Compare Career Planning Options
When you compare the different career planning options available, you’ll note that the popular career planning sites have many different approaches they offer. In fact they are inconsistent and all over the place. Especially career planning for college students.
The career planning services comparison chart below gives you an idea of some of the services available.
Why do so many career planning services miss the mark? Why is there no agreement on what career planning should include?
The dead end of psychometric tests
As you can see in the comparison chart below, virtually all the providers of career planning services use Psychometric tests (career aptitude tests and personality tests) to score you, classify you or categorize you.
So right off the bat, they are starting from a position of labeling you – putting you into a box! No wonder a recent Gallup poll says only 30% or so of Americans are engaged in their work! The other 70% have been categorized into a box they can’t escape from.
HR professionals trying to fit a square peg into a round hole
Besides Pychometric testing based career planning, the other major group of career planning service providers are HR professionals and Recruiters.
Most of these are corporatists, they have worked in corporations and spend their time trying to fit a round you into a square job slot. They churn out endless streams of tips on how to game the system, How to contort yourself to gain access to pre-defined corporate jobs.
Remember, the career consultants, coaches and advisers that come from corporate HR or recruiting backgrounds are experienced is in finding candidates that conform to specific company job requirements.
This might include how to interview, polish your resume or find hidden job opportunities. While those are necessary skills for you to find an existing job with a corporation, they are not helping you with the set of skills that will help you define your optimal career destiny or business venture. Especially if you have a unique skill set.
Wild goose chase?
The sad part of these career planning services is that many are quite expensive and yet they don’t have a clear plan of action.
For example, if they base a plan of action on how you are ‘classified” from a limited personality test, they can waste your time taking the wrong career path or job hunting for the wrong job. This is sending you on a wild goose chase into a dead end.
- The biggest drawback that you will note is that a majority of career advisor sites base their coaching on psychometric tests results – aptitude tests designed to “classify” you into a “type” or “category.”
- Many of these tests are based on unproven or half-baked theories of personality from the 1920’s
- These automated tests categorize you INTO a box rather than define a unique-to-you customized solution that reveals your most powerful traits and opportunities
- Putting yourself into a category “box” like this turns you into a commodity, just another employee, not a superstar where you can shine and make your biggest impact in the world
- Many of these psychometric tests were originally designed for big corporations and government to “weed out bad apples” and determine who NOT to hire!
- Many test results assume a certain personality “score” or “type” means that you belong in a certain field, which is incredibly limiting to your potential.
- You will also note that most industry coaching consults are based on open-ended random conversations from what they glean from these tests, not on a specific, customized-to-you program agenda. Not only does open-ended coaching get expensive for you and waste your time, it often does not help you find the career that is right for you. Good career coaching should keep you focused to define your optimal career and put together an action plan to make it happen as quickly as possible
- Then there is the cost to consider. The big player’s programs can go on for two to three months, and cost thousands. You should be able to put a career plan together in 3 weeks max, unless you require more time to overcome specific obstacles.
