Pricing Instructions and Intake Forms
Please read this page entirely. It describes my approach, process and goals for you:
Who are my clients? Over half of my clients are working/not working adults with complex career issues, and the other half are college grads looking to start their careers. A small fraction of my practice includes college-aged or high school students. My clients have college degrees, and they don’t. They are in Orange County, or somewhere else in the country working with me remotely via phone.
Can you crack my code? It may surprise you, but please know: It’s not too hard for me to crack your career code. What has been frustrating and bothering you for years, is what I can most likely help you resolve in a session or two. Once we have clarity, we get a strategy in place so you can begin the practical steps. Either one session, or two, or three, it doesn’t usually take too many to get you pathed in the right direction, and confident stepping forward.
How long does it take and how do I schedule? Not long. I usually work with clients for 1 to 3 sessions total. The first session is the intake session – the most important session. After this meeting, about half of my clients move straight to the resume. The other half meet again for one or two follow up sessions. If you’d like to set up an appointment, please print the Pricing and Instruction Forms at the top of this page and use my contact form to get in my appointment queue.
What is your process? Career counseling is a process that follows the scientific method. We gather data (from you, by me asking the right explorative questions), I then make a hypothesis (summarizing your career blocks based on career theories, and your career options based on labor market information), we then test that hypothesis (by you confirming we are on track, or by me assigning homework or follow up sessions to continue the fact finding on both sides), and finally, we confirm or modify the original hypothesis so you are clear on your career direction.
What happens in the intake session? This is where you experience the bulk of my training. The intake session is the key to conceptualizing what is or isn’t working, mapping to a new or augmented career trajectory, and beginning the action planning. The “aha” moment usually comes in this session, and if it doesn’t, we will both see it beginning to take shape and we will build on it to reveal more workable career data as quickly as possible in subsequent meetings.
What happens in follow up sessions? I love to shorten the path for people, get them out of pain. In these sessions we do what we need to do – continue defining your career theme, or interpret an assessment, or pick through whatever you bring me that you want to work on that scares you, leaves you with a list of questions, or needs fixing.
Adults bring complexities to their career puzzle – some are more analytical, shy, hyper!, confused, exhausted, depressed, anxious or defiant than others. Some have lived for years in foreign countries or have been out of work, fired, have gaps in employment they don’t know how to overcome, or have worked for themselves. All of these are obstacles to career choice and if there is not enough time in the first session to cut to the chase, we may need just a few more meetings.
It’s all geared to the same goal – helping you see which parts of your life fit in your career puzzle, which don’t, and who will realistically hire you to do something that will bring you joy and allow you to live a better life than when you came in my office for the very first time – confused, apprehensive, wondering if you had wasted your time or money.
*For college grads*: If you are a college grad, please expect to meet for about 4-5 sessions total, as there is much for you to learn in order to get stabilized, prepared, motivated and mobilized for the world of work. That course of counseling may include the intake session, an assessment or research into careers, a session on analyzing/decision making/career confidence, a resume session, 1-2 sessions to teach/assist you with job searching, and an interview prep session. This is just an example of what most young adults during their course of counseling with me.
CAREER LAB: About once a month I hold workshops focused on topics such as job searching, resume writing, and transferable skills. these are FREE or very cost effective, and if you’d like to get on the invite list, please register for my email newsletter in the right hand margin of this page. Or, view any upcoming events: Register now for Career Lab.
Assessments: Sometimes I use assessments. Only sometimes. The level at which I practice in consultation with you supersedes what assessments reveal, however a career assessment is sometimes indicated for a number of reasons – several interests/hard to choose, or if an individual is young and lacks career maturity I will schedule an assessment to help them grasp the big picture. Access to career information and career education are important steps in the process, and if you are behind, I fill those gaps to shore up your decision making skills.
Resumes: Entry level, young adults, professional, technical and executive from all industries, including consultants and freelancers. I absolutely love writing them, and am extremely finicky about them. High quality, low drama.
Cover letters and LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn is so important. I will help you build out a spectacular, highly effective profile. The key is in the settings, your keywords, and its optimization. As for cover letters, since COVID-19 I really don’t see them used, with the exception of a few industries (Nonprofit executive leaders, educators, writers, etc.).
College major assessment session: For mature high school students and college students struggling with major/career direction. I have a killer college major assessment! Not always needed, but I use it for some kids.
College essays: Nothing better than a career counselor to help you craft your story and compel the reader in the admissions office to say yes.
Ongoing coaching services: A small group of clients elect to work with me weekly/bi-weekly/monthly on an ongoing basis, and I’m perfectly fine with that. It’s good practice and I believe career services are a better investment than a bar tab. Plus, they are tax deductible.
You can see that I do not have a program – a one-size-fits-all package – because you are unique and come to career counseling for your own reasons, at your own phase of career development. My strength is seeing you where you are, recognizing the career stage, and mobilizing you quickly with clarity and planning, and getting you moving with ease, confidence and substance. We all want to feel meaningful to society, and that is what career is. You deserve that, and I’m here to help you figure that out.
I look forward to helping you clarify your career direction, make a plan of action, and take the first step.
Please contact me to set up an appointment.