Over the past several years, I have worked extensively with a wide variety of people from non-profits, the business world, NGO’s and government, reflecting the diversity of Washington DC: social workers and teachers, executive vice presidents and political appointees. I have helped individuals move from finance to medical school, from unhappy employment in national corporations to a fulfilling career owning their own business.
It’s important that we like what we do in our work, especially so when we spend, forty, fifty, or even sixty hours a week doing our job. Bad jobs affect us in negative ways, increasing our stress level, decreasing our sense of self worth, and affecting relationships with friends and family.
Career counseling – which is usually short term, lasting anywhere from one to five sessions – can offer direction and provide understanding of personal desires, financial needs and professional skills necessary to begin searching for a fulfilling job. It can be useful whether you’re currently employed and considering a job change, or unemployed and feeling stuck.
Our careers must fit into the context of the rest of our lives. To this end, I help my clients explore their personality, interests, and values, and help them identify skills that they want to use. I utilize both the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory and the Strong Interest Inventory to give my clients a stronger sense of themselves and to provide information to give direction for the job search. Both of these can provide a great starting point for an in depth conversation about what we do with our lives.
Career counseling can:
- Provide insight if you’re unsure what direction to go
- Help you structure your job search and support you in setting and keeping goals
- Provide feedback on resumes and cover letters
- Help you prepare for upcoming interviews
- Give you tools to deal with the anxiety of job hunting
- Help you brainstorm and identify resources and networking