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How can career professionals ensure international students’ career success?

By Anna-Lisa Ciccocioppo and Martha Liliana Gonzalez

Many post-secondary campuses across Canada have seen a rapid increase in the number of international students in recent years, and this has led to the development of many targeted support services and programming for these students (Browne & Russell, 2014). At many universities including the University of Calgary, internationalization strategies have been developed, and attending to the growing percentage of international students is a major focus (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 2014). As counsellors and career development specialists who are just two of many international specialists working in various departments across our campus, we wanted to share what we have learned. We will briefly review pertinent literature on international students’ career development, followed by an outline of the various services developed at the University of Calgary and recommendations that follow from our experience.

It is important that career practitioners are aware of the challenges encountered by international students due to differing cultural values regarding career development (Yang, Wong, Hwang, & Heppner, 2002) and collective cultural orientation (Arthur & Popadiuk, 2010). Arthur (2016) recommends the following best practices for career practitioners working with international students: (a) Explore factors leading to being an international student (e.g., lack of opportunities in their home country); (b) Minimize assumptions re: students’ decidedness and the level of information and choice they have regarding their options; (c) Assess perceived influences on career decision making from both their home culture and host culture; and (d) Educate students regarding the nature and potential helpfulness of career counselling and advising.

Both the Students’ Union SU Wellness Centre (Counselling) and Career Services at the University of Calgary have greatly increased and enhanced the services they offer to international students (all services are free). In the SU Wellness Centre, we have hired a Student Support Advisor that specializes in international students, and we have hired two counsellors who specialize in working with international students and who develop programming as needed to support the needs of international students. Career Services has created the author’s position of International Career Development Specialist, who has developed many workshops and services to enhance the experience of international students. Services include: (a) Individual appointments for cover letter and resume review; (b) Interview preparation and mock interviews; (c) Job search and networking; (d) Canadian workplace culture; (e) Career options for your degree; and (f) Career planning and exploration. Workshop titles include: (a) Working in Canada; (b) Canadian Workplace Culture and Your Career Success in Canada; (c) Canadian Interviews and How to Prepare for One; (d) Writing a Canadian Resume and Cover Letter; (e) How to Prepare for a Career Fair as an International Student; (f) How to Gain Canadian Experience and Find a Job in Canada; and (g) Connecting with Other People in Canada. A Workplace Essential Skills program was offered to international graduate students last semester, and recent events have included “What to Do After You Graduate” and “Canadian Employer Perspectives on Hiring International Students”.

What have we learned from our work with students? Here are some recommendations:

1. Provide opportunities for international students to express their identity and to talk about their own experiences. The opportunity to share their uniqueness and hear about others’ uniqueness related to their cultures will make them more open to learning about Canadian culture. For example, ask international students to demonstrate how they introduce themselves to someone they are meeting for the first time, according to their culture (e.g., handshake).

2. Commend students on their language skills, as many international students often think they are not competent with their language abilities because they have an accent, even when they are fluent in the language. This can instill confidence.

3. Explore parental pressure and the conflict they may be experiencing between what their parents want for them and what they want. Parents’ wishes can sometimes reflect an emphasis on traditional roles – e.g., an expectation of choosing a career in the STEM fields – and so there can be guilt about exploring options in other fields that may not be endorsed, such as the liberal arts.

4. Encourage a balance between academics and other extracurricular activities both on and off campus. Some international students’ home countries have a sole focus on having a really high GPA and this may suffice for getting a good job back home, whereas in Canada it is also important to develop soft skills, seek out extracurricular experiences (e.g., being on the executive of a student club), and work experience. Some students may need extra encouragement to engage in these activities due to the fear of compromising their very high GPAs.

5. Educate students about the Canadian workplace culture. Many international students come from countries where the workplace culture is very different, and this lack of understanding may prevent them from presenting themselves appropriately for job opportunities.

6. Work closely with the international student services office and with regulated immigration consultants (sometimes based in the same office). Developing a good working relationship with them will enhance your ability to support international students, and will help you to know when to refer international students to regulated immigration consultants when they are investigating their eligibility to work in Canada.

