Career Issues

Understanding and Overcoming Career Issues

Whether you are just starting out in your career or have reached a professional level, everyone experiences career issues at some point. From feeling stuck in your current job to struggling with work-life balance, these challenges can majorly impact your overall well-being and job satisfaction.

Issues may include;

On This Page

Understanding and Overcoming Career Issues
Career and Mental Health
How to Identify Career Issues
How to Balance Work and Life
Individual Therapy
What is Career Counselling?
How Can Career Counselling Help You?
Career Counselling for Imposter Syndrome
What Happens in Career Counselling Sessions at Leone Centre?
Do You Need Career Counselling or Career Coaching?
FAQs

A career is a journey filled with both highs and lows, triumphs and challenges. A career’s highs can bring joy, fulfilment, and accomplishment. Whether receiving a promotion, achieving a long-awaited goal, or feeling a sense of purpose in your work, these moments of success can be genuinely soulful experiences. But a career also has its lows, moments of frustration, disappointment, and uncertainty. Job loss, burnout, and setbacks can leave us feeling depleted and unsure of our next steps.

Yet, in these low moments, we often find the strength to persevere, learn and grow, and ultimately achieve even greater heights. A rewarding career acknowledges and embraces the highs and lows, finding purpose and meaning in the journey itself and allowing us to become our best selves along the way.

At Leone Centre, we offer career counselling services to help you navigate the challenges of your professional life. We can help you with job-related stress, improving work-life balance, and navigating challenging career transitions.

Career and Mental Health

Your career can significantly impact your overall quality of life and mental health. Career-related stressors, such as job insecurity, long work hours, and work-life imbalance, can lead to feelings of anxiety, burnout, and depression. Moreover, career-related decisions, such as choosing a career path, making career transitions, and dealing with job loss, can cause emotional distress and uncertainty.

A fulfilling and rewarding career, on the other hand, can have positive effects on your mental health, such as increased self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and life satisfaction. It’s essential to prioritise your career as a key aspect of your overall well-being and seek support and resources when you need them to maintain a healthy work-life balance and build a fulfilling career.

How to Identify Career Issues

Career issues can be identified in various ways, including self-reflection, discussions with family and friends, and consultations with career professionals such as career counsellors or coaches. One common way of identifying career issues is through self-reflection. Other ways to identify career issues include:

Assessing your career goals, values, interests, and skills
Evaluating your current job satisfaction and level of fulfilment
Considering how your job affects your mental and physical health
Reviewing your job performance and feedback from managers or colleagues
Examining industry trends and changes in the job market
Reflecting on past career experiences and achievements
Assessing your long-term career goals and aspirations

Overall, identifying career issues requires honest self-assessment and a willingness to seek out support and guidance when needed. Therapy can be a great support in addressing and overcoming career issues.

Common career issues can include:

Lack of direction or purpose
Job insecurity
Work-life balance
Feeling undervalued or unappreciated
Lack of growth opportunities
Toxic work environments
Career transitions (e.g., changing jobs, industries, or careers)
Job burnout
Difficulty with networking or self-promotion
Difficulty with managing workplace relationships or conflicts
Overqualification or underemployment
Challenging or unfulfilling job responsibilities
Insufficient job training or development opportunities
Difficulty with time management or meeting deadlines
Lack of job security or stability
Feeling stuck or plateaued in your career
Lack of creativity or autonomy in your work
Difficulty with work-related stress or anxiety
Personal or family issues affecting work performance or job satisfaction
Difficulty with navigating workplace politics or power dynamics
Inadequate work-life balance due to long or inflexible work hours

How to Balance Work and Life

Balancing work and life can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining overall well-being and avoiding burnout. One way to achieve balance is to set clear work and personal time boundaries. This might involve establishing specific work hours or days off and sticking to them. It’s also important to prioritise self-care activities, including exercise, hobbies, and making time for loved ones, and to avoid taking work home or checking work email outside of work hours. Communication with your employer and colleagues is also key.

If you need to adjust your work schedule or responsibilities to accommodate your personal life better, consider talking to your manager about flexible work arrangements. Finally, take breaks throughout the day and practice stress-management techniques, such as mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises, to avoid feeling overwhelmed or burned out or seek support through therapy. By prioritising work-life balance, you can maintain your mental and physical health and build a more fulfilling career.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy, also known as talking therapy or counselling, can effectively address a wide range of personal and professional issues, including career issues. In therapy, you can work with a licensed therapist to identify and explore your goals, values, and challenges related to your career.

Through this process, you can gain insight into your strengths and weaknesses, develop ways to manage stress and uncertainty and learn communication and problem-solving skills. Therapy can also help you navigate difficult career transitions, such as changing jobs or dealing with job loss. Working with a therapist gives you the support and guidance you need to overcome obstacles and build a fulfilling career.

What is Career Counselling?

Career counselling provides a supportive and confidential environment where you can explore your professional path, identify challenges, and work towards a fulfilling career. Whether you are seeking clarity on your career direction, grappling with workplace dynamics, or contemplating career changes, career counselling offers professional guidance to navigate these complexities. At Leone Centre, the complexities of modern work environments are understood and addressed through a thoughtful and personalised approach, helping you find greater alignment between your work and your values.

