MY MISSION & VISION STATEMENTS:

My Mission is to design and deliver a successful career development and life planning experience for you, by illuminating your unique career gifts and direction, and finding the right resources and venues for your highest self- expression.

My Vision for achieving that is to design a short-term, 4-week career services plan with you that incorporates achieving your professional goals.

MY CAREER PLANNING PHILOSOPHY:

I draw upon International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited coach training, my human resources background in recruiting and staffing, and a clinical solution-focused therapy philosophy for use in my career counseling practice. Solution-focused therapy moves the traditional career counselor and client partnership beyond the career problem and solution distinction to help you focus on your life being free of education and employment limitations, obstacles or problems.

I find that this positive approach is very exciting as it helps me to truly understand you as more than just “a job seeker.” You are not a "brand" a "commodity" to be mass-marketed; or a "UPC Code" to me, but a unique individual with your own contributions to make in this world.

My expertise is in combining a positive, solution-focused and strengths-based approach with highly creative and customized local and national community resources for your maximum career satisfaction and success. I have a healthy curiosity about people as their different abilities, knowledge, interests and skills just fascinate me-I really believe that people are like treasure.

I ask questions based on (4) general areas:

1) What do you say you want in the employment arena?
2) How will what you want make a difference in your life?
3) How will you know when you are experiencing your goal?
4) How are you experiencing some of what you want now?

I see my role as facilitating a partnership that can lead to different education and employment possibilities for you. The strengths-based component is a crucial part of empowering you prior to undergoing my career development services. This is achieved by my asking questions about your educational, employment and life history and by focusing on your positive coping skills and previous successful problem-solving methodology. Your prior achievements provide the foundation and the direction for future choices and actions.

MY CAREER PLANNING THEORETICAL FOUNDATION:

My theory for career development services is based on the Social-Cognitive Career Development Theory by Albert Bandura. He stated that performance in educational activities and occupations is the result of the interactions among ability, self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations and the individual goals that have been established. He believed that (4) career-related aspects of the person influence behavior:

1) Behavior;
2) Self-efficacy beliefs;
3) Outcome expectations;
4) Genetically determined characteristics.

MY CAREER PLANNING MODEL:

I draw upon Dr. Hansen's Integrative Life Planning (ILP) Model to help my clients develop career and life paths responsive to their own economic, family, spiritual, cultural, and community needs. The ILP model is a new way of thinking about career development, and covers interdisciplinary topics such as: career and adult development; gender-role theory; global, multicultural theories and knowledge; and spirituality. The (6) critical tasks that constitute the ILP model's framework are:

1) Finding work that needs doing in changing global contexts;
2) Weaving one's life into a meaningful whole;
3) Connecting family and work;
4) Valuing pluralism and inclusivity;
5) Exploring spirituality and life purpose;
6) Managing personal transitions and organizational change.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A NATIONAL CERTIFIED CAREER COUNSELOR? MY CAREER TRAINING:

The National Board for Certified Counselors requirement for becoming a National Certified Career Counselor was to FIRST become a National Certified Counselor. I always knew I wanted to become a Career Counselor, it was a calling for me, so I obtained a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, minoring in Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Spanish.

The next requirement was to earn a Masters Degree in Counseling, which I did. I needed the clinical skills work that I learned in these Counseling classes-they are the foundation for Career Counseling. There is no substitute for solid clinical counseling, assessment, community resource identification, case management, client support and follow-up skills. Although the field of coaching is wonderful for learning to ask great questions, my assessment, clinical, counseling and case management skills are invaluable, as they have no substitute. As a result, I am able to assess clients very quickly and thoroughly, saving time and money in our work together in career planning.

In private practice as a Career / Workplace Expert, I bridge the gap for my job seeking clients with company Human Resource Professionals by expertly quantifying a job candidate’s value and speaking to true HR / Hiring Manager needs.

MY CERTIFICATIONS:

1) Certified Career Management Coach;
2) Certified Dual Career Couple Relocation Adviser;
3) Certified Global Career Development Facilitator;
4) Certified Global Career Development Facilitator Instructor;
5) Certified Global Career Development Facilitator
E-Learning Instructor;
6) Certified Leadership & Talent Management Coach;
7) Certified Federal Senior Executive Service Writer;
8) Distance Credentialed Counselor;
9) Legal Guardian Training Certificate, (40) college credit hours;.
10) Master Career Counselor; (1) out of about (100) in the country;
11) National Board Certified Career Counselor;
12) National Board Certified Counselor;
13) National Certified Professional Resume Writer;
14) Qualified Myers-Briggs Test Administrator.

MY COMMUNITY, VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES & MEMBERSHIPS:

Current Volunteer Experience:

1) Career Mentor Volunteer, AARP, job seekers over 50
2) Career Speaker, local colleges & universities in N.C.
3) Director-At-Large, Indiana University Alumni Association, Central
Carolina Chapter
4) Financial Sponsor, The Women's Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.
5) Job Placement Consultant, InStepp Inc., Durham, N.C.
6) Virtual Career Coach, Future for Kids, Durham, N.C.
7) Scholarship Donor, Durham Technical Community College,
Durham, N.C.
8) Trustee, The National Employment Counseling Association
9) Workforce Development Board Member, Durham, N.C.

Prior Volunteer Experience:

1) American Red Cross, Homelessness Services
2) Career Mentor, "Get a Life" Middle School Project for students
3) Girl Scouts Career Mentor
4) Legal / Vocational Expert Witness for Victims of Violent Crime and their families
5) March of Dimes "Babies & You" Committee Member
6) National Career Development Association (NCDA), Associate Editor, Career Web Magazine
7) NCDA Chairperson, the first national Career Counselor Client Advocacy Committee
8) Nursing Home Volunteer
9) Pinellas County Jail, Career Instructor
10) St. Jude's Church Mental Health Ministry Counselor
11) Telephone Crisis Intervention Counselor for 5 years
12) The Center for Women, Employability Skills Teacher
13) The Study Buddy, Academic Tutor

Groups and Associations:

1) American Counseling Association (ACA)
2) Career Management Alliance (CMA)
3) National Career Development Association (NCDA)
4) National Employment Counseling Association (NECA)
5) Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)

I offer a free consultation to assess our fit in working together. If you decide you would like to hire me, then at that time I explain my career counseling philosophy, approach, expectations for myself as your Career Counselor and for you as my client, services, goals and outcome measures. I want to be very clear about what you should expect from a Master Career Counselor. I will also identify free or more appropriate resources for you in your best interests as part of my ethics and intergrity as a Career Counselor.

I want to ensure that I deliver the value that I am offering to you. I want you to succeed and achieve the career, employment and/or earning goals that you desire. I am available in between our scheduled sessions via e-mail and phone should your career or life situation require immediate attention. I take MY JOB in supporting your career goals very seriously and with great pride, which is what you deserve.

Your career happiness and joy is all the motivation we need!

Sharon McCormick, M.S., M.C.C., N.C.C., N.C.C.C., C.P.R.W.

Career Expert/ HR Consultant

careertreasure@gmail.com

ww.careertreasure.com

(919) 424-1244

What’s your treasure?