CAREER COUNSELING: WHAT TO EXPECT

CAREER COUNSELING: WHAT TO EXPECT

Hope and Career Counseling

The reasons one might recognize the helpfulness of career counseling are many, as individuals find themselves in any number of situations. Comments and questions we often hear include:

  • I need to find a new job or career, but don’t know what I can do next.
  • Would I be good at that?
  • I hate my job and feel like I need to make a change. I am looking for a good fit.
  • I need help with my resume, and don’t really know how to look for a job.
  • I am unemployed - can you help?
  • I’d like to understand my calling better, and want to do work that really matters.
  • How do I make a career change?
  • Am I a good candidate for starting my own business?
  • I’m in college, and don’t know what to major in.

If you find yourself stating or asking similar things, Covenant Counseling may be able to help.

Our Approach to Help and Healing

While the needs and goals of each individual are different, the career counseling process usually begins with an initial session. Based on the discussion and the need, the counselor will make recommendations on how to proceed. The entire process may require several sessions.

Job Seekers and Career Changers

Whether the participant is an unemployed job seeker, or a person who is employed but wants to make a career change, the principles covered in these phases will help. While there are seldom easy answers, there are proven principles to help individuals gain the confidence and skill they need to manage effectively their own search process. To give you some idea of what you may expect, a possible outline of content to be covered in individual sessions includes four phases:

Phase I: Assessments and Feedback

Many times we recommend that clients take career assessment tests and exercises. These are intended to shed light on how God has designed each person. We explore motivation, interests, personality, skills, and experience in order to help individuals be better “shoppers” for the next career move. In this phase, you may take various career assessment instruments or self-assessment surveys, in order to help you decide on a direction.

Phase 2: Marketing

Here, you may begin to work with your counselor on developing and honing concrete skills, such as preparing a resume, developing verbal communication strategies, writing effective letters, and utilizing social media effectively.

Phase 3: Penetrating

With those skills refined, the next phase will help you move into the areas of interest you have identified. Areas in this phase may include researching specific positions or areas for more effective results, developing a proactive plan, and recognizing what networking is and is not. Further areas may include consideration of whether and how to respond to advertisements, how to use internet sites effectively, and how to work with search firms and staffing agencies.

Phase 4: Interviewing

Lastly, you may gain guidance on how to prepare for the interview and negotiate your package.

There is much to consider when considering career counseling. If you would like to make an appointment with one of our counselors, or have any questions, please call 205-879-7500. If you would like to email us, please complete the contact form below.

Covenant Counseling

We are a group of licensed clinicians who seek to maintain the highest professional standards in our fields and whose Christian faith is central to our lives and practices.

We invite you to learn more about:


If you would like to schedule an appointment, or if you have any questions, please call:

205-879-7500

Our Counselors

Heather Hagins

Licensed Counselor

Heather Hagins, MA, MBA

Anxiety, depression, grief, abuse, relationship concerns, spiritual struggles, infidelity, family of origin concerns, and more.

Learn More

Trey Hill

Licensed Psychologist

Trey Hill, PhD

Marriage counseling, relationship development, family of origin concerns, ADHD assessment, depression, anxiety, stress perfectionism, and more.

Learn More

Anna Stanley

Licensed Counselor

Anna Stanley, MA CEDS

Eating disorders, family concerns, women's issues, depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts, and more.

Learn More

Hunter Stanley

Licensed Counselor

Hunter Stanley, MDiv, MA

Grief, anxiety, depression, spirituality, relationship issues, codependency, substance abuse and addiction, identity concerns, and more.

Learn More

Kara Jones

Licensed Counselor

Kara Jones, MA EdS

Marriage and pre-marital counseling, anxiety, depression, women's issues, boundaries, codependency, grief, and more.

Learn More

Gil Kracke

Licensed Counselor

Gil Kracke, MA, MA, DMin, NCC

Pre-marital and marriage counseling, grief, family of origin issues, concerns regarding aging, and more. Gil is the Director of Covenant Counseling.

Learn More

Joyce McKay

Licensed Counselor

Joyce McKay, MEd, EdS, CSAT

Sex addiction, recovery from sexual abuse, grief, trauma, anger, and adjustment issues.

Learn More

Rachael Garrett

Licensed Counselor

Rachael Garrett, MA

Grief counseling for all ages, miscarriages, infant loss, self-esteem, concerns about self-harm, anxiety, depression, anger, parenting concerns, and more.

Learn More

Alice Churnock

Licensed Counselor

Alice Churnock, MA, CEDS

Eating disorders, body image concerns, depression, stress, anxiety, anger parenting issues, and more.

Learn More

Christy Harmon

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Christy Harmon, MSW

Life transitions, adoption and attachment, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and struggles to build healthy self-esteem, and more.

Learn More

Andrew Jones

Associate Licensed Counselor

Andrew Jones, MA

Marriage and pre-marital counseling, spirituality, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, boundaries, and more.

Learn More

Becky Whitson

Licensed Counselor

Becky Whitson, MA, EdS, CSAT, NCC

Sexual addiction, codependency, infidelity, recovery from sexual abuse, trauma, anxiety, depression, marriage counseling, and personal growth.

Learn More

Paul Johnson

Vocational Counselor

Paul Johnson, MBA

Career counseling and development, vocational assessments, executive coaching, career transitions, and more.

Learn More

Lisa Phillips

Licensed Counselor

Lisa Phillips, MA, MA

Relationship concerns, anxiety, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, codependency, boundaries, pre-marital and marriage counseling, and more.

Learn More
 
 
HOW IT WORKS

A good place to start is to find someone who may be a good fit. You can either look through our counselors’ profiles or call our office for help finding someone. Though beginning counseling is not always easy, we try to make it simple.

Contact Us

If you would like to make an appointment with one of our counselors, or have any questions, please call 205-879-7500.

If you would like to email us, please complete the contact form below.

    Telephone:

    Phone 205-879-7500
    Fax 205-879-7554

    Our Address:

    2204 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 212
    Birmingham, AL 35209 USA