How do I choose a career counsellor for my child?

Text by Natasa Ivanovska

The choice of picking a career counsellor for one’s child is not simple by any stretch of the imagination. How and where do we find the person with the right skillset and mentality to h elp in our quest for our child’s best interests? What are the rights of the parent, who has to find the best possible service for the child?

Some career counsellors work independently, in many psychological advisory centers, centers dedicated to learning and development, etc. While children are minors, the choice for a career counsellor is made my the parent, who unconditionally has to give their consent in writing. The parent can utilise the following criteria in picking a career counsellor for their child:

1. The counsellor’s qualifications – the training they’ve done, licences, certificates. That’s a solid basis on which we can inform ourselves about the counsellor that will be working with our child.

2. Experience – Their experience as a counsellor, the demographic of people they’ve worked with, their experience with children, the reason as to why they want to work with children, the clients that could be contacted for a recommendation, etc. These are all valid questions that a parent could and should ask.

3. Approach – communication style – knowing the kid, via conversation with them, assurance that the counsellor’s style will have a positive impact on the child is needed. How motivating they are, and how the child feels when talking to them are both things that have to be taken into account when making a choice.

4. Trust – How do we know that the individual infront of us deserves our trust? Ask until you get all the info that you need to feel confident giving your and your child’s trust.

The career counsellor plays a key part in a child’s early years. Try to find the best one, you child deserves it!