By Christelle Agboka
In today’s work world, career change has become the new normal. While the reasons behind this are often involuntary (e.g., unemployment, lack of stability or low wages), voluntary career change is on the rise as people seek more challenge, satisfaction or balance from their work.
By Penny Freno
Just as learning opportunities are integral to the professional and personal lives of the clients our organizations support, ongoing learning is central to career practitioners’ professional growth and development. Many topics of interest to career educators can be explored through self-study, face-to-face workshops, conferences, in-service training and courses, a range of technologies (i.e. the Internet, video conferencing, webinars), and through social media networks and Twitter.
By Rob Straby
I have a passion for continuous learning in order to provide better career outcomes for the clients and students I serve. It was never my intention to become a “cybercounsellor” (e.g. work that I do with others that involves being in separate locations using some form of Internet communications), I have evolved in this direction while pursuing my passion.
By Julia Lebedeva
Joel A. Garfinkle, Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, c2011)
This book focuses on three of the four building blocks of success – perception, visibility and influence (PVI). The use of three items is connected to the title, Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. Performance is not included, being one of the most highlighted topics in other publications. Developing perception, visibility and influence is an option and choice to which most professionals give little conscious attention. Working to increase PVI is more complex than going to business school and working towards an MBA because it is less structured. Getting Ahead is written as the step-by-step PVI model instructions that will ensure your future career success. PVI is not a degree, but should be taken as seriously as an MBA, PhD and other degrees, since mastering these factors are so important for career advancement. There are, however, several reasons why PVI is considered optional: it is not a part of any job description, and there will not be any direct payment for this work. In many cases, working on PVI may be confrontational and challenging. It can take individuals outside their comfort zones, and it involves risk taking. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to create an ideal PVI state. This book gives the PVI concept a structure. Reading this book leads to the start of making the commitment to implement as many of the ideas, concepts, tips, suggestions and insights shared by the author as possible. You also become a true believer in the concept. This resource is as motivational as it is instructional. We all are familiar with the classical theories of motivation as being conceptual: ERG Theory, McClelland’s Theory of Needs, Goal Setting Theory, Reinforcement Theory, Equity Theory of Motivation, Expectancy Theory of Motivation. This book is an additional practical tool to support these theories.
By Amanda Harrington
I used to think that e-coaching was coaching by email, and back in 1999, I wrote about use of email for mentoring and coaching.1 There was not much research then about this use of email, and not much has changed. However, there is an increased and increasing use of email in practice, as any Google search will evidence.
By Alexi Thomas
Career development has evolved with technology at the Neil Squire Society. The Neil Squire Society is the only national not-for-profit organization in Canada that has for over 25 years empowered Canadians with physical disabilities through the use of computer-based technologies, research and development, and various employment programs.
By Blessie Mathew
Over the past few years, CAPS: Your U of A Career Centre, the central career services office at the University of Alberta, has entered the world of online learning. The process involved continued thought and effort around issues like determining the demand for online services and structuring and positioning online learning to balance with and, in some cases, enhance in-person services. We were also compelled to find ways for staff with varying technological expertise to learn new technology, create high-quality career education and translate their advising and facilitation skills to a new environment, all while maintaining previously existing responsibilities.
By Allison Rosemond
As a Middle School (Grades 6 to 8) Career Specialist, it is difficult to find ways to enhance the career exploration process for students. At our school, however, virtual job shadowing has become a great way to incorporate technology and provide a unique extended learning opportunity (ELO).
by John Horn
Knowing how to analyze and measure the online presence of a career centre – or any service, for that matter – provides practitioners, managers, marketers, and front-line staff with the information needed to best serve clients. When measured effectively, understanding how clients access a website, what they do within the site, and where they go when they leave can impact everything from web-content to marketing strategies to in-person programming and advising. Wrapping our heads around the definitions, terminology and jargon of web analytics, however, can be challenging. What precisely is a “bounce rate” or an “impression” anyway?
by Christopher T. Sutton
In 2009, The Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) received funding from The Counselling Foundation of Canada to undertake its Transitioning Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth to Employment Project. This initiative was launched to develop a tool to aid deaf or hard of hearing students to prepare for the transitional phase from high school to post-secondary education or the workforce. This instrument would also be an asset for parents, caregivers and educators of these students as well as career service professionals who provide services to this client group. During the consultation phase, stakeholders suggested the creation of a central website would be preferable to relying on printed literature or materials. As a result CHS set out to develop a website to serve as a central linkage to the array of services and resources that would facilitate the transition of deaf or hard of hearing students from high school to post-secondary education or the labour market.