Are you looking for a career coach or need a career counselor?
While there are overlaps between career coaching and career counseling, I want to mention that there are definite differences.
A career counselor is someone who usually is licensed and has a Masters Degree in counseling or psychology. Counselors are often designated as a LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). Your medical or mental health insurance benefits may pay for some or all of the costs of a career counselor.
A career counselor usually has advanced training in aptitude or psychometric assessments and may use them in the career counseling process.
However, in career counseling and counseling in general, there is an assumption that someone (the counselor) is an expert and has expertise and advice to offer. The process can be more direct in that the career counselor would gather information about an individual’s skills, aptitudes, personality style, likes/dislikes etc. and then direct them to a career that the career counselor thinks will satisfy them. A career counselor would be more likely to have a list of careers and to resources where an individual could get more information for different professions.
A career coach can have a varied background in terms of education and degrees held. Many do have advanced degrees, which may not be related to coaching, careers or counseling. Usually a coach would have completed coach training in a program that is certified by the International Coach Federation. The International Coach Federation “defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” (From website http://www.coachfederation.org/)
A career coach comes from the perspective that you are the expert in your life and it is the job of the career coach to support you to grow, develop and make powerful choices for yourself, including career choices. So, in the career coaching model it would likely be more about self-discovery, finding what career will really light you up, have you excited to go to work each day. Your career coach would work with you to make sure you put together a plan that will have you investigating different career choices and pursuing them so that you can come to your own answers. The idea and the key distinction is that if the client comes to the answers on their own, it is potentially more powerful than if they are told by the career counselor a recommendation or prescribed course.
Regardless of whether you decide you need a career coach or a career counselor, the most important factor is whether you feel chemistry and trust this person to support you through this very important time of your life. You may want to interview a career coach and a career counselor. I would recommend interviewing several of each.
Tell them about your situation, a bit about yourself, and maybe what you are looking to achieve from a coach or a counselor. At the end of the call think about how you felt after speaking with this person. Do you have confidence that this person can empower you to maximize your professional potential? Speaking with several coaches or counselors will take some time, but can be so valuable if you find the right professional to guide you to making the best career choices for you.
