CAREER COUNSELING MODEL FOR RESUMES BY BENJAMIN TODD ELLER

Healy believes that career choice can be greatly enhanced through the use of career counseling and that the counseling process should include four stages:- "establishing client needs, goals, and the obstacles to them, identifying and then selecting particular strategies, teaching and assisting the client in implementing solutions and verifying accomplishment of the solution and achievement of the goal (Healy, 1982)."

The first stage of goals and obstacles to them consist of the "end states that the client wants to realize."  Healy has stated how Krumboltz is very helpful in stating that counseling goals should be able to change for each individual client and that each client is unique with his/her own set goals in mind.  The obstacles are simply the barriers that keep a client from realizing his/her own goals.  It is important to note that establishing definite goals makes it easier to define exactly what obstacles exist.  For example, if Joe wants to be an Engineer, but only has a high school education, then lack of experience and training are definite obstacles. Finally, establishing goals also includes the considerations of an individual's beliefs about problem resolution, their actions already taken, their learning styles and their feelings about the goals themselves (Healy, 1982).

The second stage of identifying and selecting strategies consists of doing a "task analysis" of the goals and the obstacles to them.  This helps identify the necessary actions one must take to reach specified goals and to overcome obstacles.  For instance, in the example above, Joe would need to overcome his obstacle of lack of experience by getting training or going to college (Healy, 1982). 

By the third stage, a counselor and a client have agreed upon a course of action to take to reach the defined goals, and the counselor helps the client engage in these actions.  For instance, a counselor could give the client interest inventories, getting the client in touch with peers, teacher or workers who are involved in the occupation the client is interested in, and to educate the client on how to reach his/her career choice.  For instance, in the case of Joe, the counselor could have him talk to different types of engineers such electrical, mechanical and aerospace so that Joe can figure out which type of engineering he would to like to pursue (Healy, 1982).

The fourth stage consists of the client and counselor verifying if the actions have yielded the desired results.  For instance, if the client Joe definitely wants to pursue mechanical engineering and has been excepted to a college program in that field, then the actions were successful.  However, if Joe is still confused about which career path to take and how to go about getting a career, then the counselor and Joe could discuss why their actions didn't work and begin again with a new game plan (Healy, 1982).

Considering the obstacles of a client often includes on how to write a resume.  Joe could also overcome the obstacle of lack of experience by using a functional resume.  He could also use this resume for realistic positions such as part-time work and internships.  Joe should also look carefully at the qualifications of the jobs he applies to and make sure that his resume states that he can fulfill the duties of the jobs he is pursuing.