Career Counseling and Development - What We Do:

You are here because you want a better career. You also might be wondering about what that really involves. Simply put, career development involves planning a fitting direction for your work life; if you don't know where you want to go, chances are you won't get there. The sad thing is that most people spend more time planning one vacation than they do planning an entire life of work. This can be avoided with the career counseling and development process, which often involves the following:

1. Career testing/assessment -- this might include who you are as a person, which skills you would most like to use, what motivates you, and which of several broad areas of work your interests fall into. Again, with sound assessments, this is a meaningful exercise. A majority of studies indicate that vocational interests are related to career satisfaction.
2. Understanding what's out there in the ever-changing world of work.
3. Finding a better fit between you and your work environment. See the graphic below for more on this:

The Difference Between Jobs and Careers

A job, frankly, is just a job -- it is a means of drawing a paycheck, and nothing else. If you are not enjoying the job, it tends to leave you feeling, at best, tired at the end of the day. You might have no energy except to watch TV or sit on the couch. Worse, as you are floating aimlessly through things, it could lead to boredom, frustration, depression, or poor relationships with friends and family. Many people, whether in their teens or their seventies, dread going to work. These are people who have just a job.

A career is more than a job. It certainly helps you make a living, but you may actually like what you are doing and what it leads to. You invest more of your time and yourself in a career, because it tends to give you a greater sense of purpose, direction and fulfillment. (A job usually lacks those.) When you find a career, people close to you will probably notice you are more fun to be around, and more satisfied. Career planning and development can help you get on the right path.

If you want to take the first easy step on your career path,