Making the right career choice is never easy regardless of the phase of life you are at. More often than not, the majority of us jump right into the deep end not knowing if that job that we’ve always wanted and dreamt of is actually what we pictured it to be. On paper, it could be what we are looking for but unfortunately, there is always something obscured and hidden from us as we skim through the other opportunities available.
Thankfully, there are professionals located on our sunny island who specialise in career counselling or career coaching. They aim to clear the fog of uncertainty that often clouds our mind when making important career decisions by giving us some unbiased and invaluable insights which could help many of us make the right choice.
Whether you are a student in the midst of your education, a graduate fresh out of school or a working professional, take the first step into the workforce for the first time or planning on that career switch can be intimidating for anyone. Therefore, it is neither too early nor too late you start thinking about a career that suits you.
Career Counselling or Career Coaching?
Well, they are actually pretty much the same. Although some may argue a career coach utilises technical approaches, most career counsellors and coaches these days adopt similar methods. The terms career counselling and career coaching are both widely accepted and mostly interchangeable.
Hopefully, this clears up any confusion when coming across either word if you decide to approach any one of these agencies listed below. For consistency and simplicity, career counselling will be used throughout this article.
What is Career Counselling?
Career counselling is a form of professional intervention provided, typically by a career counsellor, to an individual with industry-specific information and advises them on their journey in search of a job. The types of support may consist of managing career choices, exploration, changes, development and other career-related concerns.
A career counsellor’s aim would not be to simply match a prospective client with occupation and call it a day. Instead, they would work closely with their clients at the various steps of the way, from research for the right profession to developing and equipping the necessary skills required to perform well in the role.
The career history and education of said individual may also be assessed to identify notable knowledge, skills and experience in relevant fields. Salary expectations can also be managed especially when considering a career change into a different industry.
Various tests may also be applied to evaluate the client’s strengths and abilities on top of the one’s interest such as a MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential), MBTI (Myer-Brigg’s Type Indicator), Holland Code (RIASEC) Test, Keirsey Temperament Sorter, DISC personality assessment, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) or the Knowdell Career Assessment. These tests may differ from practitioner to practitioner. However, the types of assessments and evaluations used can be easily found on their respective webpages or obtainable upon request.
Additionally, most career counselling agencies offer a wide variety of counselling programs that can cater to both individual and corporate requirements. Group or one-on-one sessions are also available with prices varying accordingly. Also, given the recent surge in the use of digital communications, there are a growing number of counselling sessions over video conferencing platforms
Is Career Counselling for You?
Definitely! Career counselling is not just limited to people who are looking for their first job but also suitable for students, adults who might have taken a hiatus from work to look after children or experienced professionals and executives considering a career change or further develop their skills and up their game. All you need to do is to have an open mind, be able to accept constructive feedback and be truthful not only to professional counsellors but to yourself.
Does Career Counselling Work?
Being experts at career development and well-versed in labour-market trends, career counsellors can effectively analyse a person’s qualities from a neutral perspective while considering other criteria such as the expected salary, future outlook and current job market climate.
Through the use of certified aptitude tests and character assessments, career counsellors can get a better understanding of the client as a whole and determining if the individual is cut out for the role. Great under stress and being able to deliver before deadlines but not really a people-person? Career counsellors can identify your talents, weaknesses and even reveal something about yourself you do not even know about!
Many of the agencies and counsellors base their services on systems although there may variations in practices between countries. However, most systems involve universally adopted principles so you can rest assured you are getting legitimate guidance proven to help! Nonetheless, as with seeking any kind of professional advice, do not be afraid to ask for certifications and check if credentials are from a reputable institution.
Possible Benefits from Career Counselling
Some research has shown that career counselling can:
- increase chances of employability
- reduce the social exclusion effects
- aid in the understanding of what is truly important personally
- help regain one’s self-confidence
- discover your true potential
- uncover hidden flaws and how to manage them
- improve career transitions and promotions
Interested and want to know how you begin your journey? Here is a list of professional career counsellors and agencies in Singapore that can give you a kickstart. Most practitioners usually offer consultations to have a better understanding of your situation and expectations before you make any commitments or engaging in an actual counselling session.
