Whether you're a student, recent graduate, or career-changer, a career counselor can provide guidance and insight that will help you identify a great career fit. However, not all career counselors are competent. As a college student, I went to see two career counselors at my campus career center. Neither counselor gave me a career assessment and one just read straight from the Occupational Outlook Handbook website. If your sessions with a career counselor leave you confused and frustrated, you may need to see someone else for career advice. How can you tell when you've found a good career counselor? A few signs of a great career counselor:

Comprehensive Career Testing

When visiting a career counselor, you should be given at least one career assessment. The best career tests are written by psychologists and take several factors into account. Your personality, interests, values, and skills should all be assessed. It should also have enough questions so that one inaccurate response won't skew the results. After you complete the assessment(s), the counselor should explain the results.

Questions about your interests and concerns

Career tests have limitations, so a good counselor will ask you in-depth questions about your preferences. You may also have concerns about pursuing a certain career and your counselor should address them. Every job has positive and negative aspects, and a good career counselor will be honest about both. Since most career assessments provide a list of career suggestions, talking about each career in detail might help narrow down the results so you have just two or three careers to seriously consider.

Up-to-date information

Your counselor should also know what careers are projected to grow and which ones are on the decline. They should also know the education or experience requirements for each career and what degrees are best for entering a given field. If you're a recent graduate or career-changer, a good counselor can give you options for using your education and experience.

Recommendations

After seeing the career test results and talking to you about your preferences, the counselor will make recommendations about what careers are best for you. If the counselor can't analyze this information and come to conclusions, then look for another counselor that will give you more guidance. Some counselors may be afraid to make any recommendations, but that is an important part of their job. With a counselor's recommendations in mind, you can make the ultimate decision about what path to pursue.

Continuing Support

You'll probably have questions and concerns after you're counseling has ended. A good career counselor will be available to answer your questions and offer ongoing support, especially those at colleges and high schools.

Career counseling can be helpful at any stage of your career. A counselor can help you decide on a major or offer suggestions on what to do with your degree. If you’re considering a career change, see a career counselor before you make a decision. One benefit of career counseling is that a professional can offer objective advice that friends and family can’t.  It's never too early or too late to meet with a counselor. The best time to see a counselor is before or soon after you begin college.

Most college career centers employ licensed career counselors. If you're in college, call your college career center to set up an appointment with a career counselor. High school guidance counselors are often trained in vocational counseling and can also help you choose a career path. If you're out of school, you can find a licensed career counselor near you at the National Board For Certified Counselors website.