Pod Insights No B.S. Job Search Advice Radio Career Coaching vs Career Counseling About this episode EP 3005 Career Coaching vs Career Counseling: Understanding the Key Differences. Renata Bernarde's YouTube video, "Counseling Vs Coaching (Ep 257)," examines the key differences between career counseling and career coaching, emphasizing that they are not mutually exclusive and often work in tandem. She explains that career counseling, rooted in psychology, helps individuals explore their interests, personality, and skills to identify a suitable career path, while career coaching focuses on developing actionable strategies and plans for achieving career goals within a chosen field. This is a link to the original video from Renata Bernarde. ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS job search coaching and career advice globally because he makes job search and succeeding in your career easier. You will find great info and job search coaching to help with your job search at JobSearch. Community Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter Schedule a discovery call to speak with me about one-on-one or group coaching during your job search at www. TheBigGameHunter.us. We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www. TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to www. TheBigGameHunter.us makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay. Please contact us to negotiate the use of our content as training data.
Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5. Only at McDonald's for a limited time.
0:12 Speaker 01 Pricing participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.
0:15 Speaker 02 Ever feel like you're just spinning your wheels with your career? Like you're ready for a change, but not sure like what direction to even go in?
0:22 Speaker 03 Oh, totally. It's so common to hit that point where you're like, okay, something's got to change, but then you freeze up because you don't know what the next step is.
0:29 Speaker 02 It's like analysis paralysis for your career, right? And that's why I'm so excited for today's deep dive because we're tackling the big question, career counseling or coaching? Because sometimes just having a little expert guidance is all it takes to get you back on track.
0:45 Speaker 03 Absolutely. And we're tapping into the wisdom of career strategist Renata Bernard for this one.
0:51 Speaker 02 Love her. Her podcast, The Job Hunting Podcast, is like full of these lightbulb moments.
0:56 Speaker 03 Oh, for sure. In fact, she starts a recent episode with an email from a listener and it perfectly sums up why people get coaching and counseling confused in the first place.
1:05 Speaker 02 Ooh, okay. So what's the email about?
1:08 Speaker 03 So this person's at this career crossroads, right?
1:10 Speaker 02 Yeah.
1:11 Speaker 03 And they're thinking about making a change, but they don't know where to begin. So they emailed Renata asking if they should start with her strengths assessment or go straight for a one-on-one consult.
1:21 Speaker 02 So I'm already thinking strengths assessment. That sounds like figuring out what you're naturally good at, which to me screams career counseling, right?
1:30 Speaker 03 Exactly. And that's usually the first stuff. See, this person wasn't a recent grad, like trying to figure out their whole life. They were further along in their career, probably had some experience under their belt, and they realized they needed a change, but they weren't sure what that looked like.
1:45 Speaker 02 Makes sense. So what did Renata say?
1:47 Speaker 03 Well, she clarified that she's actually a career coach and that means she helps people develop strategies to reach goals on a path they've already chosen, not necessarily start from scratch figuring out what that path should be.
1:59 Speaker 02 Oh, I see.
2:00 Speaker 03 So in this case, she recommended the consult over the self-guided assessment since it seemed like this person was looking for more personalized guidance to sort through their options, you know?
2:10 Speaker 02 That's so interesting because it highlights that distinction, right? Like, are you trying to figure out what you want to do versus how to actually get there?
2:17 Speaker 03 Totally.
2:18 Speaker 02 Okay, so let's unpack career counseling a little bit more. What exactly is it? And how does it usually work?
2:26 Speaker 03 Think of it as like a deep dive into you, but like the professional version of you.
2:31 Speaker 02 Okay, I like that.
2:32 Speaker 03 It's rooted in psychology, so they use assessments, exercises, all that good stuff to help pinpoint your interests, what kind of personality you have, your skills, all of it.
2:42 Speaker 02 To like really paint a picture of you.
2:44 Speaker 03 Exactly. And the end goal, to uncover that career path that not only makes sense for you, but that you'll actually find, you know, fulfilling.