Agency | Aureus Consulting |
| Speciality | A boutique firm with a highly diverse team of consultants, we are proud to offer individualised and attentive service to each and every one of our clients. Actively consulting since 2009, Aureus Consulting has:
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| Pricing | Career Consulting fees start from $640 |
| Website | https://aureusconsulting.com/ |
| Address | 61 Stamford Road, Stamford Court, #01-01, Singapore 178892 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 6337 8807 Email: [email protected] |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 10pm – 7pm Weekends: 9am – 6pm Public Holidays: Closed |
Agency | Gary & Pearl International |
| Speciality | Helping people achieve career success by setting clearer goals, having daily doses of happiness and using strategies to be continuously challenged and adaptable in a changing environment. |
| Pricing | Career Counselling fees start from $180 per session |
| Website | https://www.career-singapore.com/ |
| Address | 102 Potong Pasir Avenue 1 #10-342 Singapore 350102 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 6894-4371 Contact form: https://www.career-singapore.com/contact-us/ |
| Operating Hours | 10 am-10 pm daily, excluding public holidays. Sessions are by appointment only. |
Agency | Careers Connect |
| Speciality | Workforce Singapore’s Careers Connect is a one-stop centre for Singaporeans to get career related advice and assistance. |
| Pricing | Careers Connect provides career coaching and advice to Singaporeans at various stages of their career, at no cost. |
| Website | https://www.wsg.gov.sg/career-services.html |
| Address | Paya Lebar Careers Connect (Lifelong Learning Institute) 11 Eunos Road 8 Tampines Careers Connect (Our Tampines Hub) Woodlands Careers Connect (Woodlands Civic Centre) |
| Contact | Paya Lebar Tel: 6883 5885 Tampines Tel: 6883 5885 Woodlands Tel: 6883 5885 Book-an-appointment form: https://form.gov.sg/#!/5e2032653acc0e001140a70e |
| Operating Hours | Paya Lebar, Tampines, Woodlands Mon-Fri: 9am – 5pm Sat: 9am to 1pm Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays e-lobby is opened from 7am – 10pm daily, except Public Holidays |
Agency | e2i |
| Speciality | An initiative by NTUC to support nation-wide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives.
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| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://e2i.com.sg/ |
| Address | West Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability 80 Jurong East St 21, Level 2 Central HDB Hub Bizthree 490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #07-11 (Lift Lobby 1) |
| Contact | West Tel: 6474 0606 Central Tel: 6474 0606 |
| Operating Hours | West Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm Central Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm |
Agency | Career Agility |
| Speciality | A team of dedicated Career Experts who leverage our collective knowledge and skills to provide you with a holistic solution to help you achieve the Career Success you desire. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.careeragility.org/ |
| Address | 24, Raffles Place, #26-06B, Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 69090 931 |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 9am – 6pm |
Agency | Mind Odyssey |
| Speciality | Mind Odyssey is a professional practice offering customised services in the areas of: Executive Coaching, Career Coaching, Nature-Based Coaching®, Group Coaching, Organisational Change Consulting, Leadership Training & Facilitation. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://mindodyssey.biz/ |
| Address | Mind Odyssey Pte. Ltd. 10 Raeburn Park, Level 2, Unit 8, Singapore 088702 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 98167680 |
| Operating Hours | Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM |
Agency | Abundanz Consulting |
| Speciality | To educate, equip and inspire generations of helping professionals. The team is comprised of highly passionate practitioners with high quality domain knowledge in their respective fields. We provide a range of coaching and training services for individuals, teams & corporations. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://abundanzconsulting.com/ |
| Address | One Commonwealth 1, #06-07 Commonwealth Ln, 149544 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 6513 7721 Email: [email protected] |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 9am – 5pm |
Agency | Avodah People Solutions |
| Speciality | Equip and guide people with career education and to facilitate career decision making at different transition points. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.avodahsolutions.com/ |
| Address | 193 Jln Besar, #03-01, Singapore 208883 |
| Contact | Contact Form: https://www.avodahsolutions.com/contact |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 10am – 6pm |
Agency | Sandbox Advisors |
| Speciality | Sandbox Advisors was founded in Singapore in 2008 and is proud to be the pioneering career publication in Asia. In addition to the magazine, we also provide expert career-related counselling, coaching and training services in Singapore/Asia. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | http://www.sandboxadvisors.com/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Contact Form: http://www.sandboxadvisors.com/contact |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | Aventis Learning Group |
