What is Career Guidance?
What is meant by Career Guidance?
Career guidance is a process that aims to help an individual with their career development, typically at a point in time when that individual is experiencing or considering a career transition. Some examples of career transitions include:
- Finishing a period of study in an education institution (school / university)
- Making a career change
- Looking to move organisation
- Going for a promotion
- Redundancy
- Starting a business
What is the Goal of Career Guidance?
When I work with a client my first goal is to understand what stage of a career transition they are at. Typically, career transitions go through 3 steps:
- Making a Career Choice
- Getting Ready (getting necessary experience / education required for the role)
- Making it Happen (job search, applying, interviewing)
Once we’ve figured out what stage they are at, I discuss how I work with clients so the client can see if working together will be helpful for them.
My goal when working with clients is to give them space, structure and point them to information sources that will allow them to make good career choices for themselves.
The most common way I work with clients at the initial stage of a career transition cycle (career choice) is the Career Report & Debrief Package. In this package, clients complete a self-assessment questionnaire where they answer questions about their transferable skills, values and work preferences. They then get a 30 page Career Report which we both get a chance to read through before we sit down for a 90 minute conversation. The Career Report is used as a guide or a support during the conversation as appropriate – and I find this allows us to make the most of the time and to make significant progress in identifying good career options and establishing an action plan to continue their career development. You can read more about this here.
Career Guidance for Adults
I work with adults who are going through a career transition – helping them to understand what stage of the transition cycle they are at and exploring how working together might be helpful for them. You can read more about my approach here, and you can explore the services I offer here.
Career Guidance for Leaving Certificate Students
Sometimes leaving certificate students need additional support to help guide their career decision making. I offer a discounted price on the Career Report & Debrief service for Leaving Certificate students. You can read more about this service here, and at the end of that web page is the booking link for Leaving Certificate students.
Career Advisors
How do I find a career development professional to provide career guidance? If you are in full time education, the good news is that you probably have access to high quality career guidance services from your Career Guidance Counsellor (school) or through your Career Service (University / College).
A number of the Education Training Boards around Ireland provide free adult career guidance. Who they offer guidance to depends on the service, and it is a little difficult to find clear information online about this. For example, the Limerick Clare ETB offers guidance to those thinking about returning to full time education up to level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications. This resource provides a list to the different adult guidance services in Ireland: http://www.adultguidanceassociation.ie/directory/
There are also many private practitioners (like myself!) offering career guidance for those who want additional support, or who are not eligible for government provided supports. I would recommend checking their professional qualifications, client testimonials and trying to have an initial call with your career guidance provider to make sure you are working with someone who will be a good match for you.
A list of Career Development Professionals who have a recognized qualification, have signed up to the CDI code of ethics and who engage in regular continuous professional development can be found here, of which I am a member. The Institute of Guidance Counsellors also maintains a directory of private practitioners which can be found here.
Guidance Counsellor Courses in Ireland
The majority of career development professionals in Ireland work in secondary schools. To be eligible to work as a guidance counsellor in a school you need to have a teaching qualification, be registered with the Teaching Council as a post-primary teacher and hold a Department of Education recognized guidance counselling qualification. You can read more about this and see a listing of recognised qualifications here. To work in the Further / Higher Education sector as a career development professional you don’t need to have a teaching qualification but you are typically expected to have a career counselling qualification at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications (postgraduate diploma / masters).