Is career counseling a bunch of hooey?
A provocative new book written by a researcher who doesn’t work in the employment industry says the career counselors have got it all wrong. Ex-Harvard Biz School professor Herminia Ibarra (now at Insead) spent three years investigating approaches to career change — and how well they work (or don’t). Her main conclusion: traditional career counseling methods actually distract more than they help career changers, because they emphasize planning, introspection, and careful implementation of new career plans. Why, and what’s the answer? CareerBuilder’s New Ad Campaign: What’s a sucker worth? Here’s the fantasy. You’re the HR manager. I’m the job hunter. Mary, over in the marketing department, needs to fill a job. She’s waiting for you to give her some resumes that you gathered. In this fantasy, I give you $150 bucks. (I smile a wicked smile, and you arch an eyebrow.) You take all those resumes you collected and you bury them under your desk. Then you give Mary my resume. $150. Everybody’
