Effective career counselors need knowledge of the various counseling theories and approaches used in personal problem counseling as well as knowledge of career development. Elements affecting the career counseling interview include theoretical position in relation to career development, how the counselor views the counselee, the place of tests in career counseling, and educational and occupational information. Principles which help to insure an effective career counseling interview include the following: (1) establishing rapport; (2) having clients, rather than the counselor, determine their own career direction; (3) finding out at the beginning of the interview what type of career problem the individual desires to solve; (4) finding out the future time orientation of the individual in respect to a career; (5) helping the individual establish a cognitive map of the career development and decision-making process; (6) helping individuals more fully understand themselves and establish their own criteria for career selection; (7) helping individuals become aware of their many career opportunities and then narrow down their choices; (8) making sure that individual career decisions are based on reliable data; (9) helping individuals understand that career choice is a process and not a one-time event; and (10) making necessary adjustments and compromises as individuals implement their career decisions. (ABL)