In short, a Career Counsellor helps you find the best career direction for you.

They will take you through a process of building up your self-awareness and then exploring possible work options so you can confidently choose the best path.

I do this through a comprehensive program in which we dig deep into what you enjoy, what interests you, what motivates you, your personality and other aspects of your work preferences. 

When I work with my Career Counselling clients, I also teach skills in researching career options, searching for job opportunities, and building confidence in networking and self-marketing.

A Career Counsellor, helps you figure out what you want in your career and find the career path that's the best fit for you. 

It's important (as you may have discovered from experience) that you are crystal clear on what you are looking for before you start actively applying for jobs. 

Job-searching without a clear focus is a recipe for frustration and can knock your confidence when you don't get results.

A foundation of clarity and focus makes the job search process far more simple and successful.

A Career Coach, on the other hand, can help you get what you want in your career by,

• helping you map out what you need to do to achieve your goals, 
• holding you accountable for doing the work to be successful, 
• teaching you job-search strategies,
• helping you with your self-marketing including resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profile, and
• helping you improve your networking and interview skills.

A Career Coach is most valuable when you know what you are looking for and are ready to focus on your job search.

Do you want to change careers but don't know what your new direction should be?

If your answer is Yes, then a Career Counsellor can help.

A Career Counsellor will help you get unstuck by working with you to build up a picture of what you want in your career, finding career options that match and supporting you to make a decision and plan your future.

Once you are clear on the career path you want to take, making the change is simple.

Working with a Career Counsellor will give you a clear direction in your career but, as many of my clients have reported, it can have many other benefits. These include,

Boost Your Confidence

Through Career Counselling you'll identify your strengths and be able to see and articulate the value you have to offer. It also builds your confidence and numerous clients have told me they've become more assertive in asking their employers for what they want and need. 

Give you a more Optimistic Outlook

When you can see that you have options and opportunities ahead of you, it can shift your whole perspective. Many of my clients have reported that they feel more optimistic, energised and excited about life in general after working with me.

Increase your Productivity and Performance

Having a clear career plan gives you a feeling of control and purpose. When you see how your work is helping you get where you want to go in life, you'll feel more motivated which will improve your productivity and performance (even before you complete your career change).

Increase in Energy

Feeling stuck and spending countless hours trying to figure out what to do in your career is mentally and emotionally draining - probably a lot more so than you realise. 

My clients say that once they're clear on their career plan they feel like a weight has been lifted and they feel energised and inspired. And then they can focus all their energy on making progress towards the future they want.

Being a Positive Role Model

Have you ever felt that you're not being the role model you want to be for your kids? Every parent wants to do the best they can for their children. And above all else, we want to be happy, so being a role model and having a career we enjoy is critical. For some people, it's also important to have a career they feel proud of - one which is meaningful and has a positive impact on the world.

I remember one client describing his wish in such detail it gave me goosebumps. He shared this vision he had of himself sitting on his verandah with his grandchild on his knee, telling them about what he had achieved in his life.

If this resonates with you, you'll see how important it is to take control of your career and make it count.

Not everyone who calls themselves Career Counsellor or Coach will have qualifications. For your peace of mind, it's good to ask about credentials to ensure the person you work with has the knowledge and skills to get you the outcomes you are looking for.

Qualifications

In Australia, Graduate Certificate or Masters degree qualifications in Career Development are available. The Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) has an accreditation program for these courses which ensures they are adhering to a set of professional standards.

Professional Association Membership

As well as qualifications, you can also assess the credibility of a Career Counsellor or Coach through professional association membership. 

The most relevant for mid-career professionals in Australia is the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA). Professional Membership of the CDAA assures you that your Career Counsellor or Coach is qualified, has agreed to abide by a Code of Member Standards and Ethics, and is covered by professional indemnity insurance.

My Credentials

Personally, I hold a Master's of Career Development, have been a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) for 10 years and won the CDAA Award for Excellence in Practice (WA Division) in 2021 for my Define Your Future career change program.

