Janet McAfee, Career Counselor

About career counseling:

Q: What is career counseling?
Q: What are the benefits of career counseling?
Q: Why see a career counselor? Can't people do this on their own?

About Janet and her services:

Q: What are your qualifications?
Q: Do you have particular specialties?
Q: What are your rates?
Q: Can your services be paid by my medical insurance?
Q: How many sessions do people normally see you?
Q: Where is your office located?
Q: What are your office hours?
Q: Do you see people for drop-by visits?
Q: Do you ever help people long-distance if they don't live in San Diego?
Q: Can you help find me a job?
Q: Can you help my child choose a career or college major?
Q: What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and why would I want to take it?

Q: What is career counseling?

Career counseling focuses on helping people with issues related to their work or sense of purpose. Career counseling is not therapy, and is not mental health counseling where one works to resolve deep-seated personal problems. People who are unhappy in their work, having trouble with a job search, or searching for new career options can benefit from career counseling. Career counselors provide assistance for issues related to choosing a career, becoming educationally qualified for it, marketing oneself to employers, successfully maintaining a job and achieving as much fulfillment or personal satisfaction from it as possible. Typical reasons people have come to see me are:

• Figuring out who they want to be when they "grow up" and getting a better sense of their life purpose.
• Relieving stress and resolving job problems or concerns.
• A confidence boost and renewed sense of hope.
• Clarification, brainstorming, problem-solving, advice, and support during job or career changes.
• Assistance in developing a sound action plan.
• Help in finding out how and where to explore new careers and jobs.
• Designing a mid-life career shift or pre-retirement lifestyle change.
• Deciding on an educational path.

Q: What are the benefits of career counseling?

The benefits are everything from getting a confidence boost to learning a new set of strategies for attaining your career or educational goals. Career counseling typically provides:

• Stress relief through talking about your problems to a sympathetic listener.
• Practical advice and strategies for improving your situation.
• A sense of hope, enhanced self-confidence and renewed energy for striving towards your goals.
• Development of an action plan of "next steps" geared to your needs and comfort zone.
• Help with generating more options, or whittling down too many options.
• A better self-understanding of who you are and what you want, and how that impacts career choice.
• Techniques for researching occupations and identifying good-fit careers more aligned with who you really are. 
• Improved self-marketing materials, like resume, cover letter, and self-introduction "30-second infomercial" or "elevator pitch".
• Tips for more effective networking, career researching, job lead finding and answering tough interview questions. 
• Having a caring mentor to lean on instead of being all alone during a tricky transition.

Q: Why see a career counselor? Can't people do this on their own?

Some people can, but many cannot. If you've ever tried to figure out what kind of career to pick from tests in a book or off the Internet, you know how hard it is to develop new insights about yourself in a vacuum. I've met with lots of people who had read classic self-help books like "What Color Is Your Parachute" who could not convert their written exercises into a practical plan or a career target. Enlisting the help of a career counselor for this process is much more effective, because a counselor:

• Has no expectations of who you are "supposed" to be or what you "should" do for a living.
• Has formal training in the psychology behind career choice, temperament styles, and categories of work.
• Sees your patterns of interests and preferences, and will reflect them back to you to allow you to see "the real you" more clearly.
  
• Can act as a sounding board for your ideas while brainstorming new ones you hadn't considered or known about.
  
• Encourages your dreams while helping you explore the realistic pros and cons of each choice.
• Is able to point out any flaws in your assumptions or holes in your evidence as to why you can't follow your dreams or do the work you want.
• Provides encouragement, coaching, and gentle nudging to keep you moving forward on the goals you set for yourself.
• Knows resources about jobs, occupations, employers, colleges, training providers, and labor market trends that you may never have heard of before.
• Knows practical strategies for conducting a job search or a career change, and can teach them to you then coach you while you try them out.

Q: What are your qualifications?

I have a Masters degree in Counseling with a specialization in Career Counseling and 12 years subsequent experience in providing career counseling to adults. I have also attained the highest career counselor certifications available in the U.S. – a Master Career Counselor designation from the National Career Development Association and a National Certified Counselor designation from the National Board of Certified Counselors.  I am also a California Registered Professional Career Counselor, and have obtained more than 150 hours of continuing education through workshops and conferences in order to expand my knowledge. I previously worked 17 years in a corporation, so I have a realistic understanding of what the world of work is like. Beyond all that, I absolutely love what I do and sincerely enjoy helping others avoid misery and create a more fulfilling life! (Details are on my Bio page.)

