Jackie Torres

In career counseling, we often talk about the importance of having a professional network. This network results in a mutually beneficial relationship in the world of work. I am glad to see that more and more, we are also stressing the importance of people building their social support network. In fact, in my community there is now a program that helps people in poverty increase their social support network.

This weekend, my nephew’s soccer season got started and I was able to watch a few games while listening to a lot of advice. Parent 1: “You have to be more aggressive honey!” Parent 2: “Great hustle!” Coach 1: “Communicate out there guys! Help each other out!” Coach 2: “It’s not over yet!”

Sometimes clients say that they have no idea what career to focus on. Although the reasons for feeling this way are varied, perhaps clients have not yet had the chance to recognize and create a language for their skills, interests, and ideal work environment. Instead of reaching for an assessment right away, there are a lot of great questions we can ask clients that will spark new career ideas or even reunite clients with old ideas that were never pursued. I wanted to share some of my favorite questions you can use with your clients to brainstorm skills, interests, and ideal work environments.

Working at a retail store was my very first job. The initial challenge: the horror of using the intercom to complete a price check. But there was a loophole! I asked my co-worker if she could check prices for me, as I was busy bagging items. One day, she caught on and said it was time for me to use the intercom. It felt like everyone was going to watch and listen to me ask for a price check on a pair of socks. I turned on the intercom and asked for a price check. I looked around and was relieved to see that no one paid attention. Rejoice! First lesson learned: sometimes a little tough love goes a long way to having people face their fears.

As a counselor with a caseload, there are a few tips I would like to share, that have helped me get the most out of my time at work. These strategies of efficiency have helped me be able to spend more time with my clients and less time battling with my paperwork. Here are some methods that have worked for me: 1. Using Voice Mail Strategically Before I dial a phone number, I will take a few seconds to write down on a sticky note what the goals are for that conversation. This simple step helps reduce rambling and freezing that may occur if I reach voice mail. When I reach someone’s voice mail, I don’t just say “Hi Bob, this is Jackie, please call me back. Thanks.” Instead, I leave a message stating who I am, the main reason of the call, and a clear action plan for them to take next. This action part of the message is important because it moves forward the conversation. Instead of going around in circles and perhaps playing phone tag, the receiver of the voice mail message knows what they have to do next.