Career Counselling can be equally effective in-person and online, however, there are benefits to working via a video platform such as Zoom.

Efficiency and Flexibility

Working online can be more efficient than working in person as it saves you the time it would otherwise take you to travel to meet in person. It can also be easier to schedule a session during your normal working hours (or over your lunch break) whether you are working in the office or from home.

Using Digital Tools and Resources

The ability to screen share and work in shared documents makes it easy to collaborate. It means that your Career Counsellor can demonstrate a tool, teach a technique and share notes, all while maintaining a personal connection with you over video.

Whether you want to work in-person or online is a personal choice. I will always do my best to accommodate my clients' preferences if they are based in Perth and wish to meet in person. 

Career Counsellors work in a range of different ways. Some use an organic, creative approach and others are more scientific and process-driven.

I work with clients in a thorough and systematic way (I'm a scientist at heart and a strong Myers-Brigss INFJ!).  This involves taking you through a simple, step-by-step process to explore your options, and supporting you to make the best data-driven career decisions. 

This thorough approach is critical if you feel you only have one chance at making a change and need absolute confidence that you're making the right decision.

Many of my clients feel this way - especially those who have families to support and those in their 40s or 50s who want to make their career count.

To learn more about my counter-intuitive process, take a look at my free webinar "How to Discover, with 100% confidence, the Best Career for You"

There are dozens of assessments and tools that can help you explore what career could be a good fit for you. You may already be familiar with some. 

Many of these tools can be valuable but they need to be used strategically as part of a structured career exploration process. If you try to use them on their own or expect them to tell you what career is best for you, you'll end up confused and disappointed. 

When I work with clients who want to change career, I use four assessments which I've hand-picked for specific purposes. They relate to the key questions you need to answer to find a fulfilling career. For example,

• What tasks do you most enjoy?
• Do you want to work independently or in a team?
• Do you prefer detailed or high-level work?
• Should you work in a structured or flexible environment?
• What are you motivated by in your career?

No single assessment covers all the necessary dimensions you need to consider. But if you use the right combination to explore what's important to you, they can give critical insights and help you find a career you love.

Yes, absolutely. 

A Career Counsellor will help you define what you want your life to look like and what 'balance' means to you. This includes considering questions like,

How many hours do you want to work? 

• What level of workload are you willing to accept?
• What flexibility do you want around when and where you work?

Once you are clear, you can add these criteria to how you assess work options along with the other aspects of what will make a career fulfilling for you. By doing this, you will ensure work-life balance is incorporated as you plan your future career to ensure you achieve it.

A Career Coach may be able to help with the practical side of achieving work-life balance. For example, how to find out about and negotiate flexible work options when you apply for a new job.

Yes, absolutely. When you work with a Career Counsellor, you'll consider the skills that you most enjoy using* and the fields you are interested in to build up a picture of what will make a career satisfying for you.

An experienced Career Counsellor will use different methods to draw this information out of you, including asking specific questions and using targeted assessments. Once identified, your Career Counsellor will guide you to explore career options that will combine these skills and interests. 

*It's critical to think about the things you enjoy doing rather than what you are best at. If you don't, you will likely get trapped in a role where you spend most of your time using the skills you are good at, but hate. These are known as your 'burnout skills' and for good reason! A Career Counsellor will guide you to ensure that you don't fall into this trap.

To set yourself up for success in a job search, it's critical that you know what role you're looking for and why it's what you want. 

If you're not 100% clear, you're likely to apply for roles that won't be a good fit for you, and struggle to write a compelling application to convince the recruiter you're a good candidate for the role. 

A Career Counsellor can guide you to gain this clarity on exactly what you want so that your job search becomes aligned and effective. You'll save yourself time, and be more successful with this targetted approach.

A Career Coach can also be helpful in the job search process by helping you craft tailored job applications, improve your interview skills and learn how to uncover hidden job opportunities.