Career Counselling and Career Development

Organizations are facing competition, people change careers, and new methods have emerged in developing employees careers. Majority of us need help in developing and reaching our aims, and hence often the organizational aims. Counselling, coaching and mentoring schemes are few of the most popular interventions.

Counselling
Counselling is – where an individual is helped by a process of questioning and listening to understand their real role in an organization. Careers counselling is no longer thought of as a one-to-one process that people only need when they have a ‘career problem’. Traditional counselling is carried out when something is wrong, and needs repair. However, appreciative inquiry focuses rather on what might be wrong and would need repair.

Coaching
Coaching shares some similarities with counselling, however, there are a number of fundamental differences. Often a goal will emerge during counselling. Coaching does not begin until a goal has been identified. A coach does not offer a solution for the client. Coaches believe that clients possess all the necessary resources to do, be and have anything they want in life. A coach’s job is enabling the client to uncover all their hidden abilities and motivations so they are empowered to take positive actions towards achieving their goals.

A great interest is evolving in the area of coaching. Business coaching is about guiding businesses and business owners to make decisions that will improve bottom-lines, profitability and turnover, staff motivation, work/life balance and team-building.

There does not have to be anything wrong with you to be coached. A basic principle of coaching is that it takes into account individual agendas without imposing predetermined solutions. Coaching and counselling qualities are often the same, such as; listening, questioning, focus on future opportunities, trust and empathy. It creates the motivation to put ideas into action and provides a natural review process.



Mentoring
Managers are nowdays required to provide highly structured feedback, specifying career goals, communicating organizational expectations and helping the individual in establishing contacts in order to develop.

A mentor is an experienced person who will guide and teach someone in a specific task or job. The mentor will draw on their own experience, pass on short cuts and tricks of the trade to guide their student to a specified result.