| Speciality | At Aventis, we are dedicated to supporting your career development needs. Our mission is to identify, train and groom outstanding talents and best match them to fill senior and middle management roles within organizations using tried-and-tested job search strategies. Our core competence is in the talent management of candidates across key sectors: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource and Organizational Psychology. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://aventislearning.com/ |
| Address | 100 Orchard Road, #04-100 Concorde Hotel Singapore 238840 |
| Contact | Tel: 6720 3333 Fax: 6720 2222 Email: [email protected] |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 9am – 1pm Weekends: 9am – 5pm |
Agency | Global Lumen HR |
| Speciality | The founder of Global Lumen HR has worked as a certified coaching professional since 2013. Coaching services extends to both professionals and students Free 30 minutes career coaching session |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.globallumenhr.com/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Tel: 8133 4881 Email: [email protected] |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | The Happy Mondays Co |
| Speciality |
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| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.thehappymondays.co/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Email: [email protected] Contact form: https://www.thehappymondays.co/contact |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | Petadiri Leadership Development and Advisory |
| Speciality |
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| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.petadiri.com/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Contact form: https://www.petadiri.com/contact-petadiri |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | Andrew The Executive Coach |
| Speciality | Andrew Jones is an experienced Executive Coach, Mentor and Career Counselor practicing in Singapore, where he works for a wide range of organisations and individuals: leaders and professionals from MNCs to Entrepreneurs across many industries. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | http://www.andrewtheexecutivecoach.com/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Email: [email protected] Contact form: http://www.andrewtheexecutivecoach.com/#contact-us |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | Mind Transformations |
| Speciality | Founded in 1997, with almost 24 years of experience in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) training and coaching programmes. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.mindtransformations.com/ |
| Address | 1010 Dover Road, #01-298V Singapore 139658 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 8186 7508 Email: [email protected] Contact form: https://www.mindtransformations.com/contact-us/ |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
Agency | Anagram Group |
| Speciality | Angaram’s training methods are highly interactive and focus on strategies and personal goals that can be implemented in the workplace immediately, delivering an instant return on investment. |
| Pricing | Career Counselling fees start from $390 per session. |
| Website | https://www.anagram-group.com/ |
| Address | Anagram Group Pte. Ltd. Workcentral Offices 06-01 Singapore Shopping Centre 190 Clemenceau Avenue Singapore 239924 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 8250 2835 Email: enquiries@anagram-group.com. Contact form: https://www.anagram-group.com/contact |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 9am – 6pm |
Agency | Sciente International |
| Speciality | Specialises in these industries:
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| Pricing | No fees for IT career coaching services for Singaporeans |
| Website | https://www.scienteinternational.com/ |
| Address | Sciente International Pte Ltd, 51 Changi Business Park Central 2, #09-06 The Signature, Singapore 486066 |
| Contact | Tel: +65 6909 1082 Contact form: https://www.scienteinternational.com/contact-us/ |
| Operating Hours | Weekday: 9am – 6.30pm |
Agency | SC Coaching Asia |
| Speciality | With years of experience in running successful global businesses and providing management consultancy support, our Business Coach can help you and your team gets more competitive towards achieving both short term goals and long term vision. |
| Pricing | Contact for more info. |
| Website | https://www.sccoachingasia.com/ |
| Address | SC Coaching Asia Pte Ltd111 North Bridge Raod #21-01 Peninsula Plaza 179098, Singapore |
| Contact | Tel: +65 92372883 Email: [email protected] Contact form: https://www.sccoachingasia.com/contact-us/ |
| Operating Hours | Weekdays: 8.30am – 5pm |
Agency | Emunah Coaching |
| Speciality | Providing career coaching services in Singapore using DISC and Strength Profile methods. Mentoring, counselling and coaching for small groups and organised events. |
| Pricing | Career Counselling fees start from $450 for 3 sessions. |
| Website | https://emunahcoaching.com/ |
| Address | N/A |
| Contact | Contact form: https://emunahcoaching.com/#contact |
| Operating Hours | N/A |
COVID-19: Due to the Safe Management Measures implemented at the time this article was written, some establishments would require appointments to be made before visiting or may have made adjustments to operating hours. Please contact the agency directly to find out more and follow the latest government-recommended procedures and practices.
Personal Safety
Please take note that some of these practitioners may not have a conventional brick-and-mortar office. Always take the necessary precaution when approaching services online and when meeting up in person. Happy job hunting!
Editor’s Note:
While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information.
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