What Is a Career Counselor

A career counselor can make professional transitions smoother. These professionals have training and experience that can help you improve your resume and interviewing skills. They'll help you honestly evaluate yourself to find a career that's right for you. What they won't do is guarantee that you'll find a job, though many counselors have job leads that will point you in the right direction.

What Is a Career Counselor?
Simply put, career counselors are trained professionals who help others select and implement a career path. They often hold graduate degrees in the social sciences, such as psychology or sociology, with a specialization in career counseling.

How to Find Career Counselors

• Referrals: If you are plugged into an active networking system, such as a trade association, professional group or chamber of commerce, you can use your contacts to find career counselors. If you know people with jobs in the field you're considering, ask them for recommendations.
• Telephone Book: The phone book is still useful. A good place to start is under the Career Counseling heading.
• Universities and Colleges: Chances are that your current school or your alma mater offers career counseling for students and alumni. You might find some unique job leads here, as some employers will list openings with a particular school before making them available to the general public.
• Internet: By visiting the sites of professional trade groups, you can easily locate counselors in your area. You can also find local counselors by checking online phone directories. Some career counselors will work with you online, but it's generally better to go the face-to-face route if you need to practice interview or negotiating skills.

When to Hire a Career Counselor
You've been laid off: Many corporations often offer free counseling to former employees. If you find yourself in this situation, don't hesitate to take advantage of it. The services offered by career counselors can highlight opportunities that may never have occurred to you. If you're in a trade that's disappearing because of technology, counselors can help you find other areas where your skills will be valued.

You're changing careers: If you are transitioning into another career, a counselor can provide objective advice on how to do it. This can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Services Career Counselors Offer
As trained professionals, career counselors consider the whole person in addition to specific skill sets to help you choose a field that is not only professionally rewarding but personally rewarding as well.

• Testing: Career counselors offer many types of testing, including personality tests, aptitude tests, skill tests and psychological tests. Each test is designed to help you choose the ideal career path. Many candidates are surprised at what these tests reveal about them and the opportunities they may be overlooking.
• Counseling: Many times, particularly after examining tests, a career counselor will hone in on a particular area where a candidate needs to improve. This is where the counseling portion of career counseling comes in. The counseling can be as simple as helping a candidate to fine tune career or life goals, or as complicated as helping the client realize that a career change is necessary to accommodate lifestyle or personality.
• Job-Hunting Strategies: Many professionals are often frustrated with the job-hunting process. They blame themselves for not landing interviews, when in fact it could be as simple as taking the wrong approach or looking in the wrong places. Career counselors teach job seekers how to look for opportunities in their fields. Different fields and skill sets require different job-hunting tactics. A career counselor can set you on the right path.
• Career Transition Assistance: Switching careers can be a tumultuous time in the life of a professional. Career counselors offer the advice and support needed to make these changes. First, they help the individual to focus on the end goal. Second, they provide an objective view of the process. Third, they provide realistic advice on how to go about making ideal long- and short-term decisions.  All of this is invaluable when emotions are riding high and so much is riding on making the "right" decision.

For many who take advantage of career counseling programs, it is the first time that they have ever given their professional lives any thought. As work is where most adults spend the majority of their time, the clarity offered by career counselors is often life-altering.

What Does Counseling Cost?
In general, career counselors charge by the hour. Rates depend primarily on the counselor's credentials, the depth of services offered and the specialization of the candidate.

Fees can range from a low of $30 to $50 an hour on up to hundreds of dollars per hour. Find out about the fee structure ahead of time. You may be able to keep costs down by focusing on specific areas, such as resume writing, rather than using the full range of services.

Many universities offer discount fees. Some community social service and outreach programs offer free services. It pays to do some research in this area.

Online Career Counseling
Working with an online counselor means you don't have to limit your choices to your geographic area. The same services can be dispensed, quickly, easily and at your leisure when you work with an online counselor.

Your success in working with an online counselor depends on your needs. You can take personality tests at a distance and get feedback on the career path that's best for you. You can have your resume reviewed or learn the ins and outs of salary negotiations. If you're a self-directed person, an online counselor can be a time- and money-saving choice.
If you need support through a frustrating job search, or if you need to hone your interviewing skills, online counselors aren't a good choice. These areas are best handled through face-to-face meetings with a supportive person who can shine a light on your weaknesses and boost your spirits when the job search gets tough.