FAQs

What is career counseling?
Career Counseling is the process whereby a professional career counselor helps an individual to make better career choices and advance their career development. The career counseling process often includes career testing and assessment, career exploration, and help in making career decisions.

What's so special about your program?
The CAPS career assessment and exploration programs have been used successfully to help thousands of individuals in business and educational settings for over 35 years. We use a unique way of combining assessment instruments and applying the results to today's labor market.

What types of people do you work with?
All sorts of individuals. High school and college students trying to decide on a course of study, career changers looking for a new path in life, unemployed individuals who'd like to re-enter the job market in a job they would enjoy, retired folks who'd like to spend some of their free time in a fulfilling avocation or part-time job, those making a small part-time salary and professionals making over 90k a year. They all have one thing in common... they want to improve the quality of their lives through finding meaningful work. (Please see our page Who Is This Program For?, for a better idea of whether this program is right for you).

What qualifies you to be a "Career Counselor?"
Please see the About John section of the About John page.

Are you going tell me what I should do for work?
Only you have the answer to what would be best for you. However, I can and will provide guidance and make suggestions for you to consider, given your unique mix of interests and personality traits.

How much work is involved in this program?
You are going to have to work hard in our sessions, and you'll have homework between sessions. Despite the hard work, many of my clients consider the process to be interesting and fun!

How many sessions are involved? 
There are two sessions involved in the Program. Learn more about the ACE Program.

What happens in the sessions?
In the sessions we talk about you, actively work with assessment results, teach you about the labor market, show you the best ways to do research into the labor market, and help you to decide on the best career matches for you.

What documents do I get from the Program?
You'll get your assessment results, a picture of the labor market and where you fit in it, the CAPS Career Explorer (a 33 page, up-to-date, document describing hundreds of occupations, the training for those occupations, and the average pay and opportunity for each of the occupations), and information on how to do effective career research.

How much does this Program cost? 
The suggested fee range for the ACE Program is $85 per 2 -3 hour session and $170 for the entire Program. If you cannot afford that fee, please let me know and we'll work out a fee you can afford.

That's pretty inexpensive and flexible for professional career counseling. Why is your program so much more affordable?
Yes, it is a very good deal. Because I am now semi-retired and don't have to "make a living" anymore I can afford to provide this great service in that way. Having a home office and being able to do the sessions via Zoom means no overhead for me. So even in retirement, I can still contribute by doing something I love - and that's to continue providing career counseling online to those who need it at an affordable rate. My philosophy hasn't changed - I believe the choice of a fulfilling career is so important, both for individuals and for our society, that I want to open it up to as many people as I can - even those who might not be able to afford the standard fees for Professional Career Counseling. Career Counseling is a deeply fulfilling experience for me. I like to think that I am doing it for more than just the money, and being able to provide it at this fee is one of the best ways I can do something I love, help people, benefit society, and give back in a big way.

Am I going to know exactly what I want to do when I'm done with the Program?
If you have an idea in mind and are looking for confirmation, there is a chance you'll know exactly what you want to do when you leave.
If you have some ideas, you'll probably leave with some ideas confirmed, some ideas not confirmed, and some new career choices to consider.
If you have no idea what it is you want to do, you'll probably leave with a better idea of what you're looking for and a number of careers to further explore.

It sounds great but I'm nowhere near Exeter, NH. Do you offer the ACE Program online? 
Yes! The ACE Program is offered online via Zoom. So it makes no difference if you're in Exeter, New Hampshire or Exeter, California - the ACE Program is available to you!




Career & Academic Planning Services

Located in Exeter, NH.
Providing Career Counseling for Nashua, Concord, Portsmouth, Manchester, NH, Massachusetts & Maine

(603)580-4296