Hakim says he occasionally refers clients to the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, an aptitude testing firm with offices in 11 major cities. Betsy Collard of the Career Action Center offers a level-headed compromise on the use of standardized tests. The simple answer is that you choose a career counselor the same way you choose a doctor, a lawyer, or a personal financial adviser. A few special rules do apply to career counseling. For example, never do business with a career counselor who expects big up-front fees.
Any respectable counselor is prepared to charge on an hourly basis.
No respectable counselor demands long-term contracts or guaranteed payments. Career counseling is not a field where formal credentials count for much. The industry has adopted certification procedures, but certification measures only a counselor's education and expertise in psychological principles. It says nothing about real-world experience. As a result, many of the best counselors aren't certified, and many certified counselors aren't among the best.