Through Jan's professional ability to counsel me and help me prioritize my needs, I was able to decide which job to accept. She is a great coach. She helped me communicate clearly and openly about my job experiences and objectives. She is empathetic and sincerely cares. She is someone that I would recommend without hesitation!

Career Coaching:
Detailed Course Description – One-on-One Professional Career Counseling – One Hour sessions

In today’s changing business climate with downsizing, consolidations, and decreasing company and state budgets, career counseling (or “coach”) is becoming an essential tool to help people get on their feet. As the skills needed for success in today’s business world become more and more “emotional competencies” or “soft skills” ,employees may need the personalized attention and guided discussions that a coach can offer so that they can talk about career issues in more detail in a “safe” environment. A coach offers objective and encouraging feedback that can be invaluable support to help people think about career options, discover their career and life passion, evaluate different options, and implement appropriate next steps.

Background for Career Counseling/Coaching
Jan's philosophy of career counseling is to be a “coach” with clients by listening, evaluating, and guiding the client in exploring career and work-related issues that lead to effective action. These one-hour sessions will be a time where with interactive conversations and strategic questions there will be a “catalyst” for change and growth on the part of the client. Depending upon the complexity of the issues, a client can have more than one session (Certainly in situations where the client has just experienced a significant career event – it is strongly advisable that more than one session be a part of the career transition). When there is significant career counseling work to do, several short meetings – with time to reflect and complete written work – are more productive than a single longer meeting.

Jan also feels that in career counseling (or coaching), the client needs to be actively involved and engaged in the process – and Jan is a big proponent of mutually agreeing on goals and establishing “contracts” with the client –so that she can help keep them focused and accountable. Jan's years in the career development industry (since 1993), makes her knowledgeable regarding industries and the job market. Jan loves motivating and supporting others and is a good listener. She uses a nondirective and facilitative approach by being responsive, and confident – and is skilled in uncovering client’s talents and gifts. Jan has a gift of establishing credibility quickly which helps clients feel comfortable in sharing.

Typical career counseling with individuals: 1-4 sessions (Advisable to have more than one session so that follow-up and accountability can be a part of the process)

Typical Outline of a Career Counseling Session and overview of the number of sessions anticipated

Session One:(An important session because it sets the tone for future sessions)
Objectives:

• Get acquainted
• Understand the client’s career transition issues
• Come to an agreement of the role of the counselor/counselee
• Contract with client – plan for the next step (If client is ready, then may give assessment tools to client in session one, as opposed to session two)
• Contract with client to attend any additional career training workshops (as appropriate)
• Help client become comfortable with process

Objectives:

• Get acquainted
• Allow the client to work through emotional reactions
• Ensure support systems in place
• Plan for the next action step between this session and another session
• Offer support/Help the client become comfortable with the process

• Review goals and acknowledge efforts (If client has been given assessment tools in session one, review assessments)
• Thoroughly understand client’s career situation/Listen for underlying needs and self-confidence issues
• Ascertain career goals/Engage the client in assessments to help in self-discovery
• Help develop a career plan
• Encourage support systems
• Mutually agree on an action plan
• Plan for the next action steps between this session and the next session (as appropriate) (Contract for client’s completion of assessments, accomplishment statements, etc)

• Review goals and acknowledge efforts
• Answer any questions
• Review assessments, accomplishment statements
• Contract for client attendance at additional career training seminars
• Contract for client completion of any additional career elements
• Mutually agree if another session is what is needed

• Review goals and acknowledge efforts
• Answer any questions
• Review assessments, accomplishment statements
• Review career goals
• Ensure support systems and accountability partnerships are in place
• Mutually agree on next action steps
• Contract for client attendance at additional career training seminars (as appropriate)