For some reason, career counsellor’s kind of have a bad reputation and guilty as charged, before I became one myself, I did have some judgments as well. So, I thought it would be a good idea to debunk some of those myths and help you better understand what we do.
Myth #1 - A career counsellor will tell you which career you have to pick.
I think this is one of the most popular misconceptions about career counselling. People often think that when you see a career counsellor, they will tell you what career you should choose. This is impossible! If I had a crystal ball that was able to tell me what to tell you to choose as a career, well…I’d be rich! Unfortunately, this is not the case. The role of a career counsellor is not to tell you what to do. The role of a career counsellor is to guide you through the process. You have all the answers, but we have all the right questions.
Plus, there is a lot to consider when you choose your career. There is not just one perfect career for you as there is not just one perfect person for you. But how do you figure out all of this? By confiding in your counsellor, by being invested and by trusting the process.
Myth #2 - Career counsellors only do testing.
Yes, there is often testing in the career counselling process and there is a reason why: it helps identify interests, personality, and strengths through standardized tools. We are using those tools to help guide the process. In our case, we are using testing only if needed. We start from where you are and then determine if tests are necessary. But careful, those tests are not the absolute truth. Which brings me to my next myth…
Myth #3 - Tests are the absolute truth
The outcome of career assessments is the result of the answers you gave with the state of mind you were in at that moment. Even if they usually give an accurate picture of your personality and your interests, this is not the absolute truth. The goal of those tools is to help you continue your exploration and have deep reflections about what you really want. To explain this to my clients, I often go with the following example: if you see "clown" as a suggested career option that doesn’t mean that this is what you have to do or that the assessment is wrong. It only means that there is probably something in that profession that appeals to you. What I mean by that is maybe you are someone who loves to entertain or that you like to bring happiness around you. So based on that information, we can help you focus on careers that will bring you just that.
Myth #4 - Career counselling is only for young people who have not started their career
Sure, this is one option. Helping young adults and high school students determine their next step is certainly part of our role as career counsellors. But career counselling is pertinent for people of all ages in all states of their life. If fact, half of our clientele is composed of adults looking for a career change or wanting career coaching.
Career coaching you say? That’s right, you don’t have to go through a career change to consult a career counsellor. We can help you through negotiating salary, gaining confidence in your actual job, coach you for an important interview and more.
Myth #5 - No one needs a career counsellor; you will figure it out on your own.
It is true that not everyone will consult a career counsellor for their career path as not everyone goes to a psychologist for their personal difficulties. But often, just winging it is not good enough. To feel fulfilled in your career, you need to know yourself well, know your strengths and have a clear and defined goal. Figure it out on your own can sometimes lead to multiple program changes or multiple career shifts. If those changes are made to get closer to your goal, that’s great. But if you just feel as if you are going around and not feeling content, you are losing time that could be invested toward a more satisfying job or career.
In other words, we are here to help you find your sense of purpose while considering your reality and your objective.
I hope this helps create a clearer understanding of what career counselling can do for you.
See you in the next blog,
Annick