Career Counseling
Are you feeling unchallenged at work? Burned out? Worried about losing your job? Are you searching for greater meaning in what you do? Have you been “downsized”? Should you go back to school to learn new skills? These are the challenges I have helped so many of my clients master. I offer the unique benefit of helping you solve your issue from three different perspectives: As a psychotherapist, I can help you uncover obstacles and/or interests that are much more likely to surface through precision questioning and ensuing dialogue than in static personality or career testing. As a coach I know the techniques to keep you focused and motivated. Finally, as a businessman I bring a very practical "What are the steps that need to be taken to make this happen?" approach.
Think of our work together as an investment in yourself and your future, in the same way that you might hire an investment advisor to help you get maximum value from your personal financial assets. I bring to this process my substantial “real world” experience in the business and non-profit fields, as well as my professional credentials as a therapist and the knowledge I’ve gained through coaching hundreds of clients in fields as diverse as finance, law, the arts, IT, entrepreneurship, real estate, hospitality, education, health care, not-for-profit, and of course government.
I know what employers are looking for, how to create an outstanding resume, how to launch your own personal “marketing campaign”, and how the job market has changed. I will place special emphasis on keeping you motivated and productive. I look forward to working closely with you on this oftentimes scary, but ultimately manageable journey.
RESOURCES: Many excellent books have been written about the process of career change, and I can enthusiastically recommend: "Strategies for Successful Career Change" by Martha Mangelsdorf (my personal favorite); "Finding Your North Star" by Martha Beck; "Pathfinder" by Nicholas Lore (which lays out a time-consuming but exceptionally valuable career choosing process); "I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was" by Barbara Sher and "I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This by Julie Jansen (both slightly dated, but with many valuable diagnostic questions); "Let Your Life Speak" ( a spiritually oriented career book); and "Working Identity" by Herminia Ibarra (geared mainly to upper level executives, but with valuable process tips). Finally, the classic "What Color Is Your Parachute" by Richard N. Bolles is definitely worth checking out.
For those actively looking for new employment (rather than at the contemplation stage), a comprehensive listing of the twenty best job sites from PC magazine is at: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2342781,00.asp#fbid=HHtzkyIfkSO
Books with valuable job hunting strategies and tips include: "How to Land Your Dream Job" by Jeffrey J. Fox; "Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters" by Joy C. Levinson and David E. Perry; The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search" by Orville Peterson, and "The Brazen Careerist" by Penelope Trunk (which also covers career choice and tips for success at your job). You should plan on reading at least two of these, as all of them contain valuable and different insights and strategies.
For help improving your resume, I recommend "Expert Resumes for Career Changers" by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark; and "Resume Magic" by Susan Briton Whitcomb.
Finally, JobsJournal.com offers weekly columns on subjects related to careers. Not all of them are worthwhile, but enough of them are that I recommend subscribing to their site (it's free). Finally, I post weekly blogs, the majority of which relate to career. Please read the ones that seem relevant to you.