Career guidance appointments in UK Higher Education Careers Services are being made shorter, in an attempt to see increasing numbers of students with the reduced resource. In this research, I explore the impact this is having on practice. Career guidance is found to be effective, but negatively impacted by these time constraints. The shortening of guidance means cutting valuable time for careers practitioners to undertake diagnostic work, which results in students leaving with unmet needs. Students have limited expectations of the service, and are overawed by the guidance they encounter, driving further demand for the service. Implications for practice are discussed relating to the professionalism of career guidance, service delivery and practice, and social justice.