Characteristics of a Career Explorer

Several years ago, I decided that I was ready for a career change. I had worked in various positions within my field for over ten years. Despite my interest in a career change, my only movement towards making it was to think about it. In fact, I thought about making this change for two years. Every time I believed I was ready to make a move, the voice of security and the fear of the unknown would lull me back into complacency. After two years of waffling, I decided to hire a career counselor to help me through this process. As a result, I learned a few things about myself and the tools I...

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The Climb: Picking Career Goals

One of my good friends climbs mountains. It makes sense—we live in Colorado, and she is passionately dedicated to athleticism and the outdoors. As for me, I am less into climbing mountains than I am into looking at them. However, one day over coffee, she was telling me about all the research she did in preparation to climb a mountain recently. Her comments made me think about how similar climbing that mountain is to following a career goal. Sure, one of them involves more imminent danger than the other (to my mind, unschooled as I am in mountain climbing). However, both involve doing your...

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Long Term Benefits of Career Counseling

There have been a number of studies done over the past couple of decades to examine the short-term effectiveness of career counseling. The effectiveness of career counseling in these studies has been consistently demonstrated; career counseling helps improve career position and prepare the individual for the job search process. However, a study published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior and conducted by Sophie Perdrix, Sarah Stauffer, Jonas Masdonati, Koorosh Massoudi, and Jérôme Rossier found that career counseling also had positive impacts on individuals in the long term. The study...

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The Value of Getting Help

Life is challenging and ever changing. No matter how much we think we know, there will always be times when we need outside help. Going to a doctor, taking your car to a mechanic, and calling a plumber are examples of these moments. And choosing not to get help can easily turn a small issue into a really big deal. In our professional lives we tend to only look for help when there is a problem: you are unhappy with your job, you were laid off, your chosen industry is changing and you are being left behind skill-wise. Even when these problems arise we often hesitate to ask for help. Expect...

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Simple Ways to Improve Your Job Search

Job searching is no longer what it once was. Gone are the days when simply placing your resume on a job site would get you found. Opportunities seem few and far between, and most job ads only yield an outcome 5% of the time. Job searching the old fashioned way can be incredibly labor intensive without producing the same results. So instead of sending out the same form resume again and again with nothing to show for it, try implementing the suggestions below to increase your job search results and decrease your stress. Target your resume, and then proofread. Resumes are no longer documents...

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