2:53 Speaker 02 I love that. And this isn't just for like, you know, the new grads fresh out of college, right? I could see someone who's been in the workforce for years needing this kind of like career reboot.
3:02 Speaker 03 Oh, 100%. Maybe your values have changed.
3:04 Speaker 02 Yeah.
3:05 Speaker 03 Or your priorities have shifted. Or maybe you're just feeling kind of stuck. Career counseling can help you hit that refresh button and explore completely different fields. It's never too late for a career makeover. That's what I always say.
3:16 Speaker 02 A career makeover, I love that. But let's be real, this whole process can get pretty personal, right?
3:22 Speaker 03 Oh, I.
3:23 Speaker 02 I mean, we're talking about your future here.
3:25 Speaker 03 Right.
3:25 Speaker 02 Which can bring up a whole lot of emotions, I would imagine.
3:27 Speaker 03 Oh, absolutely.
3:28 Speaker 02 Yeah.
3:28 Speaker 03 I mean, self doubt can creep in, fear of the unknown, maybe even some pressure from, you know, family or society. But a good career counselor can actually help you work through all those emotional roadblocks so that ultimately you can make choices that are truly your own.
3:44 Speaker 02 Okay, so we talked about hitting the reset button with career counseling, but how about career coaching? Is that like the same thing?
3:49 Speaker 03 Totally different vibe with coaching. Think of it this way. Counseling is more about introspection, really looking inward, while coaching is all about action. It's for when you already have a sense of where you want to go, but you need a plan to actually get there.
4:05 Speaker 02 For less, what do I want to be when I grow up? And more like, this is what I want, now how do I make it happen?
4:11 Speaker 03 You got it. It's like having a personal trotter, but for your career. They'll help you set goals, break them down into those like bite sized steps, and then boom, create a plan to achieve each one.
4:22 Speaker 02 Love that. So would that look like, I don't know, updating your resume and finding like learning how to network? Or is there more to it?
4:28 Speaker 03 All of that and more. Think, interview skills, salary negotiation, even just building confidence. It's about equipping you with the tools and strategies you need to succeed.
4:39 Speaker 02 You know, something I find really interesting about Renata's approach is her focus on what she calls career sustainability.
4:45 Speaker 03 Oh, yeah. What is that?
4:47 Speaker 02 So it's not just about finding a job. It's about building a skill set that's adaptable so you can thrive in any job market.
4:53 Speaker 03 Okay, so not just building a career, but building like a career powerhouse.
4:58 Speaker 02 Yes, one that's ready for anything.
5:00 Speaker 03 I love that. And it makes me think about this idea that I think a lot of people have, myself included, that like, career counseling is for younger folks who are just starting out. And then coaching is for, you know, the more seasoned professionals. But Renata kind of flips that on its head big time. She actually tells this great story about a younger family member who was already killing it in their chosen field, but wanted to, you know, climb the ladder faster.
5:25 Speaker 02 Yeah.
5:26 Speaker 03 And they were getting frustrated.
5:27 Speaker 02 Oh, interesting.
5:28 Speaker 03 Yeah. And through talking it out, they realized that they didn't need to figure out what they want to do because they already knew. What they needed help with was how to make that happen faster, more efficiently.
5:40 Speaker 02 So it wasn't a question of what, but a question of how.
5:43 Speaker 03 Exactly. They needed a strategy, not a career overhaul.
5:46 Speaker 02 Yeah.
5:46 Speaker 03 And that's when coaching clicked for them.
5:48 Speaker 02 That makes so much sense. So it's not really about your age then. It's more about like where you are in your career path and what specific challenges you're facing.
5:57 Speaker 03 Hundred percent. Like on the flip side, Renata's talked about working with people who have decades of experience, but they're at a point where they want to do a complete 180, like start fresh in a totally new field.
6:08 Speaker 02 Yeah.