Q: Do you have particular specialties?

Yes! My specialties include:

• Helping people find their path or cope with work problems.
• Providing personal support during tough transitions like being laid off, re-entering the workforce or changing careers.
• Promoting deeper self-awareness about others' strengths and preferences.
• Sharing sound career advice and practical strategies for conducting a job search and attaining career goals.
• Inspiring a sense of hope, confidence and possibilities that encourages people towards their dreams.
• Brainstorming new careers that combine a person's interests, favorite skills and values.
  
• Improving resumes, cover letters, and statement-of-purpose essays for college application.
• Providing personalized Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® test interpretation.

Q: What are your rates?

I charge an hourly fee, and see people in person for one-hour, 90-minute, and 2-hour appointments. The length of the session is based on the person's preference. I also have a package rate for career assessment testing that includes 3 appointments and 4 tests. Please call or email me to inquire about my current rates. We can also set up a time to speak by phone for 15 minutes at no charge, which will give both of us a chance to decide if I can be of help to you or not. If I can't, I will do my best to refer you to someone who can.

Q: Can your services be paid by my medical insurance?

No. Career counseling is not the same as therapy or mental health counseling, which are both considered medical in nature. Also, there is no state licensure in California that regulates the practice of career counseling. Without such licensure, insurance companies will not authorize payment.

Q: How many sessions do people normally see you?

It all depends on what sort of problem a person has, and how much help they feel they need. I don't require a minimum number of sessions, so some people have met with me just once, some have requested the 3 sessions for assessment testing, and others have preferred an on-going, intermittent series of appointments to have me support and advise them through a tricky transition like a job search or career change. I have no agenda for my clients, and let them decide what they want to work on and for how long.

Q: Where is your office located?

My office is in Mission Valley, south of the Interstate 8 freeway, on Camino Del Rio South and directly across the street from the El Torito restaurant. Please see my Directions & Map page for details.

Q: What are your office hours?

I usually meet with people between 1:00 - 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, but we can probably work something out if those hours aren't good for you.

Q: Do you see people for drop-by visits?

No. I work from my home and only go to the office for pre-arranged appointments. If you drop by to see me, I will either be in a session and unable to speak with you, or I won't be there at all. Please call or email me first – I will happily speak with you by phone for 15 minutes at no charge, which will give both of us a chance to decide if I can be of help to you or not. If I can't, I will do my best to refer you to someone who can.

Q: Do you ever help people long-distance if they don't live in San Diego?

Rarely. It's much more effective to meet face-to-face. I can pour positive energy into someone more easily in person than over the phone, and I can pick up the nuances of their emotions or reluctance more easily. If you think you would benefit from working with a career counselor, I'm happy to help you find a qualified person in your area. Call or email me to ask about this.

Q: Can you help find me a job?

Not in the traditional sense, no. I am not a recruiter or employment agency, and don't have any job leads to share. I can't help you GET a job, but I can teach you HOW to find one by improving your self-marketing materials, like resume and cover letter, and teaching you effective strategies for job hunting. I can also support you during your search by coaching you around whichever steps are the hardest for you.

Q: Can you help my child choose a career or a college major?

If your child is a teenager or young adult, probably not. The majority of my professional experience has been with working adults over the age of 25. If your child is younger than that, seek out career counselors who work in universities or community colleges: they have better skills and background for helping younger adults and adolescents. I know of a career counselor in San Diego who assists high school students and their parents – contact me if you would like her name and website.

Q: What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and why would I want to take it?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) is a standardized assessment test that measures a person's temperament preferences in 4 key areas. Widely used as a career assessment tool, the MBTI is also used as a communications-enhancement tool and leadership training aid. It is considered to be the most trusted and widely used assessment in the world for understanding individual differences and uncovering new ways to work and interact with others. Many people have taken this test but never received a personalized explanation of their score and what it suggests about their likely areas of talent, interest, and compatible careers. If you are interested in having your previous results explained to you in greater detail, or in taking this test and receiving useful reports about yourself, I would be happy to provide this to you.