Counselling is the process of helping another person to find and act upon a solution to their problem.
The person conducting the counselling is known as the counsellor and the one being counselled is reffered to as the counsellee or client.
The task of counselling is to assist others to make make changes in their work or life, or to accept or adjust to the change which they are experiencing in a way that, without counselling, they are finding difficult or impossible. The porpose is not to advise but to provide the vehicle for individuals to achieve their own own solutions to their problems.
Career Counselling
The purpose of Career Counselling are:
- Helping people to understand where they are and the direction they could take.
- Such assessments should be done by assessors who are independent from the person's current employer. the reaseon is that anyone trying to assess or guide an employee or subordinate will find it difficult to remain objective , while they have the needs or the company foremost in their mind.
- People should enjoy both their work and their private lives.
- Some industries suffer from 'image problems'. This has little or nothing to do with the product but the way in which it is promoted.
- Fewer people today consider long term careers. This is particulary true for those under forty years of age.
- It is difficult to keep people motivated long term.
Using a Questionnaire
This Questionnaire will provide the counsellor with information about the employee's thinking as far as his/her carrer is concerned. This tool can use the answer given to formulate the right approach.
Below is example of the type of question :
CAREER QUESTIONNAIRE
- What do you like most about your current job?
- What do you like least about your current job?
- What would you like to do that you don't already do?
- Why did you choose your present job?
- Where do you see yourself in 3 years' time?
- What are your hobbies and interest?
- What are you currently doing to achive this?
- Which, if any, would you like to pursue as a career?
- How could you achieve this?
- Which of the following motivates you the most? Money/recognation/security/responsibility/promotional prospects //good work relationship?
- How well is this motivator being addresed at present Non existent 1 2 3 4 5 6 Completely
- Briefly describe your ideal career path.
Points to remember
- Avoid giving the employee false hopes and promises
- if you believe that the employee's aspirations are well beyond their abilities, make sure tails of ke sure he or she is fully aware of everything that must be done to achieve his ambition.
- Provide help in the form of information, details of training courses, books to read, people and organisations that may help.
- If you help and encourage the person, they will think well of you. If you hinder them. they will resent you.
