“Compass and Pen” photo courtesy of Irina Patrascu via Flickr Creative Commons
Dear Dr. Civitelli,
Since 1970, I have worked for more than 50 employers and agencies, with lots of gaps between jobs. I’m a single mom doing the best I can and I feel like I’ve lost my focus and direction. I wish I had someone to guide me but it feels like no one cares. Can you help me? Is there any hope?
Signed,
Ginny
San Francisco, CA
Dear Ginny,
There is definitely hope, but getting professional career counseling is likely to make things much easier for you. A career counselor can assess your strengths, interests, and career goals so that you can develop clarity and focus. After you identify a career direction, a career counselor can also teach you to market yourself effectively to prospective employers so that you don’t feel so anxious about your diverse career history. As you learn how to describe well what you can offer to employers (or customers if you decide to start a business), it will strengthen your optimism and confidence so that you will be able to more effectively navigate a job search or launch a startup. Everyone has “dependable strengths” to offer and you need to discover what yours are.
To find an employment counseling professional, explore this list of San Francisco career counseling agencies. Many of them offer free or low-cost counseling to assist clients with job search challenges.
I hope this helps.
Dr. Civitelli
.