7. Offer services in easy to understand language, with minimal jargon, when creating titles and content for workshops and services. For example, as “networking” means a computer system when you look this up in a dictionary, it can be quite confusing for international students. To avoid confusion, Career Services uses words such as “connecting” in lieu of “networking” when creating workshops for international students, as it conveys the meaning but in a way that is clear.

8. When preparing presentations for international students, consider using an appealing graphic image and/or key words for every idea being discussed. This can result in many slides, but it can be very helpful for students who are not fluent in English. It is also helpful to emphasize the international component of the presentation by including images of many world flags and photos representing people of various ethnicities. Including the translation of “Thank You” in many languages at the end of the presentation is also appreciated by international students.

Through reviewing the literature and our subsequent improvements to our service delivery, we have been able to enhance our facilitation of international students’ career success. We hope that our experience is informative to other career practitioners working with international students in Canada.

AUTHOR BIOS
Dr Anna-Lisa Ciccocioppo is a Registered Psychologist, Counsellor and Career Development Co-ordinator at the Students’ Union Wellness Centre at the University of Calgary. She has worked at the university for over 14 years. She works at Career Services on Wednesday afternoons to offer “Wellness Wednesdays,”including individual counselling sessions and workshops.

Martha Liliana Gonzalez is the International Career Development Specialist at Career Services at the University of Calgary. She has worked at the university for over eight years, including advising roles at the Career Centre at the Haskayne School of Business and Enrolment Services. She is currently completing her Master of Counselling degree.

References

Arthur, N. (2016). Counseling international students in the context of cross-cultural transitions. In P. B. Pedersen, W. J. Lonner, J. G. Draguns, J. E. Trimble, & M. R. Scharron-del Rio (Eds.), Counseling across cultures (pp. 01-321). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Arthur, N., & Popadiuk, N. (2010). A cultural approach to career counseling with international students. Journal of Career Development, 37, 423-440.

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (2014). Canada’s universities in the world: AUCC internationalization strategy. Ottawa, ON: AUCC.

Browne, J., & Russell, L. (2014). The practice of postsecondary career development. In B. C. Shepard & P. S. Mani (Eds.), Career development practice in Canada: Perspectives, principles, and professionalism (pp.361-382). Toronto, ON: Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling.

Yang, E., Wong, S. C., Hwang, M., & Heppner, M. J. (2002). Widening our global view: The development of career counselling services for international students. Journal of Career Development, 28, 203-213. doi:10.1023/A:1014070305879

By applying these eight recommendations, I have helped countless newcomers to Canada build their careers – in their chosen fields

By Joanna Samuels

Client: Is Canadian experience really required for getting a job in my field in Canada? I am new to Canada and am looking for work in accounting. I have been interviewed several times, and the feedback is that I do not have enough Canadian experience. My Microsoft Excel, QuickBooks and other technical skills are top-notch. These are required for the jobs. What is going on here?

Over the years, I have discussed this common complaint of our newcomer clients with other career professionals, job developers and coaches in community agencies as well as several employers from all industries with whom I collaborate. The general consensus from the front-line is that Canadian experience is not vital to getting a job in one’s field in Canada, other than a few cases in highly regulated fields such as engineering, medicine, law, chartered accounting and architecture. However, the staffing employment agencies who have a fee-for-service business model often require Canadian experience as demanded by their “clients” (employers).

To support this consensus, I have heard from countless hiring managers that they recognize and value international experience. Of course, as with every selection process, add the recruiters, it is critical that the client have the skills and qualifications required for the position. There are some cases in which I have read a job description that requires Canadian experience, and I have spoken to employers who are specific that they are looking for candidates with Canadian experience.
Some employers have explained to me that the phrase “lack of Canadian experience” is often code from the interviewer that the candidate will not fit into the workplace or team culture. In addition, this feedback can also be code for “you do not have the technical or soft skills we are looking for.” Often this means that the candidate is not communicating (verbally and non-verbally) and not properly prepared to handle the interview questions, especially the behavioural interview. Another employer remarked that Canadian experience was important because his company’s projects required extensive teamwork as defined by the Canadian workplace cultural norms. He felt that newcomers were used to a different way of working together. It is challenging to figure out the workplace culture. This applies to everyone looking for work in the job market. This is a subjective criterion for hiring a candidate, but research demonstrates that likeability is key when interviewers make hiring decisions.