6:09 Speaker 03 And in those cases, career counseling can be invaluable because it helps you unearth those hidden talents or interests you maybe didn't even know you had.
6:18 Speaker 02 Yeah.
6:18 Speaker 03 And then coaching can help you turn those strengths into a solid plan.
6:23 Speaker 02 So it's almost like those career counseling assessments and exercises, they can reveal these like hidden superpowers you have?
6:29 Speaker 03 Yes. Exactly.
6:31 Speaker 02 And then coaching is like, okay, now let's take those superpowers and like, build you a frickin awesome costume.
6:36 Speaker 03 Yes, I love that analogy.
6:38 Speaker 02 Right.
6:38 Speaker 03 Cause it is kinda like that.
6:40 Speaker 02 And you know, it reminds me, Renata also talks about how important it is to have that support system outside of a counselor or coach. You know, like mentors, former managers, even just people in your network who've made similar career moves.
6:52 Speaker 03 It's huge having that network. It can make all the difference. But you're right, not everyone has those people readily available. And that's where career counseling or coaching can be so helpful in filling that gap. Having that like, objective expert in your corner to bounce ideas off of.
7:07 Speaker 02 So it's like having that, that sounding board, but also someone who can like, give you concrete advice and strategies too.
7:14 Speaker 03 Exactly.
7:15 Speaker 02 Okay, so as we start to wrap things up here, what would you say is the biggest takeaway for our listeners today? If they're like, on the fence, how do you know which path is right for you? Career counseling or coaching? What's the thing to ask yourself? It really comes down to, like Renata was saying, knowing yourself and what you need help with, right?
7:36 Speaker 03 Yeah, knowing where you're at. Is it, I have no clue what I wanna do? Or is it, I know what I want, but I need help figuring out how to get there?
7:45 Speaker 02 And it could be both, right?
7:46 Speaker 03 Mm-hmm.
7:46 Speaker 02 Like, maybe you have a general idea, but you're still wrestling with some of those deeper questions, like, what am I even good at? Or what do I actually enjoy doing?
7:54 Speaker 03 For sure. And it's okay if it takes some time to sort through all that.
7:57 Speaker 02 It's a process. And honestly, I think we need to give ourselves more permission to like, invest in our careers the same way we invest in other areas of our lives, you know?
8:05 Speaker 03 Like, we spend so much time thinking about our health, our relationships, our finances.
8:10 Speaker 02 All of it.
8:11 Speaker 03 But our careers. It's like, oh yeah, that thing I spend most of my waking hours doing, I'll get to it eventually.
8:17 Speaker 02 It's true. But what if this was the year? You know?
8:21 Speaker 03 Yeah.
8:21 Speaker 02 What if this was the year that you decided to finally like, invest in figuring out what you really want and then actually building a plan to make it happen?
8:29 Speaker 03 Now, that would be amazing.
8:30 Speaker 02 Right. Talk about a new year's resolution, because at the end of the day, this is your career, your journey.
8:37 Speaker 03 You get to decide what that looks like.
8:38 Speaker 02 Exactly. And if you're at a point where you're feeling lost, or you just need a little guidance, a little push in the right direction, please know that there's no shame in asking for help.
8:48 Speaker 03 It's true.
8:48 Speaker 02 Whether it's, you know, taking the plunge with career counseling, trying out a career coach, or even just reaching out to like, that friend, that mentor who always seems to have it figured out.
9:00 Speaker 03 Sometimes just talking it out can make all the difference.
9:02 Speaker 02 It really can.
9:03 Speaker 03 Even if it just gives you that little boost of confidence to take that next step.
9:07 Speaker 02 Because who knows? It could be the best investment you ever make.
9:10 Speaker 03 It really could.
9:11 Speaker 02 Not just in your career, but in yourself.
9:13 Speaker 03 Beautifully said.
9:15 Speaker 02 So there you have it. Career counseling, coaching. The choice is yours. The important thing is to find what works for you and go after these dreams, whatever they may be.
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