Counsellor offers a good alternative to face-to-face meetings
KEY POINTS:
Name: Astrid van Holten
Age: 45
Role: Telephone career consultant for Career Services.
Working hours: 40 hours, including a noon to 7pm shift.
Average salary: $40,000-$60,000.
Qualifications and institution: Graduate Diploma in Career Development, AUT.
Describe what you do.
I am a career consultant for North Shore Career Services, working with schools, community organisations and face-to-face clients.
For the past eight months, I've been at our national office in Wellington, running a pilot telephone career guidance service for 15 to 30-year-olds and their influencers (parents). In March, I moved back to the North Shore office but I'm still providing the phone service two-and-a-half days a week until June.
How does it work?
When Career Services Advice Line (0800 222 733) staff think a caller needs in-depth help, they offer an appointment at a Career Services office. Callers that fall into the pilot target group are also offered a phone guidance option. The length of a call ranges from 10 minutes to one hour, with most calls taking around half an hour. Most people only want to talk once, although a significant number require two or more calls.
Who are your clients?
Some clients are people who can't access career planning, like a woman on an island who didn't have phone or internet access and rang from the local community centre. Some are home schooled, correspondence students or in rural areas. There are clients with physical issues who find it easier to make contact by phone. And then there are people who just prefer to talk by phone rather than face-to-face.
What are the main issues you deal with?
I talk to a lot of women with young families who want to explore ways to start a career.
Another large group is people in their early twenties who have left school early, worked in unskilled jobs and now want to make a change.
Towards the end of the year, there were heaps of Year 11 and 12 students calling about subject choices. After the NCEA results came out in January, I was booked solid with kids that missed university entrance and wanted to talk about other options.
I also get people trying to find university courses, graduates figuring out where to head and young people asking about options other than returning to school.
Your history?
I have been a career consultant with Career Services for about eight years. Before that, I was an administrator for a private tertiary provider. I found the part I enjoyed best was the people contact and eventually decided I wanted a job that involved working with people.
I began the graduate diploma in career development because career guidance sounded like a practical way to be helping people. I did two papers the first semester as well as Lifeline training. I then got part-time work with a local vocational guidance company while I continued the qualification.
What training or experience did you need?
You need to have micro-counselling skills and knowledge and experience in careers counselling. For the phone pilot, I had to learn how to use the call centre technology and data bases.
I was also allocated an experienced phone career counselling buddy with a UK organisation.
What skills are important?
Micro-counselling skills, like reflecting, summarising and questioning, are key tools. You need really good listening skills and have to be able to think quickly.
You need to be able to pick up verbal cues when a client is disengaging or when you're on the wrong track. I am much more aware of changes in tone of voice now, something I don't use as much with face-to-face counselling because of visual cues.
Best part of the job?
You get instant feedback about how much the session helps and it has been mainly positive, which is a real buzz. It is also great to be offer career counselling and advice services to people that would not otherwise get it.
Challenges?
Not getting visual cues is nerve wracking at times. But there is also a freedom in that, because you can't make assumptions based on their appearance. It also took time to acclimatise to the call centre environment.
Any interesting stories?
I rang one woman at an allocated time and she was doing lots of huffing and puffing. She was washing the car while talking to me.
I was initially surprised but then I realised that she was a practical person and moving helped her think.
Another guy was talking to me and then went all quiet. When I asked if he was still there, he told me the dog had herded a chicken into the room and he'd have to get rid of it. I heard lots of clucking noises as he chased it away.
What next?
We're evaluating the pilot with a view to deciding whether phone guidance becomes part of the normal business of Career Services.
