How can you customize career counseling resources for different industries and job roles?

You need to meticulously examine the target industry trends, demands and future prospects. Accompanied with an understanding of necessary qualifications, skills and salary expectations, you can create a strong foundation for leveraging career counselling resources and crafting a successful career path.

Forget about your career! -- At least for a moment. Take some time and first think about your goals - the income you want to earn, the lifestyle you want to live, the wealth & equity you want to build, the things you want for yourself and your family. Then put yourself a year into the future and ask yourself, "what have I done in the past year that has moved me towards these goals?" With those answers in mind you can reevaluate your current career - does it help you reach those goals? You can also ask yourself, "Is there something else out there that I would find engaging that would help me reach those goals?" If the answer is Yes or even Maybe, then find yourself a coach who will push you outside your comfort zone and help you explore.

Share tools and research from clients who are experts in the field. This builds credibility when the source is coming from a respected industry peer.

Consult with institutional or your own personal connections to learn about what it takes to build a career in that industry. People who lead teams will understand what skills new employees need to be successful and what (to them) looks best on a resume. Once a career counselor/coach has that information, they can synthesize it into skill development pathways and customize those pathways according to the institution's infrastructure.

Being well informed about the industry where our clients operate is crucial to understanding and addressing their needs. However, the true essence of the market comes from our clients, as they live and breathe its reality. As a career counselor, my commitment is to remain highly attentive and listen carefully to them. The better I comprehend the individuals I'm counseling, the more effectively I can provide meaningful support.

Researching is essential for career development. Once you've identified a role you're interested in, take the time to learn about it before applying for courses or jobs. LinkedIn Learning and Coursera offer short courses that can provide valuable insights. You can also watch YouTube videos of people working in the field, or, best of all, talk to someone in person.

I fully support the mentor approach. Identifying successful professionals in the field and analyzing their career paths. No one's career will follow the same path but they can give you great insight into opportunities that may pave the way. For example, the initial entry into a new field can be difficult to navigate, especially if there are limited opportunities for those roles. Discussing with a mentor how they previously emerged into the field may provide great insight into how to "get your foot in the door."

Streamline the resources accompanied by intensive research and curated resources. I prefer different tools to assist my students.

Researching and utilising resources on the Internet that are ready available is a fantastic start. However, speaking to people In the industry will give you that insider knowledge that online resources may not be able to provide. Having a mentor and coach who's helped others achieve what you're looking for is also going to help you get there faster.

The most important audience for your resume when cold applying is the first-line recruiter or screener. Once you have a base resume, identify jobs you are qualified for and really want. Use a tool like Jobscan to compare qualifications and requirements to the content in your resume. Adjust your resume accordingly by noticing what is being asked for and what you know how to do. Then, put the missing terms in your resume. If you ever felt like you were "guessing what they want" when applying this approach will change everything. Use the new resume in Jobscan for the next job description. Many job descriptions use different language so keep the old terms, too. After 3-5 revisions your resume will cover just about every possible requirement.

Interpretation with an implementation plan and review plan is essential to monitor the career growth and usability of the resources.

Think of career coaching for job seekers is the same aspect as coaches for athletes. Each athlete can do the activity on their own, but they operate in a level of excellence when they have a coach that understands their strengths and what it takes to turn their weaknesses or areas of opportunity into strengths. A clear understanding of your strengths coupled with realistic expectations is the foundation needed for every job seeker regardless of their industry. Networking and your resume are inseparable cousins that need to be glued together permanently. If your resume is created professionally (certified resume writer/career coach) you will be ready when opportunities call or knock.

Having a career coach is going to be able to provide you with regular feedback, that will be invaluable to progessing along the chosen career path. Ensuring that your skills, values and unique abilities align with your career is vital to ensure you have a meaningful and fulfilling career.

As a career coach, it’s almost impossible to know about every single industry. Yes, an appropriate amount of research is necessary and then some to be able to connect with your students. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to 2 things: desire and ability. 1. Ability - Can you do it? Just an absolute yes or no. 2. Desire - Do you want to do it for a long period of time? Yes or no. Two different things and it makes so much difference. If it’s not 100% YES then you might have to reassess your situation and how much effort you’re willing to put in.

Don't forget to put the customer into the equation. Most customers struggle with identifying their own strengths, weaknesses, interests, and even their personality and how it can affect their success in a certain field. Start with Self-Assessments. Some great options are the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, O*Net Interest Profiler, and CareerOneStop Skills Matcher. Understand how their specific unique qualities can benefit the industry or job role they are seeking and help to create that realistic connection to find the best way to help them build their success.

Recognizing areas and industries you are unfamiliar with is a great first (and humbling) step! There is so much to learn from others who have any level of experience in the industry. Speak with early, mid-, and seasoned industry career professionals and investigate best practices, skills, hiring practices, and career opportunities. In my advising practice working with students, I've collaborated with leaders in my respective academic programs to field information and get another set of eyes on resources I create for their students to ensure I align with industry expectations and their programs.