Eliminate Career Fear: 10 Reasons to Seek Counselling.
When you think of career counselling do fresh-faced school leavers come to mind? If so it’s a mistake. While this is certainly an important stage to seek guidance, it’s not the only time you should seek advice with career direction, according to Principal Consultant, Simon Bennett, of Glide Outplacement and Career Coaching.
Bennet says there are many reasons people seek career counselling throughout their lifetime but the following scenarios make it a must.
- You’ve just finished studying.
Maybe you’ve realised you’ve studied the wrong degree, or perhaps you’re overwhelmed by opportunities and feel unable to make progress with any of them? A career coach can help you to consider all your options and make a sustainable, long- term choice.
- You’ve started working in a field, but realise you’ve made the wrong choice.
So, you made a bad career choice. Rather than hitting the eject button straight away, it can be helpful to talk to an independent expert to discover whether if it’s worthwhile sticking with the job until you’ve learnt enough for it to be useful on your resume.
- You no longer feel motivated and inspired by your work, and wonder where the passion’s gone.
If the enjoyment has gone from your working day, a career coach can work with you to develop a plan to move on and find a new role to reignite your passion. They can also advise you on how to get professional satisfaction from doing something that is frankly a bit dull.
- You’re looking for a fresh start and want to change careers entirely.
Few of us pick the right job on our first try. But if you are thinking about changing careers, you probably want to find the right career this time. If you aren’t sure where to start, career coaching will show you how to research, evaluate and apply for potential jobs before you make any life-changing decisions.
- You missed out on a promotion.
Being overlooked for a more senior position doesn’t always mean you should quit. When there seems to be a lack of career advancement opportunities in your current role, a career expert can coach you on ways to ask your line manager or HR department about how you can take on more responsibilities and advance professionally.
- You didn’t get the pay rise you felt you deserved.
The idea of negotiating a higher salary makes many people feel uncomfortable: they don’t want to seem rude or greedy asking for more money, especially if an initial request has been rejected. Working with a career coach will equip you with the skills to ask for and negotiate a pay rise that matches your expectations.
- You need advice for dealing with a difficult manager, an unproductive team or an unpleasant work environment.
The workplace can sometimes be miserable and unpleasant. When quitting isn’t an option, professional career management advice can show you how to turn a bad situation into a good learning experience and make your job more tolerable.
- You want to learn skills to help you in a new management role.
The professional and/or technical skills that have fuelled your success to date are likely to be different to those you need as a manager. With career coaching, you’ll discover what skills and knowledge you need to be a successful manager who achieves high performance from team members.
- You’re nearing retirement and don’t want to stop working, but your current role isn’t suitable for your retirement plans.
Many retirees want to remain in the workforce, although not always in the same role. With post-retirement career planning, you can decide whether you want to look for a role related to your previous career, investigate new career paths or start your own business.
- You want to return to the workplace after a few years break to raise your family and you want a role that provides you with a good work/life balance.
Career coaching can provide you with expert help in developing and implementing a return-to-work strategy, especially if you want to do something different to what you did before you left the workforce. It can help you think about your existing skills, including those you’ve developed since becoming a parent, and how to transfer them to other employment options.
Australian Online Courses “Ask a Career Coach”
Career counselling helps you plan and effectively deal with career challenges. At all ages and all stages of your professional life there is opportunity to explore suitable career options. So, if you’re unhappy in your current role or are confused by career choices, you might benefit from our “Ask a Career Coach” service.
The “Ask a Career Coach” is a free service offered by Australian Online Courses where you can ask any questions related to work and careers. All questions are reviewed and answered by a career coach. Selected questions and answers will be published on the Australian Online Courses site (we respect your privacy, real names and email address will not be published).
Why Study Australian Online Courses?
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Your career matters to us at Australian Online Courses. That’s why flexible study timeframes, affordable prices and unmatched customer support from our administration team and tutors are at the heart of what we do.
Our comprehensive array of courses, developed in consultation with industry experts, will give you the skills and knowledge to pursue new roles and achieve your career goals.
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