career" courses as part of their course offerings. And they're often taught by career counselors, so you might be able to make a connection that way.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Yes mostly a waste of money in my opinion (and not cheap either - had like 3 sessions with one - at over $100 each). Then had another session with another at a non-profit somewhat cheaper, maybe around $65. And what good it really did me I don't know.

But it may be one of those things one learns only by trying. What I mean is I suppose it is possible some of them provide some people with help that they find useful and this is only me.

I can tell you what they will probably do. They will give you a bunch of tests. Meyer's Briggs perhaps, strong interest inventory, and so on. This will give you a bunch of fields to consider with no regard whatsoever to practicality (as in for instance: how many years of additional education am I really going to put in here etc. - such small trivial little practical matters).

Then my careeer counselor told me to go out and find people in careers that had been identified as of interest according to the tests and interview them about their jobs (that part is decent advice). This was entirely up to me to do on my own. I did some of it. The interviewing was worth it for the perspective gained and people I got to know better (a great side benefit :)), but .... I haven't changed careers though you'll notice.

I guess what I really wanted, well it may be infantile, but what I really wanted was handholding, was career focused therapy almost if you will, was mentorship, was a deep knowledge of the working world and what exists out there and how it fits with who I am by someone who had that deep knowledge. Instead I got one career counselors out of grad school younger than me (i'm mid 30s) with very minimal experience of the (work) world etc.! I needed bredth of experience!

Bottom line: perhaps noone is going to DO THOSE THINGS for me. See me and who I am, and see the world and have a wealth of experience with it and knowledge of it and tell me exactly where I fit. Noone is going to do it for me maybe. Woah, you mean I am responsible for my own life? Yep AND what is even more the working world isn't really designed for our satisfaction either, it's built for profit. But still I do dearly wish I had a mentor type, because I do really and truly GET STUCK in trying to resolve the work issues in my own life.

[Lainey]

ApatheticNoMore - I agree with one aspect of what you're saying in that it's still hard to get a good grasp of what an actual "day in the life" work experience would be for any type of career or job.
When you Google different careers you typically get links to the Dept. of Labor sites, or ads to go to school for that career, or that career's professional association web page - but even after reading through all that, it still doesn't substitute for talking with someone, or many someones, about their real-life experience in that position.

I remember years ago a woman who decided to do temp office jobs as a way of seeing what different jobs were like from the inside, e.g., temping in a real estate office, or an insurance office, or a medical facility, etc. It actually helped her decide on a career.

also, isn't there a site called vault.com where people working in different companies post their honest feelings about that company (anonymously, of course). I think it might be fee-based but it could be interesting. Of course, it's probably biased toward the complainers because happy people don't typically seek out and post on those site, but it's still a slice of insider info.

[frugalone]

I was sort of looking for s/thing beyond the career office at my college (I am in school part time). I guess more like what ApatheticNoMore said--a mentor.

I am concerned about the practical side of things. Like, I can dream about what my ideal workplace would be--but does such a place actually exist? I need someone who knows what the "real world" is like.

I'm going to check out that Vault place right now.

[frugalone]

Unfortunately the only temp jobs around these days seem to be in warehouses or call centers. I do remember the days of which you speak, though.


ApatheticNoMore - I agree with one aspect of what you're saying in that it's still hard to get a good grasp of what an actual "day in the life" work experience would be for any type of career or job.
When you Google different careers you typically get links to the Dept. of Labor sites, or ads to go to school for that career, or that career's professional association web page - but even after reading through all that, it still doesn't substitute for talking with someone, or many someones, about their real-life experience in that position.

I remember years ago a woman who decided to do temp office jobs as a way of seeing what different jobs were like from the inside, e.g., temping in a real estate office, or an insurance office, or a medical facility, etc. It actually helped her decide on a career.

also, isn't there a site called vault.com where people working in different companies post their honest feelings about that company (anonymously, of course). I think it might be fee-based but it could be interesting. Of course, it's probably biased toward the complainers because happy people don't typically seek out and post on those site, but it's still a slice of insider info.

[frugalone]

Forgot to add: It sounds rather like they were using some of the suggestions in "What Color is Your Parachute?", i.e. "informational interviewing.



Yes mostly a waste of money in my opinion (and not cheap either - had like 3 sessions with one - at over $100 each). Then had another session with another at a non-profit somewhat cheaper, maybe around $65. And what good it really did me I don't know.

But it may be one of those things one learns only by trying. What I mean is I suppose it is possible some of them provide some people with help that they find useful and this is only me.

I can tell you what they will probably do. They will give you a bunch of tests. Meyer's Briggs perhaps, strong interest inventory, and so on. This will give you a bunch of fields to consider with no regard whatsoever to practicality (as in for instance: how many years of additional education am I really going to put in here etc. - such small trivial little practical matters).

Then my careeer counselor told me to go out and find people in careers that had been identified as of interest according to the tests and interview them about their jobs (that part is decent advice). This was entirely up to me to do on my own. I did some of it. The interviewing was worth it for the perspective gained and people I got to know better (a great side benefit :)), but .... I haven't changed careers though you'll notice.

I guess what I really wanted, well it may be infantile, but what I really wanted was handholding, was career focused therapy almost if you will, was mentorship, was a deep knowledge of the working world and what exists out there and how it fits with who I am by someone who had that deep knowledge. Instead I got one career counselors out of grad school younger than me (i'm mid 30s) with very minimal experience of the (work) world etc.! I needed bredth of experience!

Bottom line: perhaps noone is going to DO THOSE THINGS for me. See me and who I am, and see the world and have a wealth of experience with it and knowledge of it and tell me exactly where I fit. Noone is going to do it for me maybe. Woah, you mean I am responsible for my own life? Yep AND what is even more the working world isn't really designed for our satisfaction either, it's built for profit. But still I do dearly wish I had a mentor type, because I do really and truly GET STUCK in trying to resolve the work issues in my own life.