It would be nice to think that everyone who provides you with career planning advice has only your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Many people, from college program coordinators, to private school managers, to school counselors have biases and agendas that may not be obvious to you at first glance. It’s important to be aware of those biases when you seek out career planning advice.

A college program coordinator may be so immersed in his or her program he or she may not be able to look at the program objectively and assess whether it is a good fit for you. A private school manager may have pressures from the school owner to fill up classes (more students means more money), so his or her advice may be biased by the need to get more students in the class. A school counselor may not be at liberty to recommend similar, perhaps better, programs that are offered in your community but outside his or her school.

These people are not necessarily scam artists, but they may be inclined or pressured to give you advice that meets their needs first and your needs second. Each time you speak with someone to get career planning advice, consider their biases. Ask yourself what’s in it for them if you follow their recommendations and take that into account when you make career choices.

You may get fantastic advice from these individuals; however, it is up to you to seek out career information from varied sources, consider biases, ask plenty of questions and demand straight answers and try to separate facts from opinions when it comes to doing smart career research.