Career Counseling

Career counseling, career guidance and career coaching are similar in nature to other types of counseling or coaching, e.g. marriage or psychological counseling. What unites all types of professional counseling is the role of practitioners, who combine giving advice on their topic of expertise with counseling techniques that support clients in making complex decisions and facing difficult situations. The focus of career counseling is generally on issues such as career exploration, career change, personal career development and other career related issues.

Around the globe, countless definitions, concepts and terminology exist for career counseling - particularly due to cultural and linguistic differences. This even affects the most central term counseling (or: counselling in British English) which is often substituted with the word guidance as in career guidance. For example, in the UK, career counseling would usually be referred to as careers advice or guidance. Due to the widespread reference to both career guidance and career counseling among policy-makers, academics and practitioners around the world, references to career guidance and counselling are becoming common. Accordingly, this article emphasizes a broad understanding of career counseling which involves a variety of professionals activities commonly associated with career counseling, guidance, coaching, and advise. More specific roles and activities associated with career counseling are explained below.