Many times I get clients who come to me and say “I am not happy with what I am doing and I need to change”. When I have asked, “Do you know what you want to do in the future?”, they responded “No, I don’t”. When I have asked, “Were you at any stage confident about what you would like to do one day?”, they responded “I did have an idea but I thought it was just too hard and I was never going to be able to make it”. My follow up question to this has been, “Have you ever sought help from a Career Consultant?” and they responded “No, I never thought about it”, “I had some basic assistance in school” or the most worrying one was “I think it costs too much”.
I will now take the liberty to put into perspective the value of Career Advice in terms of everyday life. Previously, I have explained in my blogs the role and benefits of using a Career Consultant, and you can also visit the following website for further information: www.cdaa.org.au.
When I heard the response from my client that “I think it costs too much”, I asked about their everyday lifestyle. On a superficial level, they were purchasing the following:
- Five coffees per week ($25 per week, $100 per month, approximately $1,000 per year)
- One dinner per week ($30 per week, $120 per month, approximately $1,200 per year)
- Lunch 3 times per week ($30 per week, $120 per month, approximately $1,200 per year)
- Clothes (minimum $100 per month, approximately $1,000 per year)
When I asked whether they would be prepared to reduce each one of the above expenses by a quarter, they agreed to this and we calculated that they would then have an additional $1,100 to spend towards career guidance. The client responded, “I never thought about it like that”.
What are some of the things that you can use Career Consultants for? Well, it could be anything from reading over your resume and providing you advise, to checking your job application, to helping you change your career or excel in your current career. The variety of help is vast. On average, Career Consultants charge between $100 – $200 per hour, and sure there are some that charge under $100, but like with anything, you have to ask yourself about the value that you will be getting. Do your research and choose the right Career Consultant. Use well recognised and legitimate sites, such as www.cdaa.org.au to find an accredited Career Consultant.
For example, seeking advice about your resume could cost you anywhere between $100 – $300 (which leaves you with $800 to spare still). Once you are instructed on how to formulate your resume you should be set for the future. It is almost a once off cost for a product that is absolutely crucial for your career!!! Quite often this is the main service that clients need and once they obtain it, they are often shocked at how inexpensive and valuable the help was. Once clients see the benefit of career consulting, they start questioning themselves as to why they did not consider this service before. Imagine if that $300 gives you the competitive difference for a job that pays you $5,000 more per year???
My ultimate message is that seeking help for something as important as your career or a job is imperative. Don’t assume if you completed higher education that you will know how to navigate through the maze of Job Search. Put into perspective the real value that you will receive against the everyday things that you spend your money on. I’m not suggesting to put your life on hold but to consider the dollar values above and ask yourself “Is it really worth it”? My answer is YES it is.
As always, feel free to ask any questions or share this article if you agree with me or you know someone who needs career advice but is unsure if it is worth the money or the effort.