Career 

Handbook  
for Counselors  
a guideline for counselors to help students choose a career  
  

School Counselors “help all students in the areas of 

academic achievement, career and social/emotional 
development, ensuring today's students become the 
productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow” 
(ASCA, 2019). When counseling students in the 
career domain, “school counseling programs help 
students 1) understand the connection between 
school and the world of work and 2) plan for and 
make a successful transition from school to 
postsecondary education and/or the world of work 
and from job to job across the lifespan” 
(ASCA, 2019).  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Table of Contents 
Ikigai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

What You Love

California Career Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Holland Codes (RAISEC Test - worksheet to be used with students) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

16 Personalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

16 Personalities Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Thrively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

What The World Needs

Top Five Growing Industries in San Diego . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Occupational Outlook Handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Occupational Outlook Handbook Activity (Worksheet to be used with students) . . . . . 14

What You Can Be Paid For

Livable Wages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

What You Are Good At

4 Skills and 4 Steps to be Successful (video link) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

My Ikigai (Worksheet to be used with students) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Counseling Theories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Career Counseling Techniques for Students with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Ikigai 

Ikigai is a Japanese model that seeks to balance the aspects of like, and it means finding your
own purpose. There are four primary elements:

● What you Love (your passion)

● What the World Needs (your mission)
● What you are Good at (your vocation)
● What you can get Paid for (your profession)

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What you love 
In order to know if you ​LOVE​ something, you
need to experience it a lot :

● Know your strengths, interests and values

● Explore the kinds of problems you want
to solve one day
● Attend fairs
● Be part of an internship
● Take classes
● Talk to experts in the field
● Actually doing the work
● Explore community service opportunities
in your field(s) of interest

Watch this video for ideas on how to talk to your students about their strengths, interests, and
values ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxCwwtLzBJ0&feature=youtu.be&t=5m1s

Career Assessments
One way to help students find a career pathway is to take a career assessment to find out the list
of careers that possibly match their personality and values. There are many resources online.

California Career Zone​: 

Steps:

1. Go to ​www.cacareerzone.org/assessments
2. Click on “Interest Profiler”
3. You can answer the mini version, the short version, or the long version of the assessment
4. Once you complete the assessment, click on “Summarize”
5. As you get your results, you can fill out the worksheet attached on the next page.

Attached is a worksheet that can be used with students to their interests used Holland’s Code
(RAISEC) to explore the different careers that they are interested in.

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Name: ________________________________

Date: _________________________________

Your ​top three interest areas​ in order of importance are:

● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________

Your other interest areas in order of importance are:

● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________

Click on ​view occupations​:

Select the top three that you are interested in:

● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________
● ________________________________________

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16 Personalities
Another assessment that the students can take is the ​16 personality
assessment to understand their personality and the career that best fits their
personality

Directions:

1. Go to ​www.16personalities.com
2. Click on “Take the Test”
3. Once you are completed, you will get your result
4. Start reading about your personality
○ The main two tabs are “Strengths and Weakness” and “Career Paths”

16 Personality Types 
The 16 personalities assessment is based on Carl Jung’s theory that suggests that we experience
the world using four principal psychological functions and which are sensation, intuition, feeling,
and thinking. Each person has a preference for one of these functions. You can use this
assessment to understand your preference and you can also understand other individuals that you
are working with.

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Thrively  
This is a resource for students to explore their passions, strengths, and career
interests.

Directions​:

1. Go to ​www.thrively.com
2. Click on Join or Login if you have already created an account
3. Create an account if needed
4. Pick the categories that interest you
5. Let’s Dive Deeper - pick your interests within each of your categories
6. Your Top 3 Aspirations - what do you want to be when you grow up?
7. Strength Assessment
8. Explore!

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What the world needs  
● You will need to know the labor market and
high wage high growth job sectors
● Identify required skills
● Seek industry input
● Know the problems that need to be solved and
the careers that work to solve them

Click this link to see 24 Essential Skills for Success

https://workforce.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/reports/industry/essential_skills_poster_eng_bleeds.
pdf 

Top Five Growing Industries in San Diego

In San Diego, the top five most industries that are growing the fastest are advanced
manufacturing, clean energy, health care, information and communication technologies and life
sciences. Here are some of the top skills that employers are looking for when hiring in San
Diego: 

Advanced Manufacturing 
The Advanced Manufacturing sector in San Diego
County was defined by the following six industries:
● Biotechnology & Medical Device
Manufacturing (B&MD)
● Defense, Aerospace & Transportation
Manufacturing (DATM)
● Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) Manufacturing
● Food & Beverage Manufacturing (F&B)
● Support, Design & Research Services for Manufacturing (SD&RS) -
● Other Manufacturing - Firms engaged in developing and producing fabric, textiles,
apparel, footwear, paper, wood products, building materials, glass and cement
products,machinery and related machine shops.