Here are eight suggestions for career professionals on how to tackle this obstacle facing your newcomer and/or internationally trained clients with their efforts to build their careers in Canada:

1. Prepare.

Together with your client, prepare a sector-specific and targeted resume and cover letter, and interview presentation and social media profile, especially on LinkedIn. Research the company, their website, the job descriptions, and identify the hiring managers who would be interested in your client’s skills, experience and education. Learn the values, the workplace culture and the nature of the business by helping your client arrange information interviews, connecting with a mentor and engaging in sector associations. Use social media resources such as LinkedIn and Twitter to do this.

2. Communicate.

Teach your client how to articulate his or her skills, experiences, projects and talents in a clear, concise and effective way for both networking and interviewing purposes. Role play with your client so he or she can practice interview skills. There are government-funded specialized employment programs for newcomers to Canada such as Enhanced Language Training programs that might be worth exploring for your clients at sector-specific employment programs for newcomers.

3. Look for internships or placements.
Some newcomer jobseekers report that taking an opportunity to get Canadian experience, even if it’s nominally paid (or even unpaid) may be worth it. They are able to acquire hands-on experience that is critical for their resume and LinkedIn profile, keep their skills fresh and updated, build a professional network and hopefully obtain references and sometimes even paid employment, eventually. One source of local placements for newcomers is provided by Career Edge in Toronto. Some Enhanced Language Training (ELT) programs offer co-op placements.

4. Secure a mentor.
Linking your client up with a professional in their field can be a very effective way to make contacts and learn about the local labour market. TRIEC’s The Mentoring Partnership, is a great resource for this.

5. Consider evaluating your credentials and degrees.
Figuring out how your client’s credentials are evaluated in Canada can help to add to their credibility and competitiveness. Information on this process can be found at Settlement.org. This evaluation can be included in the resume under “Education” as: “evaluated by…. as equivalent to a Canadian Master’s degree…”

6. Build a professional network.
Since over 80% of the jobs in the labour market are hidden and can only be found through connections. It is critical that new immigrants (or any jobseeker, for that matter) network as much as possible through social media, associations, trade shows, conferences, career fairs and employer events, so to learn from and mingle with professionals in their field. Be sure to advise your client that the networking continues even after he or she secures employment!

7. Volunteer.
Although many of the newcomer clients that I worked with were hesitant about working for free, in our culture, giving back to the community is a value. It shows good citizenship to the employer in addition to helping your client help others, build his or her network, and sometimes gain a reference and experience. If possible, the client should find volunteer opportunities in his or her field (or close to it). If that is not possible, advise your client to spend time in a meaningful environment and meet people who might be in a position to refer them to others or to jobs. Once you come to an interview with a recommendation, your lack of local experience is less likely to be an issue.

8. Seek out Canada’s best diversity employers.
In an article in The Globe and Mail’s Ask a Recruiter column, Julie Labrie suggests that newcomers do research to identify organizations that lead the way in hiring diversely, such as the annual list of 100 companies that are Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. “See if companies in your field made those lists. Explore companies that market their services to the new-to-Canada segment, too. Many industries, including the financial and telecom sectors, are serving the immigrant population as a key part of their business strategy. Also consider applying for relevant government jobs related to your past experience,” she explains.

By applying the above eight recommendations in my practice over the past 11 years, I have helped countless newcomers to Canada build their careers here in their chosen fields. Further, I have educated many employers to focus on the strengths of the candidates regardless of their background rather than the lacking as good business drivers. I consider this as best practice and the strategies can be applied to any client looking for work in this competitive and complex labour market.

AUTHOR BIO
Joanna Samuels, MEd, CMF, RRP, is an Employment Resource Specialist at www.reena.org. She has over 11 years of experience providing supported and customized employment/career coaching, job development, facilitation and program co-ordination to diverse unemployed and underemployed jobseekers in the community. Samuels is also a certified Life Skills Coach, certified Personality Dimensions Facilitator, and part-time instructor of employment counselling with George Brown College’s Certificate of Community Mental Health program.

