How fast?

The first thing to mention about career guidance and career planning is that it is a process that takes place over weeks, months and years - not hours or days.

There may be times when you have done little career planning or not sought guidance sufficiently in advance - which can mimic an "urgent" career situation. However in the vast majority of cases no amount of urgently sought or applied career guidance will really resolve any significant career challenge or dilemma.  A typical example of this is where a person finds they have an interview for a job in a few days time. If there have been interview problems in the past or the person has concerns about their performance - trying to put this right only a few days before an interview is a tall order. Many other career situations follow this pattern closely. In other words - preparation is the key for virtually all career guidance scenarios.

The reason we mention this is that some people expect when they contact Medical Forum to get an "instant" phone consultation.

However before we give any personalised feedback in any depth by phone we ask you to complete our 34 page workbook. This ensures that what we offer is constructive and holistic - based on knowing all aspects of your life and career and not just the presenting ailment or challenge (a bit like taking a history and examining before prescribing!).

The workbook takes most people around six hours to fill in over about two weeks (ideally no longer than this). When this is returned as part of a Career Review we aim to process the workbook within 14 days. The shortest time a person has completed and returned and workbook with us completing our bit was 8 days and although it might be possible to do this in less time we would strongly recommend that in situations where there is an urgent need for in depth support or analysis that you take whatever seems to be the decision which will give you the maximum breathing space or time to recoup and spend on career planning.

The main options we offer relating to career guidance include

Career Review (distance learning)

Personal Career Programme (face to face - but requires a Career Review first)

Career Coaching (by email - this does not require a workbook completed but is more for ongoing general career planning rather than resolving any specific career concern)

If you are uncertain which of our services would be most appropriate for your career situation, please visit our guest registration where you can gain access to "ask career mentor".