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Clean Energy 
The Clean Energy sector can be defined by the following
clusters:
1. Renewable Energy
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Alternative Transportation
4. Greenhouse Gas Accounting & Management

Health Care 
The Health Care sector can be broken down
into three main industry clusters:
1. Ambulatory Health Care Services
2. Hospitals
3. Nursing and Long-term Care Facilities

Information and Communication Technologies 

Some of the occupations include:
● Software Developers, Applications
● Software Developers, Systems Software
● Computer User Support Specialists
● Computer Systems Analysts
● Network and Computer Systems
Administrators
● Computer Programmers
● Computer Network Support Specialists
● Graphic Designers
● Web Developers
● Database Administrators
● Information Security Analysts

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Life Sciences 
Primary Industry Clusters:
● Research, Testing & Medical Laboratories
● Pharmaceuticals
● Biomedical or Medical Devices
● M-Health or Wireless Health

Secondary Industry Clusters:

● Agricultural & Industrial Biotechnology
● Bioscience-Related Distribution & Trade

Below are some of the skills that employers believe are essential for applicants to have for each
sector. To access the full report, you can San Diego Workforce Priority Sectors.

 
 

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Occupational Outlook Handbook 
You can also visit ​www.bls.gov​ to learn more about the growing sectors and
industries. The Occupational Outlook Handbook in the Bureau of Labor
Statistics has all of the jobs with the pay range nationally along with the type of education
needed. You can also find how fast the industry is growing and how many jobs are expected to
be added. Here is how it looks like:

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 Occupational Outlook Handbook Activity  
You will be researching a career on the Occupational Outlook Handbook
website. This activity is designed to help learn more about your chosen
career.

Questions:  Navigate To: 

What is your career choice? Use the ​Search Handbook​ ​box (upper right-hand
side).

What are two responsibilities of your career Click on the​ ​What They Do​ tab.
choice?

What will your work environment look like? Click on the ​Work Environment ​tab
What will your workspace be like?

Is your career stable increasing, declining? Click on the ​Job Outlook​ tab

What is the typical annual salary for your Click on the P

​ ay​ tab
occupation?

Reflection: 

Reflect on your findings:

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What you can be paid for  
● Know what it means to earn a livable wage
● Study the return on investment for
educational options
● Understand the balance between income and
quality of life
● Look at careers in each field at a variety of
income levels

Watch this video to see how to help students secure a

competitive advantage in the new economy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi2Mhh1Lygw

If you want to stay in California, the chart below shows how much money you should be making
in order for you to make livable wages.

The living wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support
his or herself and their family. The assumption is the sole provider is working full-time (2080
hours per year).

For additional information, visit ​https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/06073

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What you are good at
● Explore career pathway options
● Experience, practice and skill
development
● Get opportunities to apply skills
and learning
● Plan your educational and career
pathway

Watch this video to learn the 4 skills and 4

steps all students need to be successful in
school, career, and life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twWcxIfa2zo

Finally, to wrap Ikigai, you work with students to fill out the activity below to find their Ikigai.
Remember, this will not happen overnight. It will take some time for you (or the student) to find
their purpose and what they want to do.

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Name: _______________________ Date: ______________

My Ikigai 

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Counseling Theories  

Narrative Career Counseling 

Narrative Career Counseling is an approach to assist students choose a career. The theory “views
career decision making as a holistic process, recognizing that the career story is shaped by the
increasing complexities of life in a diverse social world” (Psychology, 2019). This approach tried
to find the career themes in your life where it focuses on early memories, role models, favorite
characters, and so on to build your story as a person and what you want to do in the future.
Narrative Career Counseling approach “ recognize that as part of the sequence of moving from
the past and present to the future, a period of indecision is necessary where potential career ideas
can be tested. It is the action taken in the testing and enactment stages that moves the story on;
without this action, the approach could be stuck in reflective storytelling” (Psychology, 2019).

Solution Focused Career Counseling 

You would start counseling students by using the following competencies, attending, listening,
reflecting, encouraging, questioning, identifying strengths and barriers, and emphasizing the
importance of hope. Once you have built a relationship with the student, the miracle question can
be used to help “the [students] to envision their future, what they really want, and would make a
difference in their lives. Using a curious approach, the counselor asks the client to clearly define
the ultimate career dream, which is developed into a goal” (Looby, 2014). Using this strategy,
the student should be motivated to to explore what worked in the past and what can possible
work in the future.

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Career Counseling Techniques 
For Students With Disabilities 
 
While each student with a disability is different, there are some
commonalities within the different categories of disabilities that can help
school counselors provide appropriate career counseling for students
with disabilities.

Learning Disabilities 
● Those with learning disabilities may have planning and communication challenges.
● Suggest using practical supportive strategies (electronic calendars/color-coded systems
for organization, for example).
● Provide detailed notes after each counseling session that also outlines next steps.
● Reduce distractions in your office (silence phones, electronic reminders, etc).

 
Autism Spectrum Disorders 
● Those with ASD may have difficulty with non-verbal cues and making eye contact.
These students may prefer routines and have difficulty with transitions and unexpected
changes.
● Be concrete about expectations and use direct language.
● Focus on stress management techniques (vital because of the transition from high school
to the working world).
● Demystify the job application process: explore and role-play some of the more
challenging social requirements (networking and interviewing).

