Intro

IDAK can help

Assessment Exercises

Orientation Sessions with your Counselor

Career Assessment Sessions

Career Research and Validation Sessions

Getting Started

 "Switching Tracks"

 Sample Career Match Printout

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Welcome to our Web site. We hope we can be of help to you.

Do you feel like you have plateaued in your present position? Do you dread getting up in the morning to face another work day? Are you burned out, wondering if your work really counts? Are you searching for meaningful work which gives a sense of purpose? Are you considering some types of community or ministry service rather than retirement?

If you answer "Yes!" to any of these questions, you are most likely considering a change in your current occupation. Yet, any type of change for the average working person is uncomfortable. Unfortunately for too many, the agony of the known is preferred over the pain of the unknown. Too many gifted people become used to a mediocre job.

Is it really true that there is something unique you can do? A job that can give your life substantial meaning and purpose? We specialize in helping mid-career adults advance to the position that represents their fullest potential. Our average client is 30-55 years old and has several years of employment experience. Our clients' occupations cover a wide spectrum: engineering, law, medicine, education, ministry, business, military and government service.

By using the knowledge and experience of more than twenty-eight years of helping individuals just like you achieve career fulfillment, our firm offers another solution to the afraid-of-change syndrome. It is called the Mid-Career Advancement Advantage. It starts with the belief that each individual, young or old, has innate strengths - Natural Talents - which when correctly identified lead to excellence. Once a person achieves excellence, they enjoy that envied status of being sought after, of becoming a master of their craft.

Sometimes competence is not the issue. You may be doing well, but your employer has decided to restructure your job or eliminate it. Either way you don't have to be the victim. You can choose to move ahead! You can take a proactive step to advance rather than wait for things to get worse. How many times have you read that people end up better off after a career change than before? This happens to everyday people just like you!

We have learned how to help adults advance in their mid-career years. We provide you with the most thorough career assessment known in the U.S. or Canada. Our services are offered at three levels:

• In office
• By telephone
• Through the mail

Our office and telephone services feature your own personal counselor. These are described below. Our through-the-mail service is a self administered service (no counseling). We offer an introductory, no cost, confidential visit to discuss your current employment and future career advancement needs. This is a scheduled visit in our office or by telephone appointment.

During our career assessment, Phase One, we provide you with several tests and exercises including the IDAK Career Match™ system. This is a series of comprehensive-adult strength-career assessment exercises which you complete at home. These are considerably more advanced than the exercises you filled out in high school or college. These extensive and thorough exercises assess your career interests, personal work values and innate Natural Talents. In addition we assess your decision-making style, stress level and emotional well-being. These exercises are matched to over 90,000 career options.

This is a free session. You meet with your counselor to discuss your career hopes and goals, explaining your current job frustrations and what you hope to learn and gain from our services. Your counselor will listen carefully, give you an overview of our process and ensure that our service can meet your needs.

During this phase, you receive a complete career assessment. This takes approximately two weeks. You meet with your counselor for an in-depth Autobiographical Interview™. This allows your counselor to evaluate your innate talents and provide more valid analysis and feedback. You meet with your counselor for an interpretation of your assessment results. We encourage you to include your spouse (if applicable) in this session. You will receive a list of your aptitude strengths and also a list of your top ten recommended career advancement options from 90,000 career possibilities. Your counselor will discuss how these options fit into your career future both inside and outside of your present occupation. Also we will provide a way for you to verify the accuracy of our career recommendations. Your Career Match™ results will be numerically coded to easily link with names of local organizations and companies in the city of your choice. During this second session we also coach you on how to use your career profile information within your department or company to resolve any job performance conflict issues.

This second phase begins after Phase One and includes eight weeks of service. Once you receive your assessment results in Phase One, you will want to think further about your new options. This next step provides you with a pain-free way to explore your new career options without the risk of leaving your present position. You are assisted with a 360-degree feedback process and coached on gaining information from professionals in the fields of your choice.

Getting hired for your ideal career is much more than sending out resumes, surfing Web sites, or reading classified ads. You quickly realize that you are pursuing a new direction where you may have little direct experience. Our twenty-eight years of coaching adults in their job search becomes your resource to plan and execute your job search with confidence and skill. Your weekly individual office sessions provide just the right amount of direction and support to help you achieve the goal you have chosen. All of our direct training and coaching is supplemented by a full library of audio instructional cassettes to take home and use to prepare for telephone calls, interviews, negotiating offers and much, much more.

To begin, schedule a telephone or office introductory visit to discuss your needs and how we can be of service to you. If you wish to register for our service, you can do so by telephone or during your office visit. There are several services available and corresponding prices. Please call for information 800-245-1108 or, in the Portland area, 503-252-3495. You may e-mail us at: inquiries@idakgroup.com. For out-of-city inquiries, a telephone visit is recommended. The consultation time is free; you pay only for the phone call.

Click here to view a sample of the Career Match Reports.