Career Expert

This is the first in a series of articles about the workplace. Before I begin sharing my expertise and opinions, I need to tell you something about myself.

My name is Arlene Hirsch and I am a nationally recognized expert in the field of career counseling. I have a private career and psychological counseling practice in Chicago where I work with adults who are trying to start, develop, and maintain successful careers. Although I do not specialize in any one career field, I have worked with people of all ages and at all levels. What makes me unique among my peers is my training in psychology which always informs my understanding of my clients and helps me figure out the best ways to motivate the people who work with me to create and achieve meaningful goals.

I have written a number of books including: How To Be Happy At Work, The Wall Street Journal Guide to Interviewing, and Job Search and Careers Checklists. From time to time, I toy with the idea of writing another book but, for now, I am content to share my expertise through this blog.

I also like to teach and am something of an itinerant professor. I have taught at Northwestern University in the Counseling Psychology program, at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management as part of their Executive MBA program, at Oakton Community College and DePaul University School for New Learning.

I have also been interviewed on lots of radio and television talk shows. Perhaps my strangest experience was the time I appeared on the Jenny Jones Show along with a panel of teenage girls who had dropped out of high school. As the career expert, I was tagged with the job of explaining their career options to them. I don't think they wanted to hear what I had to say: finish high school, go to college, map out a career plan. But it was fun anyway.

What I like most about my job is that I get to meet and help so many different kinds of people. Although I have been working in this profession for over 20 years, it is always interesting and there is always something new to learn. I also like the fact that my cat Shayna comes to work with me and often works as my "co-therapist." After all, a cat needs to earn her keep too.

As this blog progresses, my goals is to provide interesting information about different workplace challenges and trends in an effort to share my expertise with a wider audience.