Career Development: the Next Generation

Career Development: the next generation was held in Toronto at the University of Toronto Career Centre on May 16, 2005. This small one-day conference sponsored by the University of Toronto Career Centre, CERIC (the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling) and The Counselling Foundation of Canada, was a huge success. Featuring a handful of workshops and two dynamic keynote speakers, this event attracted more than 125 delegates from across the province, much to the surprise of the organizers from the University of Toronto who had anticipated a much smaller number of registrants.

The workshops were informative and focused on a number of pertinent issues in the work and lives of career practitioners: helping clients create more satisfying lives for themselves, virtual career advising: best practices showcase, the new career counselling skills set, and tipping the scales in favour of you ( a workshop focusing on making time for ourselves).

One of the highlights of the conference was the opening keynote Luck is no accident: Making the most of happenstance in your life and career with Dr. John Krumboltz, professor of education and psychology at Stanford University. In a witty and humourous fashion, Dr. Krumboltz provided the audience with a glimpse into his past and described events in his life that helped shape his career development. A former high school counsellor and algebra teacher from Cedar Rapids Iowa, he commented that career decisions made when a person is 18 years old will have no resemblance to what they are doing many years later. Instead of committing to an occupational goal or naming a future occupation, Dr. Krumboltz suggested learning to take action in order to achieve a more satisfying career and life. He also commented on how unplanned events can influence one’s career and provided information on how individuals can recognize potential opportunities and positions themselves accordingly so they can take action when necessary.

The University of Toronto Career Centre was a comfortable atmosphere and provided the perfect opportunity to network with new colleagues and catch up with old friends. The energy and enthusiasm that radiated from inside the centre only reaffirmed that more events of this calibre are needed and welcomed.

Interested in learning more about Luck is no Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career, the new book by John Krumboltz and Al Levin? Read our review in this issue of the Contact Point Bulletin.