Playbook helps small businesses retain and develop employees

The Right Honourable Paul Martin was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006, Minister of Finance from 1993 to 2002 and he served as the Member of Parliament for LaSalle-Émard in Montreal, QC from 1988 to 2008. He graduated in honours philosophy and history from St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Domestically, Martin founded the Martin Family Initiative (MFI) focusing on elementary and secondary education opportunities for Aboriginal students and the Capital for Aboriginal Prosperity and Entrepreneurship (CAPE) Fund, an investment fund developing business expertise and mentoring for Indigenous business. In December 2011, he was appointed as a Companion to the Order of Canada. He married Sheila Ann Cowan in 1965 and they have three sons: Paul, Jamie and David, and five grandchildren.

1. In one sentence, describe why career development matters.

Career development matters because it is integral to achieving a fulfilling future for each of us. Furthermore, the future of a country depends on the way in which its younger citizens approach the years and decades that lie ahead.

2. Which book are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading The Orenda by Joseph Boyden.

3. What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to work in Africa on economic development.

4. Name one thing you wouldn’t be able to work without?

The support of Therese Horvath, who has been my assistant since 1988.

5. What activity do you usually turn to when procrastinating?

Exercise. It also helps keep my back healthy.

6. What song do you listen to for inspiration?

Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” … sung by the composer or kd lang, a Canadian singer and songwriter.

7. Which word do you overuse?

“Essentially” or “basic.”

8. Who would you have liked to work with most?

Nelson Mandela.

9. Which talent or superpower would you like to have?

The ability to foresee the future.

10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The Kelowna Accord. Although it was rejected by the government that followed mine, it nonetheless established the only process that can work because it sustains the partnership that is so essential between government and the Indigenous people of this land.

(Photo courtesy of Paul Martin)

Patterns and Determinants of Immigrants’ Sense of Belonging to Canada and Their Source Country

This 2016 study by Statistics Canada assesses immigrants’ acculturation profiles as measured by their sense of belonging to Canada and their source country by looking at possible acculturation outcomes and determinants as well as data from the Statistics Canada’s 2013 General Social Survey.

statcan.gc.ca/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2016383-eng.pdf

Literature Search: Career Development Challenges Facing Immigrants

This CERIC literature search updated in November 2016 covers topics such as: Educational attainment; Post-secondary education; Bridging programs; Gender, class and race; Immigrant skills; Immigrant women; and more.

ceric.ca/literature-searches

Refugee Career Jumpstart Project (RCJP)

The Refugee Career Jumpstart Project (RCJP) is a Canadian non-profit focused on streamlining the process between the arrival of Syrian refugees and their employment.

rcjp.ca

Webinar Recording: Best Practices Working with International Students

In this webinar recording from the National Career Development Association (NCDA), learn strategies of engaging employers in the benefits of hiring international students, gain tools to working across campus to address the needs of international students and develop resources to expand global opportunities for international students.

bit.ly/2ixhq81

Globalization and Canada’s PSEs: Opportunities and Challenges

A new Conference Board of Canada report finds that between 2004 and 2014 the number of international enrolments expanded by 122%, compared to only 24.5% in Canadian enrolments. However, to make the most of the opportunities, Canada needs to effectively settle and integrate international students.

conferenceboard.ca/e-library

Immigrant Access Fund

The Immigrant Access Fund supports immigrants, including refugees, who arrive in Canada equipped with professional skills but face barriers to employment. IAF provides micro loans of up to $10,000 so they can obtain the Canadian licensing or training they need to work in their field.

iafcanada.org

By Ben Yang

How cultural values and assumptions influence international students and newcomers’ career choices and job search behaviour

In his bestselling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey advocates the habit “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” This is a motivational message that has inspired immigrants to overcome culture and language barriers to integrate into the Canadian workplace. However, when it comes to understanding immigrants, there seems to be a lack of reciprocal awareness for learning other cultural values and behaviours on the part of the host community. Often career practitioners focus their efforts on teaching Canadian norms and expectations.

Culture, the ‘lens’ through which we view the world

As a former international student from China, I remember my uneasy feeling at the “assertiveness training” offered at my university’s career centre. Rationally, I understood that communicating confidently was an important skill for my career success in Canada. But, emotionally, I felt that the assertiveness, promoted in the workshop, came across as impolite and selfish. It contradicts the Eastern virtue of being humble and modest; the cultural value I was brought up. As a result of this internal conflict, my assertiveness act, in the workshop role play, was unconvincing and lacked authenticity. After nearly 30 years living in Canada, putting on an assertive persona is still awkward for me, similar to wearing someone else’s jacket.

