Heading for career counseling? Know these 6 things to have a better experience 

It is never easy to decide on a career. Even if you have thought about a career option since childhood, you may end up getting second thoughts about it in the future. The point is, there is so much one needs to deliberate upon that choosing a professional station in life becomes a tedious task. I remember my time after school when I couldn’t decide what suited me best; it took time but things got better. One of the things I did to do away with confusion was to seek career counseling.

Career counseling has become quite common lately, and this is expected considering the myriad career options being placed before students. That being said, those who decide to seek professional career counseling must understand that it is not a one-stop solution but entails a range of things. Many people go for such sessions with misguided notions about them and end up getting disappointed. Hence, I have decided to help you know what exactly career counseling is all about so that you can have a better experience.

Note these 6 points:

1. Talk
   If you think that a career counselor should be able to extract your thoughts and give you a solution, then you are not doing things right. A counseling session requires you and the counselor to have a candid discussion. You are expected to talk about how you feel about your current choices, which areas you are comfortable and not comfortable with, and what your plans are for the future. Inhibitions have no place in a career counseling session. The counselor cannot help you if you won’t help them. Hence, talk.

2. Locate sources
   A Career counselor is expected to have in-depth knowledge about what she does. One of the things she should be able to help you with is locating sources of information. These sources include college admission details, scholarship announcements, and whatnot. She will have your resume read and evaluated and offer you the necessary leads on such sources. Many counselors know people in universities and often help their clients to have frank conversations with the administration to get a better idea.

3. Career counseling is not the ultimate panacea
   See, career counseling will be an informative session, and the counselor will be your guide. That being said, she is not your gateway to the final solution. Her job is to tell you what does and does not suit your profile, and it is up to you to take the final call. She will help you narrow down your options, shortlist universities, assist you in the application process, but they are not responsible for your ultimate choices.

4. Career counseling is for anyone
   Many of us believe that career counseling is only for younger students, particularly those who are fresh graduates from school. Well, no. Career development is a lifelong process and can involve anyone, from undergrads to doctoral students. Even those who have had professional standing come and seek counseling because they do not want to continue what they have been doing. So, even if you are a middle-aged adult, you can go for career counseling because you can do whatever you want, and counseling can help ease the process.

5. Counseling comes at a fee
   Professional career counseling does not generally come free. Many agencies have come up and they charge some fee from the clients. Since money is involved, it is advised that you do good research about the agency before you rope it in. Unsurprisingly, there are many fraudulent agencies around so make sure you do a thorough background check and verify their credentials before you spend even a single penny.

6. It may take more than just a day
   Counseling is not a simple task. The counselor needs to know the client, and the knowing part takes time. So, expect your sessions to take more than just a day to conclude. In fact, counselors stay in touch with their clients for a good number of days and beyond until they are certain that they have done their part. So, if you are someone who wants immediate feedback, you will have to change your ways. Do not jump to conclusions on the first day of the session.