By Helen Davies

As a relatively new student in the career development field, I have been exposed to a plethora of career-related resources, all competing for my attention. As an on-line student, I spend several hours a week tapping at the keyboard to produce assignments, and surfing numerous websites in the hope of finding the ‘perfect’ quote or succinct article that is lurking somewhere in the labyrinth of information we now have at our fingertips. It would seem that we are almost overwhelmed by the choice of resources we have at our disposal. As a result we often identify a shortlist of key tools and resources that seem to work for us and remain faithful to them over a period of time, until they become outdated or updated, or we discover something new, maybe recommended by a colleague.

This year so far, there have been 2 excellent resources that I have used. The first of these is one I re-visit time and again. For me it represents one of the few resources that seems to move with the times and continues to give me a different perspective, a richer insight – and that is, people. Seeking input from others is probably the single most consistently useful resource I have had access to over the course of time. Yes, I can and do surf the Internet and read publications for more objective data, but the human side of the information spectrum always gives a more colourful and dynamic view, an evolving message as opinions and circumstances change, and most importantly, an interactive environment where a true exchange takes place. As practitioners in career development, we know only too well how quickly the world of work is evolving and how important it is to stay abreast of change. The very concept behind Contact Point itself is to bring together career development professionals and resources, to exchange and share, to grow and learn from each other in this developing field. As a student, already this year, I have interviewed a number of individuals in specific occupations to hear their ‘story’ and to bring personality to support the more objective data in my assignments. I have also quizzed a number of career development professionals with a view to determining for myself those specific areas of the field where I feel my skills and values would be best matched in my future endeavours. And, finally, for our clients – young people in the early stages of career planning, or adults considering a mid life career change, information gathering is critical to getting a balanced view of occupations, and in this particular case I would argue that more is definitely better. Interviewing the teacher who loves the job, has motivated students and a supportive principal will give you the rose-tinted view on teaching, but you also need to seek out the more frustrated teacher with fewer resources, in a larger classroom environment who is reaching retirement and has witnessed an evolution in their profession over the course of time. People are a rich resource of information – all you have to do is ask!

The second recommended resource is the book, Ready or Not, Here Life Comes (2005) by Mel Levine, M.D. This book is a great publication particularly, but not exclusively for practitioners involved with adolescents, as well as being very relevant for parents and educators in general. The focus of the book is on what Levine calls ‘career unreadiness’ amongst young people entering their working lives. He explores the many influences of modern society that have impacted the development of adolescents and their readiness to make the transition to work life, influences which may also help to explain the challenges continued to be faced by young adults further along in their careers. As a pediatrician, Levine brings a slightly different perspective to the challenges of adolescence, incorporating his own clinical experiences, as well as including direct quotes from the many interviews conducted for the book. The book is published by Simon and Schuster, ISBN 0-7432-6224-7.

Helen Davies is currently in her third semester of the Career Development Practitioner Program at Conestoga College, Kitchener, ON.  She has a BA Honours degree in Business and French and has 9 years’ experience in international marketing and public relations.  She has worked in the UK, France and the US, and emigrated to Canada from the UK 4 years ago.