Cultural values are instilled in people by a dominate social norm during the formative years. Once they are formed, cultural values are deeply rooted and carry a strong inertia. They profoundly impact on an individual’s attitude and behaviours towards communication, relationships and decision making. Kevin Avruch and Peter W. Black, two scholars at George Mason University in Virginia, define culture as « the ‘lens’ through which we view the world; the ‘logic’ by which we order it; and the ‘grammar’ by which it makes sense.”
In the area of career development, cultural values significantly influence individuals’ approach in finding work and workplace behaviours. What information can be shared or kept private in an interview; how punctuality is understood; how to relate with people in authority; what is considered ethical and unethical at a networking event; to what extent people can negotiate their salary; whether a conversation with a co-worker should be formal or informal; and even what is viewed as formal and informal are all interpreted through a particular cultural « lens », « logic » and « grammar. »

« High-context culture » vs. « low-context culture »

Since culture is complex, it is impossible for any individual to learn all aspects of one culture, let alone to know everything about many cultures. The « high-context culture » and « low-context culture » framework developed by the American anthropologist Edward Hall in the 1970s provides a valuable tool for career professionals to understand communication styles and cultural values that are different from their own.

According to Hall, high-context cultures rely more on non-verbal and contextual cues to convey a message. The responsibility for comprehension lies mainly with the receiver of the message, who is attuned to subtleties conveyed by markers such as body language, silence, a person’s status, tone of voice, and the presence or absence of significant individuals. People from high-context cultures regard the emotional quality of communication as more important than words. Maintaining social harmony and « saving face » by avoiding open conflicts are paramount for high-context cultures.

Countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East and South America are considered high-context cultures. Indigenous communities in North America also share high-context cultural characteristics.
In contrast to high-context cultures, low-context cultures communicate information in a direct manner that relies mainly on words. There is little or no implied meaning apart from the words that are being said. Cohesiveness is less important and emphasis is placed on persuasion and logical argument. The responsibility for communication lies mainly with the sender of the message to provide clear reasoning and facts. In low-context cultures, evidence is more important than intuition in decision making. Individuality (personal space and privacy) and independence are valued in low-context cultures. Social conformity and behavioural expectations are not emphasized to the same extent as in high-context cultures. Countries such as the US, Canada, Germany and Switzerland are considered low-context cultures.

The impact of cultural differences

Some years ago, I was a part of a group that developed a mentorship program to match Canadian lawyers with internationally trained lawyers. The objective was to help immigrant lawyers to enter the legal field in Canada. A female attorney at a law firm in Toronto volunteered to mentor a female lawyer recently immigrated to Canada from Iran. The mentor was enthusiastic and eager to help but she was very upset when her mentee, the Iranian lawyer, stormed out during their first meeting.

« How did it happen? » I asked the mentor. « I don’t know, » she replied. She explained, « Right after I asked the question ‘Why do you want to stay in Canada?,’ her face changed and she stood up and walked out. » For most Canadians, « Why do you want to stay in Canada? » is a value-neutral question without any implied judgement. From a low-context culture background, the Toronto lawyer was totally surprised to learn that according to the « logic » and « grammar » of a high-context culture, the question was interpreted as a sneaky way of degrading the immigrant’s home country and challenging the legitimacy of the mentee’s intention to immigrate to Canada.

In another interaction, a Chinese student tried to give an expensive watch to a manager of an IT company at a networking event. In China, the concept of « networking » is more than getting to know each other and exchange information. Fancy banquets, gift giving and even passing « red bags » (red envelopes with cash that symbolize good luck) are not uncommon at networking events. However, viewing from the « lens » of the low-context culture employer, the gift giving symbolized an expectation of a favourable hiring decision. In his mind, it was bribery and unethical. What frustrated the manager even more was that when he criticized the student, she kept smiling while she was saying « I’m sorry. » In East Asia, there are many types of smiles that have nothing to do with humour. Certain types of smiles actually express embarrassment, apology and guilt. The non-verbal cue was completely missed in the exchange between the high-context culture student and the low-context culture manager.

