Talk

Flip

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Work

Anyone had any experience of career consultants?

8 replies

Carikube · 26/08/2010 12:03

If so, were they any good and were they worth the money?

DH is desperately unhappy in his current job (local govt); he doesn't want to move to another authority as he says he would be doing the same thing, just elsewhere. However he doesn't really know what he wants to do and as his field is quite specialised, he doesn't know what his possibilities are. I have suggested he talks to a career consultant to see if they can help him identify other potential career paths.

He is so unhappy that it is affecting our home life so I really want to help him - anyone have any ideas as to anything else that would be of use? I've even suggested that I cut my mat leave short and go back to work FT while he takes some time out to think about things...

OP posts:

Report

seeyoukay · 27/08/2010 00:07

Always be suspicious of people that get paid to offer advice. Especially anything as wooly as a career consultant.

Its upto your DH to find out what he wants to work as not someone suggesting things.

Report

bigstripeytiger · 27/08/2010 00:09

If he works in a specialist area then would he be better talking to someone else who works in the same area, rather than a careers consultant, who might not have a realistic knowledge of the area?

Report

Carikube · 27/08/2010 09:04

I understand where you're coming from seeyou; I think it's just that he feels he's been in his current line of work so long (20+ years) he just doesn't know where his skills are transferable to and as I know nothing about the area, I can't offer any practical advice. Agree that talking to others in his field should help so will encourage him to do that.

OP posts:

Report

BarkisIsWilling · 19/09/2010 15:59

Why do you have that opinion of paid advisors, seeyoukay?

Report

BeenBeta · 19/09/2010 16:31

I was sent to one after I was made redundant. It was billed as an 'outplacement' consultant.

They were rubbish. I didnt get a job via them and they didnt advise me. They just did interview practice and looked at my CV which I already had sorted out.

They also told me not to consider going into academic life so I could have a more flexible career as me and DW were planning children. Actually, they made me feel demoralised.

No one will get your DH another job except DH and more especially if it is a very specialist area.

Report

Conundrumish · 20/09/2010 10:10

There's a very good book that helps you through this process - can't remember the name, but will try and remember to ask DH (something about umbrellas in the title). Have just seen on Amazon that there are other books available re career change.

Report

estya · 20/09/2010 14:35

I went to this recruitment event last year and i would suggest it as a good (& free) place to start. There were loads of stalls of recruiters to talk to, and seminars/talks, one of which gave me pretty much all i needed to know to be able to identify what my skills are, what I need to get and be able to give to a job to be happy etc and that i should then read loads of job adverts to match what i am looking for in a job, to what different roles/environments recruit for.
Not particularity helpful if you aren't in the London area, I'm afraid.
I have been unhappy & unsure of where I'm going in work for quite a while - i paid for a one off session with a careers advisor but didn't feel he gave me much more than i had found out myself from events like above, loads of googling and scanning through a few books.
After a bad day at work when you feel useless & you think you haven't got any good skills, you kind of want to be able to pay for someone to sort it all out for you. I guess i realised that although a consultant could tell me how to do it, I had to do the hard work myself - he could't come up with the answers for me.