Accredited Career Practitioners
Personal Details
Name: Diana Dawson
Email: diana.dawson@acsol.co.uk
Serves: Scotland and Nationally
Personal Profile
I am an occupational psychologist and career consultant, providing career services for individuals and organisations. My goal is to facilitate individuals to do their best in their careers and to help people to optimise their strengths in their careers.
My dream career would be to be either a cowgirl or a safari ranger, as they combine the things I love sport, animals and travel. Unfortunately, there’s not much call for these careers in Scotland! One of the best holidays I had was to look for wild mustangs in Wyoming and we rode for 7-8 hours a day. I also love going on safari and last year was lucky enough to track wild chimpanzees in Tanzania.
Website
Professional Information
ACSOL Accredited Careers Advisor
Relevant Qualifications
Currently in last stages of completing Msc Occupational Psychology to become Chartered Occupational Psychologist.
Msc Career Counselling and Management.
MA Psychology.
Level A and B in psychometric testing including OPQ, MBTI and NEO.
Skills & Achievements in Career Guidance
My key skills in career guidance are listening to what people’s career issues are and focussing them in finding solutions. I also use different tools and techniques depending on the issues, this could be informal exercises or psychometric tests and I am trained in level A and B psychometrics. I have developed a programme for career choice and change so individuals understand their innate abilities, personality, skills, interests and work values. I have also delivered programmes to groups and such as workshops for career development.
I have also personally had career changes and know what it feels like to be in a job that you are not suited for. I have worked in recruitment so understand the processes involved so can advise on CVs and interview techniques. As I carry out assessment of individuals for company recruitment, I have first hand knowledge of assessment centres and the latest trends in recruitment and assessment.
I have now worked with hundreds of people in assisting them with their career issues such as coping with redundancy, career choices, being unhappy at work and getting the most from their career. Feedback has been hugely positive with many individuals making career decisions that they are happy with and feel more content in their jobs and life.
Individual career counselling has been with people from a wide range of backgrounds including those working in the legal and financial sector, marketing, medicine and the public sector. Organisational work has been with companies such as Glaxo Smith Kline, HBoS, Savilles, City of Edinburgh Council, RBS and BAE Systems.
Experience in Career Guidance
Having had several career changes in different roles such as logistics, marketing and purchasing management, I then moved into working in recruitment. I really enjoyed working with people and their jobs and decided to start a Masters in Career Counselling and Management. I now have a business in career counselling and provide one to one career programmes
to individuals for career choice, change and development. I also work with organisations in providing coaching, training and group career workshops and provide outplacement for individuals who have been made redundant.