Understanding differences for more effective career counselling

There are countless examples where behaviours are considered perfectly « normal » in one culture, but unacceptable and even unthinkable in the other. Sometimes people personalize an unfamiliar intercultural encounter and become suspicious about the other’s integrity and intention. But when people examine the unfamiliar closely, they realize that the parties involved simply conducted themselves using a different “lens », « logic » and « grammar » without any sinister intent.

Based on Hall’s framework, most of the career strategies such as « assertiveness training » and « self-directed career decision making » are developed according to the « logic » and « grammar » rooted in low-context culture values. Since Canada plans to welcome 280,000 to 305,000 new immigrants in 2016 (2015 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration) and the majority of them are from high-context cultures – a trend that is forecasted to continue – it is critical for career professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the clients they serve and develop culturally effective and appropriate strategies to assist immigrants to succeed in the Canadian workplace.

Ben Yang came to Canada as an international student from Beijing, China. Currently he serves as the Director, Global Engagement at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON. Prior to this, Yang worked at the University of Toronto for 19 years as a Career Counsellor and then as the Director of the International Student Centre. He is a frequent presenter on cross-cultural communication and career development to international students and immigrants in Canada.

References

Avruch, Kevin and Peter W. Black. 1993. Conflict Resolution in Intercultural Settings: Problems and Prospects, in D. Sandole and H. van der Merwe, eds., Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice Integration and Application. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. Pp. 133.Hall, Edward. 1976, “Beyond Culture” Anchor Books, A division of Random House. Inc. New York

What is the future of jobs in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The World Economic Forum released a report earlier this year on The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, analyzing current disruptions to business models with data collected from over 13 million employees across nine industries globally and 15 major developing and emerging economies.

Using the collected data, the report makes predictions on future skills needs, recruitment patterns and occupational requirements as a result of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – the time period that we are currently experiencing, according to some industry observers – which is marked by developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, 3D printing and biotechnology.

While skills sets that are currently in demand may continue to remain so in the future, many will differ with the expected emergence of new jobs and industries. The report predicts that 39% of jobs across all industries will require complex problem-solving skills, only 4% of jobs will demand physical strength, and social skills, including emotional intelligence, will be in higher demand than narrow technical skills. The report also focuses on the need and benefit of promoting a diverse workforce.

To read the full report, visit weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs.

Maternity Leave Guides benefit employers and employees

Women make up approximately 50% of Canada’s labour force and account for 58% of post-secondary graduates. Of the working women who do become mothers, 90% will take a maternity leave. However, 36% of new mothers feel that taking maternity leave negatively impacts their opportunity for promotions, career development and career progression.
Canada Career Counselling, with funding from CERIC, has developed two new guides – Making It Work! How to Effectively Navigate Maternity Leave Career Transitions: An Employee’s Guide and An Employer’s Guide – to assist employers and employees in developing positive career management practices for facilitating maternity leave.
The Employer’s Guide is intended for anyone who employs, leads, manages, trains, coaches or supports pregnant, adoptive and parenting women at work.
The Employee’s Guide is intended for women taking a maternity leave,  and equally applicable to women who are experiencing their first or subsequent maternity leave career transition.

The guides cover: redefining career advancement; communications and return-to-work plans; and flexible work options.

To access both guides, visit ceric.ca/maternity_employer and ceric.ca/maternity_employee.

November is Canada Career Month!

The Canadian Council for Career Development (3CD) has declared November 2016 as Canada Career Month. This new initiative seeks participation from career professionals, educators, employers, governments, agencies and the Canadian public in general.

Participation in Canada Career Month can vary from hosting events, writing articles and blogs on career management, posting videos on community events, devoting a professional development day to career development within organizations, and adding a career development component to panel discussions and conferences.

The 3CD is spearheading several events, including a Career Day on Parliament Hill set for November 3, community events at regional schools, offices and job fairs, a docuseries launch as well as media appearances.

Share how you are planning on celebrating Canada Career Month or find out how you can get involved by visiting careermonth.ca, the Canada Career Month Facebook page at CCMSCC or by following @careermonth on Twitter.

