Distance Certified Counseling for career development can offer clients a Strategic Career Plan to chart their path to the future. McWillie Career Directions is a career development firm that assists in personal and career counseling and coaching by self-assessment, career exploration, decision making, career planning, resume/cover letter design, behavioral interviewing, job search strategies, networking , job loss, work conflicts and follow up by Betty McWillie. McWillie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Distance Certified Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Master Career Counselor with over 25 years’ experience as counselor, career counselor and coach, career services director, career development facilitator trainer, university lecturer, and business owner.. McWillie has published 2 articles in the NCDA Career Convergence describing Career Counseling and Distance Career Counseling qualifications required to offer these services and to assure competency and compliance with the legal and ethical requirements providing assurance of a qualified and certified counselor for concrete step by step services and outcomes for clients. Over the years some clients have moved from face to face to distance career counseling finding it may accommodate busy schedules better than traditional office appointments.
After years of working with clients primarily in person, I am finding that many of my current clients prefer working online and over the phone. Distance counseling often puts individuals at ease and provides anonymity, offering clients privacy and a sense of security. This is especially the case when individuals have lost their job. The personal loss and trauma from losing one’s career and income may be expressed more comfortably on the phone with some clients and requires the counselor/coach to be aware of necessary referrals for clients who are located in a different city in the state where the counselor is licensed. These should include contacts for personal counseling, career transition groups, resources to inquire about unemployment, food stamps, and housing depending on the individual’s needs. Once the basic needs are addressed the career counseling and job search services can be implemented.
The opportunity to navigate a client’s job search and career can offer clients a venue at a distance that provides clear instructions with concrete methods and outcomes by using the written word, video services, and telephone to target the career counseling experience using a step by step plan that is especially effective conducting on line counseling. The steps below offer a strategic plan that outlines the process for the career counseling/coaching that is behaviorally based and that gives the client a charted course to obtain their ideal career. Having applied these steps with many of clients at a distance this method engages clients in assignments and activities with intervals of comments and resources that keep the client engaged, focused on concrete skills, quantitative accomplishments, values, personality, education, training and certifications that determine the themes with in each individual. When the client is completely aware and concrete about their career goal and their vocational profile a targeted job search is launched.
Exploring Ideal job descriptions that are a match and that describe duties, skills, and qualifications, past education, experience and accomplishments that prove the individual to be a match for their ideal job. If they do not think they have experience then consider class projects, volunteer work and other community activities that have relevant experience to the career goal that provides personal and professional experience should be considered.
Complete Behavioral Interview with Career Coach who assists in probing and writing the talents and experiences that you need to know and to be aware of for your targeted resume, cover letter, interview and follow up with the company that is recruiting for your ideal career.
Complete a Summary of Qualifications to use to identify and target your education, experience and accomplishments to use for Behavioral Interviewing, Writing Targeted Cover Letters that are clear and concise identifying those concrete accomplishments that prove qualifications that are targeted to the specific job you are applying to. This Summary also includes descriptions of your skills that can quickly be identified by technology and recruiters as a match for the position you are seeking. This Summary should be used as your compass to guide you in the direction and in the attainment of your vocation/career that is profitable and fulfilling.
Revise current resume to include Summary of Qualifications as part of your targeted resume for your ideal job
Refer to the summary and job description to write a cover letter out lining the major qualifications you have to prove you are the candidate they want to hire.
Providing suggestions for training and on line resources for Job Search, Social Networking, Branding, and personal networking strategies.
In addition if you are uncertain of your targeted journey then we can offer a complete battery of formal and informal assessments to identify your ideal career with in depth information on your chosen careers and informational interviewing for career exploration.
Evaluate Career Plan to see if additional education, training, and certifications are required in order to obtain a position in your chosen profession.
Each client will receive a documented career plan written by the Career Counselor/Coach using the information detailed above including appropriate referrals and research sources targeted to each individual strategic job search plan.
- Identify ideal job description
- Behavioral interview / quantitative accomplishments matching ideal job description
- Identify career themes by skills to write a statement listing relevant skills and abilities that will be detected by on line screening and that the employer can readily identify as a match for the position.
- Complete the Summary of Qualification using steps 2 and 3
- Design resume and cover letter referring to the summary of qualifications to target the job search
- Design a strategic job search plan using networking, on line search engines, social networking, and targeted events in the area that provide opportunities for connecting with job opportunities.
- Provide a summary of processes and outcomes with on line resources specific to the individual, profession, and industry.
- Continuous follow up to revise steps as needed.
