A man sitting in with his leg crossed, smiling and talking to a person across from him.

Adult Career Counseling Center

The ACCC offers no-cost guidance services to members of the community and helps individuals who are considering a career change or are simply reviewing possible career options.

We do not offer job placement. We specialize in providing assistance in the areas of decision-making and devising a career plan. Current Oakland University students looking for career options should visit the Oakland University Career and Life Design Center webpage.

Overview

The Adult Career Counseling Center (ACCC) consists of several career advisors who are graduate students and Ph.D. candidates in the Master of Arts in Counseling program. These advisors are supervised by Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) and Nationally Certified Career Counselors (NCCC).

The ACCC staff offer the following services:

personality, interests and skill assessments
computer-based career resources to support your career decision-making efforts
administration and interpretation of assessments and inventories, which may be helpful in identifying interests, values and skills
guidance in exploring various careers through web searches and homework assignments outside of sessions
job-hunting strategies, interview techniques and assistance with writing resumes and cover letters
Group Counseling - Groups allow advisers to see multiple clients at one time, making the wait for services much quicker. It allows clients to network, connect and discuss career transitions with others in similar situations, explore career options, tailor your resume and cover letter, perfect interviewing skills, and learn to network and job search in your community.

The Center has served clients from throughout the greater Metro-Detroit area and serves all members of the community. You do NOT have to be an Oakland County resident or graduate of Oakland University in order to register for services. However, you do need to reside within the State of Michigan.

Hours:
The ACCC is closed on Sundays and during regular university breaks and closings. The center opens on the first full day of classes and closes on the last day of classes each semester.

Monday–Thursday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

When to see us

Click on the scenarios below to help decide if you need our services.

I have been laid off and would like to find a new job in a similar field.

If you’ve been laid off, you can use our help in a number of ways. First, we might look with you at what your goals are, both long and short term. We could work on updating your resume and refreshing your interviewing skills. We might also identify skills that you used in your previous job that could be transferred to a new position.

I have been busy raising my family and would now like to reenter the workforce.

One of the things that we might do for someone in your position is to identify your job skills by discussing skills you’ve been using to coordinate your family. We might also administer assessments with the intent of exploring potential areas of career interest. We could then update your resume to reflect this information and put your interviewing skills into practice. Another option could be to learn about and explore networking.

I find myself not knowing what I want or how to make a career decision.

Even the most competent, highly-qualified individuals can reach a point in their lives when they do not know what course of action to take, or even what they want. We can use discussion, inventories and card sorts to process through your options, as well as some decision-making strategies to find options that you can feel more confident exploring.

I’m recently retired, but still want to work. I think I would like to try something new and different.

In this situation, we might need to identify what the new roles in your life will be. We could then develop coping strategies to help you traverse the transition. Using assessments and inventories as well as discussion, we could assess what your interests are, both related to work and non-work. Once this information is collected, we can spend time exploring new options for this chapter of your life.

I am dissatisfied with my employment and am looking to make a career change.

Maybe you are burned out in your current position, your passion for your current line of work has faded or your employer or field has seen so many changes that it’s become unrecognizable. Whatever your situation, changing fields is often tough. However, it can be a very positive change as well. We can help you work toward achieving the goals of your change, navigate through the uncertainty and collect information about yourself that will help you find a position that is a better fit.

I would like to hone my skills as an employee or a job candidate.

Effective job searching, networking, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing and branding require knowledge and practice. Our counselors are knowledgeable and experienced in these areas and can help you brush up on your skills. Our counselors could also help you assess what skills you already have and what skills you might need to develop in order to make a transition.

I would like to build an effective network.

Some studies show that networking is responsible for upwards of 85% of jobs obtained, yet many people in the work world are uncomfortable with the whole idea of networking. We can help you understand what an effective network looks like and how to build one that could lead to your next opportunity.

I have have gone through a major transition and I need help finding a job.

Sometimes, we go through a relocation, a divorce, the birth of a child, a major loss or any other number of significant experiences that change our circumstances, or at least the way that we see them. While every transition is unique, we can help guide you through the process of dealing with your transition and how it affects your career.

Resources

Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) has a variety of educational offerings that are flexible and innovative to meet local, state, and national needs. In an on campus setting, online, or through in-house custom programming, learners can begin, refocus, or advance their professional or educational careers. Courses, facilitated by Oakland University faculty and business leaders, combine research expertise and real world application to help you gain the knowledge you need to kick-start your life.

Depending on your specific needs, the number of sessions required will vary. On average, our clients can expect three to six sessions. Appointments are scheduled for 50 minutes. In order for appointment slots to be available and advisor schedules to remain consistent, sessions will be scheduled for the same day/time each week.

To register for services, please fill out the form below.

Once you have completed the registration process, you will be added to our waitlist. An advisor will reach out to you via phone or email once they have open availability to coordinate a time slot that may match your schedule. Due to high demand, there may be a waiting period between being added to the waitlist and being contacted to schedule your intake appointment. Your advisor will also help guide you through which items are necessary to bring into your sessions. Typically, nothing is required to bring into your first session.

Department of Counseling

Pawley Hall, Room 450J
456 Pioneer Dr.
456 Pioneer Dr., MI 48309-4482
(location map)
(248) 370-2018