A careers counsellor who coaches asks questions instead of giving advice. Read how you shift from adviser to conversation partner for your pupils.
Careers counsellors used to give advice above all: this subject combination suits you, you would be better off choosing that course. These days the role is shifting. A counsellor who coaches mainly helps pupils think for themselves and make their own choices. In this article you can read what that shift means and how to put it into practice.
From giving answers to asking questions
An adviser knows a lot and shares that knowledge. That is valuable, but it sometimes takes the thinking away from the pupil. A coach turns it around. You ask questions instead of handing over ready-made answers. What do you enjoy, what makes you happy, and why does this profession appeal to you? Questions like that put the pupil to work. They discover what suits them instead of being told what to choose. Your knowledge is still important, but you use it differently. You help the pupil reach their own insight.
Why coaching works better
Young people remember a choice better when they made it themselves. Advice from outside sticks less well. That is why a coaching approach often works better than classic advising. You build a conversation in which the pupil feels heard. You listen, summarise and ask on. That builds trust, and the pupil dares to share more. It leads to more honest conversations about doubts and dreams. Coaching does take practice. You learn to steer the conversation without taking over the choice. Asking good questions is a craft in itself.
Tools that support the conversation
A counsellor who coaches is not on their own. Good tools give you something to hold on to and a starting point for the conversation. A test shows where someone's interests and strengths lie. You then use that result to ask on. That way you are not talking about nothing, but about concrete outcomes the pupil recognises. A tool like Quest supports pupils in choosing their subjects and their course, and gives you something to build on. The tool provides the data, you hold the conversation. That combination makes your guidance stronger.
The careers counsellor is shifting from adviser to conversation partner. You give fewer ready-made answers and ask more questions that make the pupil think. That way you help young people make a choice that really fits them. Want to get started? Have a look at which tools could support your conversations and take the first step.