Individual Career Counseling
Is This Service For Me?
This is an excellent service for individuals from the community who wish to do career counseling in an in-depth and comprehensive manner. This offering includes a thorough self- assessment, a look at the opportunities in today's job market, and an individualized plan of action for each client. Because the evaluations used in this service rely heavily on life and work experience, it is usually recommended for adults age 25 and above. The details of the individual's personal career situation will be dealt with in detail in these one-on-one sessions.
Clients initially pay for four one-hour sessions of counseling and additional follow-up sessions are available if needed. Typical participants in Individual Career Counseling include:
- Career changers.
- Individuals who have been laid off.
- Individuals who are dissatisfied with their jobs and who wish to evaluate their options.
- Individuals who feel they are underemployed and want to develop a plan for advancement.
- People returning to the job market after several years who would like to look at current options.
- Individuals who feel they need more training but who have no idea about how to choose a field.
- People of all ages who have never really decided "what I want to do when I grow up".
Who Will Provide This Service?
A DCCC Counselor with at least a Master's Degree in counseling or a related field will conduct these sessions. Each counselor has worked extensively with adults and their career concerns. In addition, all counselors have received further training conducted by a Nationally Certified Career Counselor, who coordinates this program.
What Will This Service Do For Me?
Individual Career Counseling is a shared process between the counselor and client. The counselor's role is to provide a structured process for career exploration and decision making. In addition, the counselor acts as a resource person and a sounding board. Your counselor will help you to sort out present issues, will give you feedback, and may be able to give you a new perspective for dealing with your concerns.
Clients are most likely to benefit from career counseling if they can devote a significant amount of the career planning process. Over the course of four sessions, at least 20 hours of homework will be required.
During Session No. 1, you and your counselor will discuss your background and work history, as well as, your current goals and expectations for career counseling. In addition, the counselor will give you a battery of written exercises to do as homework between sessions 1 and 2. These exercises are designed to help you and your counselor assess your interests, skills, current priorities, motivators, personal traits, preferred environments, and realities and commitments.
The focus of Session 2 is a discussion of the homework exercises assigned during Session 1. Your counselor will discuss the exercises with you and help you begin to identify themes and patterns.
During sessions 3 and 4, you will continue discussion of the exercises and receive a thorough tour of the Career and Counseling Center with your counselor. In addition, your counselor will assemble a summary profile for you highlighting your top skills, interests, values, motivators, preferred work environments, and realities and commitments. Based on this summary, the two of you will brainstorm possible occupation for you to consider.
For most clients, the next step is career research--that is, learning more about the occupations that are of interest to you. Much of this research can be accomplished in the Career and Counseling Center, and your counselor will help you to find the most appropriate references. Sometimes clients do further research by talking with individuals who are already employed in their fields of interest. Your counselor will provide guidelines regarding how to do this.
The remainder of the time is spent strategically planning possible next steps and relating career goals to other aspects of your present lifestyle.
How Can I Get Additional Information?
For further information, call the Career and Counseling Center at (610) 359-5324. Ask the Secretary to put your name into the Individual Career Counseling Log. A counselor will call you back within a week to ten days to provide additional information.
How do I Register?
The procedure is the same as the one to get additional information. The phone consultation with a counselor is a prerequisite to enrollment in the Individual Career Counseling Program. If you decide to enroll in this program, the counselor will complete an Intake Form during this conversation and register you for the service.
When Is This Service Offered?
This service is offered on a year round basis by appointment. From the time of your initial inquiry to the start of counseling, is usually three to four weeks.