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SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS
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Career Counseling and Career Coaching Self Assessment for Career Direction Exploring Options for Career Change Creating a Marketing Strategy and Plan
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Career Counseling and Career Coaching
We offer private, confidential, one-on-one sessions for individuals with career and
work related issues. Typically, counseling is extended over a number of sessions; however the
time frame will depend on a client's issues. Though in general the frequency of meetings is weekly,
and a session lasts about an hour, we will attempt to meet your individual scheduling needs.
Our goal is to provide our clients with the very best career planning services.
Your counselor will develop a working alliance with you, focusing on gathering and synthesizing your
relevant personal and career information. He or she can help you develop strategies to enhance your
current work situation, as well as develop and evaluate new career options. We are ready not only
to help you find work or a new career path, but rather to help you outline a longer-term
developmental plan. This plan might include building new skills, establishing a more flexible work
life, or reevaluating your work and life goals over time. We encourage our clients to maintain a
relationship with CPDI and come in for regular career checkups to ensure that they are continuing
to meet their goals. We strive to develop relationships with our clients that are both action oriented
and supportive.
Self Assessment for Career Direction
Self-assessment is accomplished by gathering information from many different sources. Some of the
assessment begins when you first meet with your counselor. You may be asked to provide information
about your family history, life goals, and critical incidents that have shaped your life, including work,
relationships and lifestyle. We will want to hear about your fears and other issues that may become
obstacles to making a change. In addition to gathering information by simply talking with you, we may use
one or more assessment exercises or inventories. We have extensive experience administering and
interpreting some of the most effective instruments available for self-assessment. Through the
self-assessment process you will be clearer about yourself and your career options.
Exploring Options for Career Change
Another important resource for career exploration is people. CPDI counselors have knowledge of the world of
work from personal experience, research, and interactions with a wide variety of clients. We can also teach
you how to develop and draw on a network of personal contacts with experience in your industry or field of
interest. In informational interviews with these contacts, you can learn about industries, companies and specific occupations.
Job Searching
Creating a Marketing Strategy and Plan
Resume Writing
Many people underestimate their value to a prospective employer and find it difficult to "sell" themselves.
Your CPDI counselor will help you review your experience to identify your strengths and achievements,
including qualities that you may take for granted. He or she will help you to express these in language
that would be meaningful to an employer, and choose a format that best highlights your qualifications and creates visual
impact. In addition, your counselor can assist you in developing effective cover letters to accompany your
resume.
Interview Coaching
Your counselor will help you prepare for interviews by focusing on what you want to communicate about
yourself in relation to the particular job. He or she will do that by guiding you in the following areas:
Your counselor will give you feedback about both your verbal and nonverbal communication to improve how
you present yourself. We can also help you prepare for the various psychological tests and tactics that
interviewers may employ and for the different types of interviews (phone, stress, panel, etc.) that you
may encounter. Even people who enjoy and feel confident at interviews will benefit from working with a
trained and experienced observer and listener.
Salary Negotiation
Self-Assessment is a process that helps you clarify who you are and what you want so
that you can determine the work and lifestyle that will best meet your needs. At a very basic level,
we will help you clarify what is important to you, which skills you most like to use or wish to develop,
what types of work and work environment that best reflect your personality, and how to incorporate your
interests and values into your work.
In addition to options that may emerge from the self-assessment process, we can help you
discover and explore alternatives using a variety of resources. These resources include websites with
information about:
We will show you new ways to think about, plan and incorporate different strategies into your job search.
One important question to ask yourself during a job search is, what is the purpose of this particular job?
A purpose can include: continuing in the same job at a new company, having an income during a transition, acquiring
new skills and training, or advancing to a higher level of responsibility. These are just a few of the possible reasons
why you might pursue a particular job opportunity.
We are experienced in making use of the most effective marketing channels and strategies,
including networking, the Internet, search firms and recruiters, classified advertisements, direct mail,
telemarketing, job fairs, and temporary and contract jobs. Your counselor will work with you to develop
a plan to utilize these resources and proactively gain visibility.
A resume is a self-marketing document used to convince a prospective employer to interview you. The goal
is to design a resume that you feel good about and that compels the reader to want to learn more about you.
Your resume will be most effective if it is targeted to the particular work you are seeking. It is
important to clearly articulate your relevant background, experience, skills, and accomplishments. Rather
than simply chronicling your work and educational history, the resume should communicate where you want to
go. You will want your resume to be easy to read and appealing to the eye.
Employers use an interview to gain a more complete picture of your skills, experience and personality
beyond what is presented in a resume, to determine whether you are a fit for the job in question.
You will feel confident and comfortable at an interview, and significantly increase your likelihood
of success if you have prepared and practiced.
Salary negotiation is among the most difficult parts of entering the employment market.
We can help you with negotiations while directing you to appropriate web sites with comparative
salary information. You will look at the entire compensation package, which may include, for example,
a bonus structure, relocation costs and severance benefits.
Career and Personal Development Institute (CPDI)
582 Market Street, Suite 410, San Francisco, CA - Phone: (415) 982-2636 - info@cpdicareercounseling.com
© CPDI