New Certification for career professionals section on ContactPoint

The newest section on the ContactPoint online community lists certifications and designations of interest to career development professionals across Canada. It provides brief descriptions of professional certifications offered, provincially, nationally and internationally with links to more information.

Earning professional certification allows career professionals to stay relevant, better support their clients, validates their expertise and skills and helps enhance the credibility of the career development field.

Members of ContactPoint are welcome to add any certification or designation to the list. Create your free ContactPoint account and click the Add a Listing button or email contactpoint@ceric.ca with the details.

A program of CERIC, ContactPoint is an online community dedicated to providing multi-sector career development professionals with resources, learning and networking opportunities. ContactPoint also has a sister French site, OrientAction, with distinct content geared to francophone career development professionals.

View the Certification section at contactpoint.ca/certifications-for-career-professionals.

Every university and college student should access work-integrated learning

Making work-integrated learning (WIL) a fundamental part of the Canadian undergraduate experience has been set as a national goal by Canada’s Business/Higher Education Roundtable, a year-old organization representing some of the country’s leading companies and post-secondary institutions.

Roundtable members agreed to work together to ensure 100% of Canadian post-secondary students benefit from some form of meaningful work-integrated learning. Their commitment includes a national campaign to promote the importance of WIL, and a series of WIL pilot projects focused on meeting regional and sectoral workforce needs and improving school-to-work transitions for young Canadians.

According to Universities Canada, 55% of undergraduate students currently benefit from some form of WIL during their studies. A 2011 survey by Higher Education Strategy Associates found that among university undergraduates, 16% had participated in a co-op and 18% participated in internships, placements or practicum programs. Meanwhile, 70% of college students participate in some form of WIL, according to the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

Roundtable members also encouraged the growth and development of WIL programs beyond traditional co-ops and internships, such as capstone projects, hackathons, industry challenges, mentorship programs and boot camps.

Learn more at bher.ca.

Best practices for working with Inuit clients

With few existing targeted measures to foster the career development and ongoing employment of Inuit clients, a reference guide, Pinasuutitsaq, was created to help fill this gap. While this resource is designed for career counsellors who work with Inuit peoples, it is also relevant for other professionals, such as social workers or teachers.

The guide offers strategies that highlight good practices, as well as pitfalls which should be avoided, and is divided into four chapters:

1. Contextualization: A brief summary of the Inuit context, major employment challenges and culture
2. Issues: Targeted courses of action related to 12 common issues
3. Strategies: 50 effective strategies for interventions with an Inuit clientele organized according to 11 themes
4. Resources: References and other resources to further explore various themes or subjects

The guide was developed by Regroupement québécois des organismes pour le développement de l’employabilité (RQuODE) with project funding support from CERIC and the Kativik Regional Government and is available in English and French.

To access the guide, visit ceric.ca/inuit_career.

Encouraging post-secondary students to become peer advisors can increase their personal career clarity and assist them to make the link between post-secondary study and work

By Analise Anderson-Ma

Two years ago, I began a Master of Arts in Higher Education, focusing on student development theory. As classes were beginning, I was offered a part-time role in the University of Toronto’s St George Career Centre. In this role, I assisted in co-ordinating the Peer Career Advisor Program, the first-stop for career advice at the University of Toronto Career Centre. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to synthesize my in-class learning with my real-world experience when I decided to focus my thesis on the peer career advisors’ (peers) development. I collected data from participants using a mixed methods approach, including pre-post tests of career clarity and bi-weekly journal entries. As part of my study, I looked at the impact of their role on their own career clarity development.

The peer career advisors involved in this study were hired as part-time students, working a total of 8-12 hours per week between late August and early February. Peer career advisors are often the first point of contact for students at the Career Centre, responsible for meeting with students one-on-one to understand the career-related needs and questions each student brings to the Career Centre, and providing recommendations to resources that would be particularly helpful to each student. Therefore, when hiring peer career advisors, we look for students who have excellent verbal communication and advising skills, genuine interest in helping fellow students, and an introductory understanding of tasks involved in career exploration.

