Career/Vocational Counseling
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Question: What is Career or Vocational counseling?
Answer: Through career/vocational counseling you receive support in clarifying and defining your life and career direction – and find out how you can live your life with greater passion, purpose, and satisfaction. Counselors are trained to listen, to observe, and to customize their approach to individual client needs. The counselor’s job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has. It is an effective way to smooth transitions and develop creative solutions.
Question: Who are your clients?
Answer: Anyone going through a career change (whether by choice or change in circumstances), individuals going through a separation or divorce where there is a need to return back to work, clients who are wanting to stay competitive in their current position, as well as clients needing to assess their current marketability and future earning potential in order to assist in the determination of spousal maintenance or divorce settlements.
Question: How do you help me?
Answer: As your career counselor, I help you analyze your current situation including assessing your interests, skills, talents, education, values, and personality factors. Together, we develop and implement an action plan aimed at attaining your life vision and goals. My process uses assessment, inquiry, reflection, dialogue, brainstorming, feedback, support, research, and specific homework assignments to increase your level of self-awareness, skills, responsibility, and ability to sustain momentum.
Question: Why is it beneficial to work with a Career counselor?
Answer: Having a career counselor help you formulate a career strategy is like hiring a personal trainer when you want to lose weight or get in shape. I offer support, guidance, motivation, accountability, and resources. Sure, you may know what you need to do (or not), but you may not have the determination, energy, or clarity to go through it all alone. Getting assistance from a career counselor is especially valuable and beneficial as part of the Collaborative team divorce process. Information gathered through a purposeful and concentrated career exploration delivers a clear plan that includes accurate earning potential figures (current and over time), specific career goals, as well as specific educational or retraining needs, timelines, and costs associated with them. This data feeds well into the information that is needed by attorneys and financial specialists in order to come up with realistic and clearer settlement options.
Question: What types of Career services can you help me with?
Answer: • Competency & skills assessment • Career Analysis • Goal Setting • Education/retraining evaluation• Resume Writing • Interview prep • Job Search strategies • Salary Negotiation • Earning potential over time
• Support through a divorce or separation • Entering the workforce at mid-life • Keeping your current job
Question: How often should I meet with you?
Answer: That’s up to you. It can depend on the nature of the goals you wish to achieve, your preferred pace for the work, what’s going on in your life, and your budget. I recommend weekly-1 to 1 ½ hour sessions in the initial stages and then tapering off as appropriate.
Question: How long does the process take?
Answer: That depends on the goals you wish to achieve, and your ability and willingness needed to get the answers you are seeking. Some clients hire me for a strategic short-term consultation of three to four-1 ½ hour sessions. Other clients hire me for six-ten sessions and then they are finished, and still others work with me on and off for several years as they meet their initial goals, set new ones, and need support to carry them out.
Question: How much does it cost to work with you?
Answer: Fees for our work together including telephone or Skype appointments, email support, and in person services (including attending Collaborative divorce meetings) are charged an hourly fee. I also charge for work performed on your behalf, i.e. researching salary information, resume review, and writing reports for attorneys, etc. If we are working together during your divorce or separation, I ask for a retainer to be paid in advance for future work. Call or email for current rates.
Question: What are your qualifications to help me?
Answer: I possess over 25+ years of experience as a Career Counselor, Human Resource Recruitment and Staffing Specialist, Mediator, and Trainer. I have experience sitting on both sides of the hiring table including assisting managers in analyzing work competencies to determine job requirements and knowing how to attract, recruit, and measure the best qualified candidates. I’ve counseled applicants in the most successful application and interviewing procedures, reviewed and scored thousands of resumes and applications, and conducted and evaluated hundreds of interviews.
Testimonials:
“Catherine provided career counseling services to a client of mine in dissolution proceedings. My client had been out of the workforce for a number of years and was contemplating a complete change of career. Catherine was very effective in helping my client to identify issues which would be of concern to potential employers, and to think critically about her retraining needs. She also provided a helpful report summarizing her work and described in non-confrontational terms the obstacles in the way of my client “just getting a job” as her husband wished. Catherine’s extensive human resources background was very evident in her work with my client. Her contribution was a significant factor in bringing the case to a satisfactory settlement outside of litigation.” Katy Banahan || Rao & Pierce PLLC
“Catherine was able to get me to both talk and write in greater detail about my accomplishments in such a way that potential employers had a better idea of who I was and what I might accomplish for them. Catherine’s greatest ability was to get in and get right to the heart of the matter. She knows her stuff and can zero in with razor-like sharpness to any weaknesses she sees in a resume. She’s good with a turn of phrase and really added the polish I needed to my resume. Just about every job I applied for called me in for an interview and I was working within three weeks of losing my job. I feel strongly that a large portion of that was due to the strength of my resume which Catherine helped create.” A.P. Seattle
“After being self employed for the past 11 years I was ready to re-enter the corporate world. My confidence level was low because I felt my corporate skills had gotten rusty. I hired Catherine to help me do my resume. Catherine asked excellent questions, provided intuitive guidance, and drew out of me skills I had forgotten and/or didn’t realize that I possessed. This caused my self confidence to grow. As a result of her help and coaching, I prepared a strong resume that got me noticed, and I landed the first job I applied for. Thanks to her strong coaching skills I had the courage to reject the first salary they offered me and renegotiate a salary that I could live on. Catherine Schatzel is capable, professional, experienced, and added great value to my job transition experience. I highly recommend her!”
D.D. Seattle