Career guidance, in my books, isn’t just about taking tests. It’s this cool mix of understanding someone – their personality, how their mind works, where their focus is, what they can imagine, their values, and even what their body can do. It’s like putting all this info together to figure out the job that’s just right for them, considering everything: their wants, secret dreams, mental makeup, and personal style.
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So, who’s doing the getting-to-know-who in career guidance? I’d say it’s a two-way street.
On one side, you got the psychologist getting to know the career-minded person. They’re digging into the nitty-gritty of who you are, what makes you tick, all that good stuff.
But hold up, there’s another side to this dance. The career-minded person is also getting to know themselves, and it’s not always a walk in the park. Sometimes, folks don’t really know themselves well – maybe a bit, maybe not at all. It’s like standing at the edge of a deep abyss, feeling all breathless and unsure. That’s where the psychologist steps in to help navigate through the fog.
It’s pretty common for young folks, especially those starting their careers, to have these cliches floating around in their heads. Like, “I’m a leader” or “I’m definitely not a leader.” But if you throw a curveball and ask them, “What’s a leader, anyway?” You’ll get all sorts of answers. Some think it’s the loud and active type, others believe it’s someone who just wants to be noticed. And then there’s the bunch who think being a leader means you’re a leader 24/7, even in your sleep.
Or take this one: “I want my soul to always have this instant, rock-solid harmony.” They picked up the harmony vibes at some personal growth workshop, but they’re clueless about where to find it. They don’t realize that getting that harmony and happiness isn’t a cakewalk. It’s like sipping on a cocktail of suffering and wrestling with life’s big questions.
Now, let’s talk about how these career-minded folks get to know themselves during career guidance.
First off, it’s all about hitting them with questions they never thought to ask themselves. Stuff like, “Who were your teachers, and what did you learn from them?” It gets them thinking, and some even swipe questions from self-discovery websites to prep for our chats. It’s a journey, for sure.
Another way folks figure themselves out in this career guidance gig is through the feedback loop with the psychologist.
For instance, I might drop a hint like, “You’ve been throwing around ‘systematization’ and ‘order’ quite a bit. Are these big deals for you? What do they really mean, and how do they roll in your life?”
Or I might call someone out in a friendly way, saying, “You’re quite the smooth operator, changing topics whenever we get near THAT subject.”
And then there’s the straight-up questions, like, “You’re gunning for the actress dream. What’s the game plan? Did you dive into Chekhov’s ‘The Actor’s Work on Oneself’ or Stanislavsky’s ‘My Life in Art’? Maybe joined a theater club?”
These questions? They’re like tossing a pebble into a pond. They ripple out, and suddenly, you’re seeing new bits in the picture of a girl with dreams of the stage. It’s all about adding new dimensions to the world they’re painting for themselves.
Or how about this: I notice you’re a natural at visualizing your life, almost like watching a movie.
- Really? I used to be crazy about movies, but it feels like I forgot that dream ages ago…
- Ever thought about working in film production?
- Mmm…
- So, what hit you when I mentioned that?
- My heart just kinda dropped…
Why the buzz? It’s like feeling the pulse of a topic that’s still alive and kicking for you. But, you know, those nerves might be signaling something else entirely. So, with genuine interest and a truckload of patience, we keep digging.
Or there’s this: You’ve got this beautiful voice and lively way of talking. It’s like a product, but it needs to go somewhere!
- ??? No one ever told me that!
And then, the flip side.
A girl pipes up: “I’m all about analyzing. I wanna be an analyst.”
Then there are times when I spot sluggish, clumsy thinking, poor speech, and a lack of awareness. It’s like hitting a roadblock, and I’m left with no choice but to pull out a little test. Just a basic analytical problem, nothing too tricky, but it taps into abstract thinking.
The girl, however, can’t crack it. She sees it, but the whole analyst dream starts slipping away. Knowing yourself means knowing your limits. But those limits aren’t always set in stone…
Now, if she stood her ground, swore she’d move mountains for that dream, I’d dig into her past. What mountains did she already shift, and why? I gotta gauge the strength of her “will muscle.”
Oh, that “will muscle”! Dreams hit reality’s asphalt if it’s not pumped up.
Believe me, there are folks out there who don’t have “labor” in their worldview. They want the top-notch stuff for pennies. Love, skills, money – all of it. When I tell them, “Sorry, it won’t work like that,” they don’t get it. They might even get mad, thinking I’m pocketing cash without working miracles!
But here’s their shot at self-awareness – we dive into past life episodes, decision-making styles, and the fallout from those decisions. Turns out, their strategy is the same, and it leads to crashes or arguments. Figuring yourself out? That’s a whole activity with its own strategy.
Let’s dive into an example: a 38-year-old woman, childless, daydreaming about caring for her grandkids at 50.
What’s the scoop here? It might signal a snag in how she tackles life. The hitch? She’s not so keen on practical problem-solving; instead, she opts for the theoretical route. And bam, life just happens.
I could keep tossing examples your way, spin ’em like Scheherazade for three years and then some…
Bottom line, you catch my drift. People really get to know themselves when they’re chatting it out with a psychologist. It’s all about them, not regurgitating stuff from popular psychology books about anxiety, success, or self-doubt.
And hey, career guidance? It shouldn’t stop at suggesting a handful of professions or generic advice like “go work with people” or “numbers are your thing.” It’s got to be richer than that.
That’s why I’m here in the field of career guidance – I call it live career guidance. It’s about being alive and kicking, helping folks navigate through their career choices. The goal? Not a bunch of options; I’m aiming for one profession. What about the others that might fit or sound good? I weed ’em out for clear reasons. The key? The chosen result doesn’t stir any internal protests in my conversation buddy. I’m watching for that, like a doctor keeping tabs on blood pressure.
In this live career guidance dance, there’s this sweet and thrilling moment for me – the “seduction by profession” moment. Once I’ve got a solid hypothesis about a profession, I lay it out: where it’s done, the paycheck, is there a demand, and why it fits my chat buddy. By this point, I’ve got a pretty good read on their psychological setup and the unshakable restrictions they’ve put on themselves. And trust me, we’ve all got those self-imposed limits. Like one person avoiding public speaking, and another steering clear of physical work – well, in the regular, everyday life, of course.
Typically, the “seduction by profession” stage goes smoothly, and a profession is chosen. Now comes the part where we figure out the path to it. Sometimes, it’s a long journey. Yet, as one person I guided put it, “when you’re into your own thing, the more energy you spend, the more it multiplies, and the less time you have, the more you manage – I felt this myself.”
Sometimes the path to the dream job is surprisingly short, just a few months. We map it out in detail, step by step.
Connections might be needed. If I have them, I share.
Books might be necessary. I track them down and recommend.
To me, career guidance feels like taking flight, and my work is akin to that of a pilot. Just like a pilot needs to taxi onto the runway, gain speed, take off, fly along the correct corridor, land, lower the landing gear, and come to a stop. Forgive me, real aviation pilots, for this comparison – I know human lives are in your hands. But many of you haven’t made fatal mistakes in the entire history of your flights.
For years, I had a recurring dream of standing on the roof of a tall building and needing to glide down skillfully for a painless landing. When I started career guidance about nine years ago, the dream stopped. Maybe that’s why I no longer find myself making those metaphorical landings in reality.
The dream, it seems, hinted at my ability and the necessity of doing this work. The ability to do something and the need to do that very thing are like twin brothers – often missing each other.
What about your dreams?
