Looking for professional career advisor...any ideas?

[louie5]

Hello,

I have been working for 2 1/2 years as a nurse and while I have enjoyed my two previous careers I am not sure they will suit me well for the long term.

I was hoping to meet with a career adviser who could help me match a good career with some of my strengths and likes about the job.

Does anyone know of any service like this?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Louie

[llg, PhD, RN]

Are you thinking of actually changing careers (from nursing to some other occupation)? ... or are you just looking for a different job within nursing?

If you are looking to actually change careers (and not just jobs), some Community Colleges and "Learning Centers" offer vocational assessments, personality tests, etc. that can help you find a profession that is a good fit for you. There are also books on the subject, such as "What Color is my Parachute?"

If you want to stay in nursing, I have never heard of a company that provided that service. However, there are books on the topic of career planning in nursing. You might buy a couple of those, read what they have to say, do the exercises in them, etc.

To find books on career planning -- either in nursing or in general, I'd go to Amazon.com and start browsing. A good nursing library might also have some "Careers in Nursing" types of books. Regular libraries and book stores would have general books on career planning as well -- but probably not ones specifically focused on health care.