| Compare the most popular Career Planning and Transition programs on the market today | ||||||
| Top Career Planning Programs and Services | Course Contents | Pricing | Define Your Career Destiny | Pricing | ||
| Compare: Coached career planning and transition packages | ||||||
| A Major Career Institute – one of the oldest players in the industry | CareerDestiny Fast Track Program | |||||
| Career Choice Program3 month course, based ontests and phone consults | 2 to 3 month long program | Three week comprehensive career planning package
A straightforward step-by-step program:
Week One: Define Your Career Week Two: Define and Set Goals Week Three: Implement Action Plan | CareerPlan ProFast Track Program$197 | |||
| Course content based on psychometric testing | $1,500 | |||||
| Course content depends on test results | to | |||||
| Mail materials back and forth to institute | $3,900 | |||||
| Course structure varies with individual | ||||||
| Coaching telephone consults | ||||||
| A Major Career Planner –a Psychometric Tests Site | You’ll implement an action-oriented career planwith strong coaching support for exceptional results.Coaching is based on course materials andincludes 4 weekly consults totaling 100 minutes.Unlimited email supportNo psychometric tests in any of our programs | |||||
| Career Coaching Program5 Hour testing andphone consultations | 5 hours phone consults over 3 months | $500 | ||||
| Course structure varies with individual | ||||||
| Requires personality “type” tests | ||||||
| Very spread out & inconsistent | ||||||
| Not comprehensive | ||||||
| Not based on a set of course materials | ||||||
| Compare: Self-paced career planning and transition programs | ||||||
| A Well Known Career Advisor | CareerPlan Pro – The ultimate career transition tool | |||||
| Career Planning Program 3 hour phone consults | Not self-paced, requires career coaching | $499 | Three week comprehensive career planning program
A straightforward step-by-step program:
Week One: Define Your CareerWeek Two: Define and Set Goals Week Three: Implement Action Plan | CareerPlan ProCareer Planning Package $97 | ||
| 3 phone sessions based on test results | ||||||
| NO set program schedule | ||||||
| Phone session content can vary | ||||||
| Not comprehensive | ||||||
| Course materials vary | ||||||
| An Established Career Change Advisor | You’ll implement an action-oriented career transitionplan with a self-paced three week course.The course material builds upon itself to completion.If you need them, coaching sessions available for $37.Includes limited email support No psychometric tests in any of our programs
| |||||
| Career Change Advisor Program | Length of program varies | $197plus,requires $29 monthly membership | ||||
| Course content is not clearly articulated | ||||||
| A collection of various resourcesthat you have to sort through | ||||||
| Coaching required to fully complete | ||||||
| $29 monthly membership required | ||||||
| Compare: career coaching consults | ||||||
| A Leading Career Planner –a Psychometric Tests Site | CareerPlan Pro – Coaching Consults | |||||
| Career Coaching 1 hourUnstructured random conversation | 1 hour sessionCoaching is a pitch for personality tests | $125 | Our 30 minute career coaching consults are based onassisting you with your career planning and transition.You’ll get assistance addressing specific issues thatyou uncover in your career planning. | $37 for 1stcoaching session,then $30 each | ||
| Consult based on random conversation topics | ||||||
| A Major Career Institute – one of the oldest players in the industry | Our coaching consults assist you to create a customized solution that is unique to youCareer aptitude and psychometric tests are used by manyemployers to “weed out bad apples” – not define your career.Some tests attempt to “categorize” your one-of-a-kindpersonality into a “type” or “score” so you can be “classified.”Instead of putting you into a “classification box” like this,we assist you to create a customized solution unique to you. | |||||
| Career Testing ProgramPsychometric tests and analysis | A battery of psychometric “personality” testsdesigned to fit you into a “category” or “type.”Many of these tests are based on unproventheories of personality and psychology.Sadly, once “tested’ you still don’t have a plan | $520 | ||||
The CareerPlan Pro difference
Avoid the weaknesses of these other career planning and career coaching programs with Define Your Career and CareerPlan Pro. It’s a proven, organized self-selection process. You determine what your career destiny is by going through a set of action steps that reveal your optimal career and set up an action plan to achieve it quickly.
You move yourself through the program to identify your optimal career or business. If you need assistance, Career Coaching is there to support you with an unparalleled level of coaching support.at very reasonable rates.
Whether you need a fully coached three-week Fast Track program, individual coaching sessions for specific issues or no coaching at all, it’s up to you. The Define Your Career Destiny coaching support helps you with specific issues – based on specific items you uncover while going through the course.
I’ll assist you to overcome obstacles you may encounter while going through the process, whether you need assistance in defining your career, setting goals or putting together your career action plan.
For maximum coaching support, the Fast Track program provides daily support and weekly conferences over a three week timeline.is designed to give you close support and structure over three weeks.
Find out more about coaching support here.
You are your own best career planner
If a career planner tries to play an all-knowing God or be your life coach, or lure you into an expensive long-term program like so many career services, you need to double check if that is necessary. You are your own best career planner.
Define Your Career helps you make the right series of choices with a career blueprint and self-assessment that you self-select.
Rather than spend your time on learning how to fit into a corporate box so you can sneak into a job. I will support you to develop your optimal career plan as quickly as possible for your particular speed and style.
You are in charge of your career plan, we are here to facilitate the process, from whatever the education, credentials, or experience level you are at right now.
