Career Counseling: Is it Worth it?

[gulab jamun]

Hello,

I've never really known what I wanted to do career-wise, so I just got a BBA degree and took an office job. Several years into my career, I'm not satisfied. I started off with low-pay, so I'm not where I want to be money-wise, either.

I've thought about going back to school for my MBA, but even if I do, would it make my career any more satisfying? I've also wondered about pursuing specialized education, but first I have to figure out what field. I've taken some online career tests, but those don't really help.

Now I'm toying with the idea of seeking a career counselor, not to tell me what to do, but to help me figure out based on skills/interests what I might want to pursue. Hopefully by them asking the rights questions, a light bulb will go off. And I also need help then to put together a concrete plan on how to reach my goal.

So my question is, has anyone here sought career counseling, and would you say it's worth it?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Andy M.]

You don't seem to have a firm idea of what you'd love to do to earn a living, so I'd say career counseling is a good idea. A good counselor can tests your aptitudes, likes and dislikes. That would hopefully translate into a career path.

On another note, if you hope to make a career in business, a BBA is not enough. The standard these days is an MBA.

Think about which courses interested you most in college and consider focusing in that area for an MBA. Does your current job function match your college course preferences? If not, your solution may be as simple as finding a job in a more interesting discipline.

 

[niquejim]

Re: Career Counseling

It sounds like career coaching would be more helpful. A career counselor as an expert would guide you and would tell you what would be useful. The key here is that they would be in the superior position as it should be since you are hiring them for their expertise. A career coach on the other hand would work with you to find out what YOU want to accomplish. It is a very personal process and you would be in charge. If you choose to go the career coach make sure you hire some one who has years of experience in one on one coaching. Alot of what you see online is someone trying to sell a system or a program. Watch out for anyone requiring a contract or telling you how often you need to coach. If you are tight on money you might want to look up pro-bono coaching but they are usually less experienced. Good luck with whichever direction you choose.

 

[Claire]

I couldn't begin to tell you what would work in your situation, but in the military there used to be a man who helped people transition from their military careers to a civilian one, and he was great. He started from the ground up; what to wear, how to write a civilian resume, how to present yourself. The thing is, do you know how good this person is. See if you can find out if the person has any success stories. But, the truth is, if you aren't willing to give up pink hair and a purple suit, tats and pierces all over, then don't waste your money on career counselling.

 

[blissful]

But, the truth is, if you aren't willing to give up pink hair and a purple suit, tats and pierces all over, then don't waste your money on career counselling.

Unless you want to be a clown.