Career counselling can be a helpful support service if you’re feeling lost or struggling with career-related issues. It can assist you in making important decisions, breaking unhelpful habits, and dealing with conflicts or bullying at work. You may find that periods of dissatisfaction with your job can lead to impulsive actions, behaviours, or disputes.

That’s where Leone Centre comes in. Our work and career counselling techniques aim to empower you to manage these challenges by developing new skills and implementing mechanisms that encourage emotional, mental, and workplace success. Moreover, career counselling can help with mental health issues that have been triggered by work and balance the effects your work life is having on your home life.

How Can Career Counselling Help You?

Career counselling empowers you to address pivotal questions concerning your professional life. These questions can range from understanding what truly brings you fulfilment and identifying desired changes to recognising how work impacts your overall well-being. Through this process, you can uncover and tackle factors hindering your professional growth, including work-related stress, feelings of insecurity, or a sense of being undervalued.

Some specific areas where career counselling can provide support include:

Reflecting on career ambitions and life priorities: Discover the intersection of your aspirations and values, creating a roadmap for professional fulfilment.

Understanding how personal experiences impact your professional life: Explore how past experiences shape your work life and learn to leverage them for growth.

Gaining insights into workplace challenges and developing suitable approaches: Acquire methods to navigate difficult situations and cultivate healthier workplace dynamics.

Exploring alternative career paths or opportunities: Broaden your horizons and consider new possibilities aligned with your evolving interests and skills.

Building confidence in your professional abilities: Develop a stronger sense of self-assurance and recognise your unique talents and contributions.

Improving work-life balance: Counselling can provide ways of setting boundaries and managing time well, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Negotiating salaries: Gain the confidence and skills to advocate for yourself and secure compensation that aligns with your worth.

Developing ways of managing workplace stress: Learn helpful practices and techniques to mitigate stress and prevent burnout.

Career Counselling for Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome can cripple your confidence, making you feel inadequate despite your accomplishments. It can manifest as downplaying your achievements, harbouring persistent self-doubt, feeling inferior to others, fearing failure to meet expectations, and overworking to prove yourself. Career counselling provides a safe space to examine these beliefs, gain a realistic perspective on your skills and achievements, and cultivate a more balanced understanding of your professional value. Through reflection and support, you can recognise the significance of your contributions and cultivate greater confidence in your professional life.

What Happens in Career Counselling Sessions at Leone Centre?

Career counselling sessions at Leone Centre are a collaborative journey undertaken in a safe and non-judgemental space. These sessions are tailored to your specific needs and may involve a comprehensive exploration of your professional history, identification of your strengths, and consideration of external factors like workplace dynamics or industry changes.

Typical elements of a session include:

Exploring your professional identity and aspirations: Define who you are in the professional realm and where you aspire to be.

Reflecting on how your personal values align with your career: Discover congruence between your work and what you hold dear.

Considering areas of tension or dissatisfaction in your work life: Identify and address aspects of your work causing stress or discontent.

Developing clarity around career transitions or decisions: Make informed choices about your career path with confidence and purpose.

Utilising assessments: Various assessments can provide insights into your personality, interests, skills, and values, guiding career exploration and decision-making.

Goal-setting exercises: Develop clear and achievable goals to track your progress and maintain motivation throughout your career journey.

Exploration of different career paths: Expand your awareness of diverse career options and identify paths that align with your interests and abilities.

Every session encourages self-reflection and offers an opportunity to explore your professional self meaningfully.

Do You Need Career Counselling or Career Coaching?

When deciding between career counselling and career coaching, consider your primary needs. Career counselling focuses on exploring deeper influences on your professional life, including emotional and mental factors, while career coaching often focuses on practical aspects like CV writing, interview preparation, and goal-setting. Leone Centre specialises in career counselling, offering support to individuals seeking to explore the personal dimensions of their professional lives and find greater meaning and satisfaction in their work.

FAQs

What is the difference between career counselling and career coaching?

Career counselling focuses on the deeper influences on your professional life, such as your emotions, mental well-being, and personal experiences. It helps you understand how these factors impact your career choices and job satisfaction.
Career coaching, on the other hand, focuses on more practical aspects, such as CV writing, interview skills, and goal setting.

Leone Centre specialises in career counselling, helping individuals explore the personal dimensions of their professional lives to find greater meaning and satisfaction in their work.

What are some signs that I might benefit from career counselling?

If you are experiencing any of the following, career counselling could be beneficial:

You are feeling unfulfilled or dissatisfied with your current job.
You are unsure about your career path or what you want to do next.
You are struggling with workplace challenges, such as stress, insecurity, or feeling undervalued.
You are experiencing imposter syndrome, feeling like you don’t belong or that your achievements are undeserved.
Your personal experiences are negatively impacting your professional life.

What can I expect during a career counselling session at Leone Centre?

Career counselling sessions at Leone Centre are collaborative and tailored to your unique needs. You will have a safe and non-judgemental space to discuss your thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to your career.
Sessions may involve:

Exploring your professional history.
Identifying your strengths.
Considering the impact of external factors such as workplace dynamics or industry changes.

The goal is to help you gain clarity, make informed decisions, and move towards a more fulfilling career.