 
Psychiatric Disabilities 
● Include mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic
stress disorder.
● Use positive redirection and reinforcement.
○ Validate client’s experience and remind them of their progress.
● May benefit from multiple brief counseling sessions.

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Regardless of the ability, school counselors can use Elksnin and
Elksnin’s Skill Training Model to teach any occupational social skills.
The model consists of five steps.
1. School counselors define or describe the skill
2. Provide a rationale for needing to learn the skill
3. Offer situations when the skill might be used
4. Use role play to teach the skill
5. Finally help students understand the nuances of using that skill

Example: Greeting Someone

● The instructor would first ​define​ what greeting means.

● Next, students and the instructor would ​discuss reasons for needing the skill​ and
situations in which the skill might be used, such as a job interview or meeting new
coworkers.
○ A rationale might include that making a good first impression increases the
possibility of a job offer.
● Next, the class would ​discuss the steps involved in the skill​. In this case, it might
include a firm handshake and introducing oneself by name.
● During the ​role plays​, students would work through each step, including practicing how
closely to stand next to the person, how loudly to talk, what exactly to say, and
appropriate eye contact.
● Finally, students would ​learn generally acceptable behavior​ related to greeting
someone, such as waiting until the person is ready.

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 Additional Resources to Explore Careers 

Informational Interviewing  
One of the best sources for gathering information about what's happening in an occupation or an
industry is to talk to people working in the field. This process is called informational or research
interviewing. An informational interview is an interview that you initiate - you ask the questions.
The purpose is to obtain information, not to get a job

Reasons to Conduct Informational Interviews: 

● to explore careers and clarify your career goal
● to discover employment opportunities that are not advertised
● to expand your professional network
● to build confidence for your job interviews to access the most up-to-date career
information to identify your professional strengths and weaknesses

Steps to Follow to Conduct an Informational Interview:

1. Identify the Occupation or Industry You Wish to Learn About
Assess your own interests, abilities, values, and skills, and evaluate labor conditions and
trends to identify the best fields to research.
2. Prepare for the Interview
Read all you can about the field prior to the interview. Decide what information you
would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Prepare a list of questions that you
would like to have answered.
3. Identify People to Interview
Start with lists of people you already know - friends, relatives, fellow students, present or
formerco-workers, supervisors, neighbors, etc... Professional organizations, the yellow
pages, organizational directories, and public speakers are also good resources. You may
also call an organization and ask for the name of the person by job title.
4. Arrange the Interview
Contact the person to set up an interview:
● by telephone,
● by a letter followed by a telephone call, or
● by having someone who knows the person make an appointment for you.

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 Conduct the Interview
Dress appropriately, arrive on time, be polite and professional. Refer
to your list of prepared questions; stay on track, but allow for
spontaneous discussion. Before leaving, ask your contact to suggest
names of others who might be helpful to you and ask permission to
use your contact's name when contacting these new contacts.
5. Follow Up
Immediately following the interview, record the information gathered. Be sure to send a
thankyou note to your contact within one week of the interview

20 Questions for an Informational Interview: 

● 1. On a typical day in this position, what do you do?
● 2. What training or education is required for this type of work?
● 3. What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?
● 4. What part of this job do you find most satisfying? most challenging?
● 5. How did you get your job?
● 6. What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?
● 7. What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?
● 8. What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field?
● 9. How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future? 10. Is there a demand for
people in this occupation?
● 11. What special advice would you give a person entering this field?
● 12. What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field? 13. What are
the basic prerequisites for jobs in this field?
● 14. Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this
field?
● 15. What do you think of the experience I've had so far in terms of entering this field?
● 16. From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?
● 17. If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself?
Why? What would you change?
● 18. With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other
fields or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a final decision?
● 19. What do you think of my resume? Do you see any problem areas? How would you
suggest I change it?
● 20. Who do you know that I should talk to next? When I call him/her, may I use your
name?

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 References 

American School Counselor Association (2019). ​The ASCA national model:

A framework for school counseling programs.​ Fourth Edition. Alexandria, CA:

Author.

Looby, M. A. (2014). Solution-Focused Career Counseling. Retrieved from

https://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/

89853/_PARENT/CC_layout_details/false.

Marable, R. & Ralston, D.J. (2017) Career Counseling for Students with Significant

Disabilities: Strategies for Success. Retrieved from

https://www.transitionta.org/system/files/events/Final.CareerCounseling.StudentswithSig

nificantDisabilities.06.008.2017.pdf

Oregon State University. (n.d.). Informational interviewing [PDF file]. Retrieved from

https://career.oregonstate.edu/sites/career.oregonstate.edu/files/informational_interviewing.pdf

Psychology. (2019). Narrative Career Counseling. Retrieved from

https://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/career-counseling/

narrative-career-counseling/.

Rowe, J. M. (2015). Adjusting the career counseling process for individuals with

non-apparent disabilities. Retrieved from

https://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/110868/_PARENT/CC_la

yout_details/true

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