When considering if you need a counselor, it’d be impossible to list out every possible reason people knew they needed one. However, executive functions are a key place to start. Executive functioning challenges can make it difficult to stay on task, schedule your days, or control your emotions. This can affect your work life and result in your overall dissatisfaction. For those already in the workplace, below are some common traits of people who sought a career change or career counselor.

In Need Of A Career Counselor: Common Traits

• Can’t make decisions
• Poor stress management
• Difficulty with planning or staying organized
• Difficulty shifting from task to task
• Avoiding tasks
• Missing appointments
• Feeling apathetic
• Trouble keeping relationships
• Low self-esteem

Would you believe a career counselor could link all these to executive function skills? For instance, “avoiding tasks” falls under the EF skill of self-control. “Missing appointments” can apply to the executive function skill of time management. It’s a coach’s responsibility to help you not only find a job that matches with your capabilities but also help you build your executive function skills up. By improving your executive functions, you’ll be able to perform efficiently in any new job opportunity or environment. The ultimate goal of a career coach program is to get you to achieve substantial success. Talk to a career counselor if you feel you could benefit from learning these applicable skills. A career counselor that specializes in executive functions may be for you.

Support Through Counseling

Regardless of age, a career counselor can assess problem areas, strengths, and your executive function potential. Although the bullets above seem to be mainly issues adults experience at work, there are similarities with issues students face as well. Many high school or college students also have difficulty shifting from one task to the next or with balancing school and personal life. For example, a college student may dream of becoming an event planner but has problems with shifting and organization. A career counselor for college students may teach them scheduling techniques and how to break down tasks so it becomes manageable. The student then practices these skills and feels more confident about being accepted into their dream job. Regardless if you’re a student new into the workforce or an adult who’s been employed for 30 years, you can always seek a career counselor to make the right next choice.

Career Counselor Role: How Executive Functions Help

As mentioned before, a career counselor works with a multitude of clients from teens to adults. Whether you meet with one in-person or find a career counselor online, a counselor takes time to get to know clients individually in one-on-one sessions. This allows them to better assess your challenges, strengths, goals, and how executive functions can be applied to improve your career life. If they’re a specialized career counselor for adults, clients can range from administrators, parents, business owners, and more. For instance, a CEO may be overwhelmed by weekly meetings, project deadlines, and constant communication with people. This is causing them high levels of anxiety and stress. A career counselor for adults may assess and train their executive function skills by teaching them strategies such as scheduling, how to break down tasks, and how to regulate their emotions. If you find you’re relating to the example above, you may benefit from a career counselor.

Essential Skills

In general, a career counselor is a professional who offers specialized guidance to teens and adults that are either seeking work, need help in their current workspace, or are looking to transition their career path. Additionally, a major part of career coach services is to ensure a client achieves satisfaction in their job along with mental, emotional, and financial happiness. When it comes to these feelings and mental well-being in people, we believe executive functions play an immense role. Executive functions are the skills in the brain needed to stay organized, regulate emotions, or adapt to situations. A career coach program will tell you that in any working environment, these are skills highly needed to remain productive. When you’re productive and finishing tasks on time, studies show you feel fulfilled and tend to be happier. In contrast, any executive function deficits or inability to perform duties well can leave us feeling depressed, anxious, or dissatisfied in our field. Thus, it’s up to a career counselor to help clients understand why assessing and building their executive functions are vital to their career goals.

What Happens During Sessions?

Sessions with a career counselor experienced in executive functions are made to be highly personalized to your specific needs and progress. No two sessions with clients are the same. The first introduction may be done in-person or you may meet with your career counselor online. A coach learns and takes time to understand your personal struggles, interests, and career goals by asking questions so they can devise the best personalized career plan for you. They may evaluate these details through assessments, but most commonly through one-to-one personal interviews. When it comes to career coach services with executive functions, a coach should be patient and mindful of your situation. It’s important they not only apply this when referring you to jobs but also while working with you. For instance, if you currently have trouble staying focused and on task, a coach should patiently guide you. They may apply methods such as taking breaks between sections or teaching you cognitive strategies that help with attention retainment. A career counselor can additionally help educate you on executive functions and how you can improve them.

Getting The Support You Need

By learning about your circumstances and goals, an executive functions career counselor can then network the best fit jobs for you and help you apply. In a career coach program, they help you make a step by step individualized plan to get you to success. This includes assisting with cover letters, resumes, and preparation for the interviews—all the while considering your executive functions and work style. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by a certain step, a coach has no problem slowing down or rescheduling the original plan. An EF career counselor is made to adapt to a client’s needs.

Though these career counselor consultations are centered on career-building, these are lifelong skills that can be applied outside of work. An executive functions career coach values teaching skills necessary to achieve the lifetime success of clients. Schedule a session and talk to a career counselor if you’d like to learn these invaluable skills. A career counselor is there for you from beginning to end.