In total, 14 peers participated, 10 of who were preparing to graduate in the next year and were in their fourth-year of study or greater (undergraduate or graduate studies). Since the program mostly employs upper-year students as peer career advisors, those hired are often in the role for just one year. At the start of the study, six participants reported they had decided on a career after graduation, while four answered they had “maybe” decided and another four hadn’t yet decided. All of those who had not yet decided were in their final year of study. This is worrying, considering how close to graduation (and the decisions that accompany this life change – like choosing a full-time role in the world of work, or choosing to continue on to graduate study) these students are.

Participants were motivated to be peers for several reasons including skill development, with 13 of 14 participants motivated by the opportunity for personal skill development and 10 motivated by the opportunity to develop skills applicable within their anticipated career. Half (50%) were also motivated by the opportunity to gain knowledge that would assist in developing career clarity.

So, were the participants successful in gaining that career clarity-related knowledge? It seems that they were! Four participants reported an increased awareness around the types of career opportunities their education and experiences were preparing them for, indicating that these participants had developed a greater understanding of how their knowledge and skills would be applicable at work. Additionally, three participants reported increased knowledge in each of the following areas: how to establish a job search and a professional network; day-to-day work; and trade-offs required to achieve the kind of lifestyle desired five years after graduating (although three participants also reported this had become less clear since the pre-test). This indicates that participants had developed greater knowledge of their work lives and how to find work. The knowledge that participants reported having gained with regard to career clarity aligns with the topics on which they advise students through their roles as peer career advisors. In addition to developing this knowledge through their roles, participants also reported that attendance at Career Centre workshops (including those specifically for peers), job fairs and meetings with career educators were also helpful in developing this knowledge.

Peers were also asked to describe behavioural changes since the pre-test (for example, joining a career-related co-curricular club or organization, speaking with professionals about their work or participating in job shadowing opportunities). While three participants had joined a career-related club or organization since the pre-test, participants did not report participation in any additional activities, indicating that although participants are developing career clarity-related knowledge, they weren’t putting it to use. When asked about barriers to development, the most frequent response was lack of free time and a need to balance multiple priorities. When asked what might be helpful in overcoming this barrier, one participant mentioned a “workshop for students balancing work (employment) and education [to] gain tips and techniques to more effectively balance job and education.”

Another reason the participants may not be taking action to increase career clarity might be that although they have gathered general career-related knowledge (narrowing their options down to a field of interest), they require further knowledge to understand its real-world applicability. For example, one of the participants who had decided to pursue graduate study stated, “the abundance of [program] options led to some confusion,” about which program would be the best fit. Another participant described lacking clarity about how knowledge and skills developed during undergraduate study were applicable to new graduate job opportunities available today. Some of the participants recognized that conducting informational interviews with university admissions staff and industry professionals might help to close this knowledge gap. The St George Career Centre offers several workshops and programs, including a database of contacts, intended to prepare students for participation in informational interviews.

We recognize that students will, throughout their time in school, be managing multiple priorities (e.g., academic work, part-time jobs, co-curricular involvement and personal commitments). Therefore, we must find ways to help students develop career clarity as part of those activities that are their top-of-mind commitments. For example, peer career advisors attend reflection-based meetings focused on identifying skills they are developing through their roles, and thinking through how these skills might be explained to employers. Another program offered by the Career Centre embeds career exploration curriculum in second-year classrooms, and offers students the opportunity to be matched with a job shadowing placement reflective of the kind of work students might complete several years after graduating. Initiatives like these can help students bridge the gap between recognizing a need to gather career-related knowledge and taking action toward career clarity.

AUTHOR BIO

Analise Anderson-Ma works as a Career Exploration Co-ordinator at the St George Career Centre in the University of Toronto. Anderson-Ma completed her thesis entitled Development of Peer Advisors’ Competencies and Career Clarity in the St George Career Centre at the University of Toronto under supervision of Dr Katharine Janzen (OISE/UT). She was a recipient of CERIC’s Graduate Student Engagement Program Award. If you’d like more information on this project, contact analise.anderson@utoronto.ca.

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Chaos Theory of Careers Explained – Interview with Jim Bright

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bit.ly/2dmom7F

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Career Crafting the Decade After High School: Professional’s Guide

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A Guide to Planning Your Career – Government of Manitoba

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manitobacareerdevelopment.ca/CDi/docs/plan_your_career.pdf

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lifereimagined.aarp.org