New Career Crafting the Decade After High School: Professional’s Guide (2015) now available

Career Crafting the Decade After High School: Professional’s Guide dispels the “Career Myth” that those in their late teens and 20s should follow a linear, predictable route from high school to post-secondary training, and then on to permanent, full-time jobs. Straightforward and accessible, the guide provides practical counsel and effective tools that professionals can use to help reduce young adults’ anxiety and to assist them to take action in the face of uncertainty.

A CERIC-funded project, this book is the newly enhanced and updated edition of the popular The Decade After High School guide.

Backed by current scholarship and based on a study of the experiences of young people in the decade after graduating from high school, Career Crafting offers a powerful and insightful portrait of the early career journeys that young adults undertake, told in their own words.

Authors Cathy Campbell, PhD, and Peggy Dutton argue that the unrealistic expectations of the Career Myth create anxiety for young adults, which, in turn leads them to make poorly thought out career decisions or to procrastinate for fear of making the wrong choice. Eight Career Crafting Techniques are introduced that integrate chaos-friendly approaches to career counselling that emphasize the fluidity of young people’s career journeys with more traditional ones.

While the focus of this book is on young adults, it is a must read for career professionals who work with clients of all ages. Read reviews of the guide.

Campbell has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher, career counsellor, program developer and manager in school, community college, university and government settings. Dutton has spent over 30 years as a career information specialist, creating an eclectic range of career resource products for educators, counselling practitioners and the general public.

The guide launched at the Cannexus National Career Development Conference in Ottawa on Jan. 26. It is now available in print or ebook via Amazon.ca or Chapters.Indigo.ca or can also be downloaded as a free epdf.