As the question is phrased, no. “Need” is a strong word. A career counselor as in any career counselor brings in the possibility that you will meet the many well-meaning but not particularly competent counselors in the field.
Could you benefit from expert help in an area of profound significance where you are struggling?
Yes. Indeed, if you think of areas where you pay for help (cleaning your house) or training (piano lessons), the triviality of what you’ll pay experts to help with pales in comparison to the significance of your career.
The challenge stems from ensuring that the person helping you is (1) trustworthy (2) competent and (3) affordable.
In my observation of the field of career counseling:
Most every counselor is trustworthy. Even the incompetent ones do not appear to me to be fraudulent. Those entering helping professions are almost always motivated by the desire to do good. With that said, the larger the business, the more likely you will be dealing with salesmen. And, while some are quite kind and well meaning, they get paid for selling, not serving your interest. So if dealing with any franchise that is selling career training, be mindful.
Competent. Here’s the big problem. 90% of therapists who masquerade as career counselors are really nice people trying to help others but are doing so in a field that is not within their expertise. They are typically skilled at helping their clients deal with psychological issues such as anxiety/depression related to their careers but most are not skilled in the areas critical to finding new career paths for their clients. Most therapists had the following career path: undergraduate study in psychology, followed immediately by graduate studies in psychology, followed by work as a therapist. They typically have no other work experience; limited understanding of any other industry, no business experience, and usually are not well read on what I call the new world of work.
Affordable. I would say that most career counselors are affordable in the context of the significance of the issue – your career is huge – versus the expense – usually a few hundred dollars.
As to the obvious question, do you need Career Counseling Connecticut? Read our articles. E-mail me – Daryl Capuano Tell me your situation and I’ll give you my honest answer.