Careers Counselling

CAREERS COUNSELLING
Effective counselling requires a certain predictive ability that is based on the situation as it really is, which is often not the situation as the client perceives it, or as the client or counsellor would like it to be. One aspect of informed prediction will be, of course, a sound knowledge of the current job market and opportunities, which is an essential part of the Careers Counsellor's professional knowledge. Another aspect of informed prediction will be a realistic assessment of the client's current and likely future state, which includes attitude, knowledge, skills, experience, interpersonal skills etc.
Careers counselling can be divided into three main areas: vocational or career guidance, vocational or career planning., and job seeking and application.
Careers/Vocational guidance
This refers to the process of helping the client identify the kind of work or field that most suits them. The basic question is "What vocation is this person most suited to?" The answers for this depend upon:
-What they enjoy doing
-What they are able to do
-What they want to contribute and to whom (perhaps to disabled, children)
-What they can and are willing to learn
-How much time and effort they are willing or able to commit to developing their vocation
-The current job-market and existing or anticipated need for their services.
While the client has come to you as an expert, your main role is to empower the client to make their own decisions. You will, of course, discuss decisions the client and help them understand the likely consequences of their decisions, but in the end, your job is to support their decision making and their decisions. Make sure that you are helping the client develop his or her goals, not what you think their goals should be.

COURSE AIMS

• Identification of people and organisations which offer career advice or support and the services they offer
• Improved ability to distinguish successful from unsuccessful careers, and to prepare for   anticipated changes in the workplace.
• Skills that will enhance your ability to guide others in the establishment or development of a career.
• Ability to plan and execute an effective Counselling Session
• Understanding and strategies for dealing with the needs of inexperienced young people.
• Identifying and meeting the needs of inexperienced  adults or those facing career change.
• Understanding of how and where to find employment in the job market.
• Appreciation of the need to nurture and grow a career and plan for change. COURSE STRUCTURE
  The course is divided into ten lessons as follows:
  
  1. Introduction -Scope & Nature of the Industry
  2. Nature of Careers -What is a career, what makes it successful
  3. Careers Advice Resources -Brochures, Publications, Web Sites
  4. Services -Where can people get help (Social Services, Work Experience, Education)
  5. Developing Counselling Skills
  6. Conducting a Counselling Session (& referring people on elsewhere).       
  7. Counselling Students and School Leavers (with little work experience)
  8. Counselling Adults (inexperienced or facing career change)
  9. Job Prospecting - How to find work...resumes, etc
  10. Nurturing and Growing a career once it has started
  WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE
  
• Undertake research into the scope and nature of employment services and service providers in your region or locality;
• Research a career area to identify the kind of work involved, requirements, who offers it, trends etc.;
• Role play a counselling session to practise and evaluate your skills in helping a client with an issue;         
• Conduct research to improve your understanding of what careers counselling entails.
• Plan a careers counselling session, including the session goal, timeframe, and anticipated issues;
• Discuss career concerns with young people who are leaving or have recently left secondary school;
• Discuss with adults their experiences of career change;
• Plan strategies to assist young and adult clients deal with common and important identified issues. What is Involved in Careers Counselling?
  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.
A good Careers Counsellor must be impartial and objective.

This is ONLY available as a written correspondence course.