{"id":23406,"date":"2015-06-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ceric.org\/2015\/06\/selling-career-professionals\/"},"modified":"2015-06-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-06-10T04:00:00","slug":"selling-career-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceric.ca\/fr\/2015\/06\/selling-career-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Selling career professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

What can we do to help Canadians understand the value of career services?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Jaime Watt<\/em><\/p>\n

The first time I came in contact with a career professional was about 40 years ago. I was a confused kid, suffering from an embarrassment of too many options and lacking one clear passion. So I met with a specialist who gave me lots of tests to do, and the verdict was pronounced: I was to be a funeral director.<\/p>\n

Over the years, and as my career has developed, I have had a lot of laughs at that advice, but if I am honest, he actually got the core attribute right; just the recommendation wrong. Empathy, central to any successful funeral director, has been crucial to whatever modest career success I have enjoyed.<\/p>\n

Without one abiding passion, I spent my working years in a variety of different jobs which I very much enjoyed, but the enthusiasm never lasted. I eventually started my own business. As I look back, I realized that I asked a wide range of specialists and friends for advice, but I never thought to talk to a career professional again.<\/p>\n

At this point, you might be asking yourself why I\u2019m telling you this. Perhaps my story matters because my career journey, like that of most Canadians, is far from linear. Of course, it\u2019s unique to me, grounded in opportunity and happenstance, and this is exactly what makes the job of career professionals so difficult. No one-size-fits-all model with what you do; clients are demanding individual, tailored advice.<\/p>\n

And now, for you, change is everything: Now that the world is changing so quickly, how can the career development sector cope when the past is no longer prologue to the future and when experience can be limiting instead of affirming? What happens when our experience isn\u2019t all that relevant anymore?<\/p>\n

This<\/em> is the challenge for career development, a challenge that\u2019s compounded by the fact that there\u2019s so much variety, fragmentation within the field and, consequently, with the message that\u2019s conveyed to Canadians, and a lack of understanding of how valuable career development services can be.<\/p>\n

Our team at Navigator conducted a poll of 1,500 Canadians to get a better sense of their view of career development services. We didn\u2019t discover anything that would set you back on your heels.The research did<\/em> confirm the importance of your role and the tremendous opportunities that exist in your sector. However\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

People don\u2019t know what you do or how to access your services.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In our research, respondents, themselves, made a clear distinction between a career<\/em> and a job<\/em>. A job is a role you\u2019re in to make ends meet, but a career is the role you aspired to and then achieved.<\/p>\n

And here is where you come in: Those with a career \u2013 work they aspired to and planned for \u2013 are significantly<\/em> more likely to have accessed career counselling services compared to those with a job, and while only small proportions access these services, those that do are inclined to find them more effective.<\/p>\n

However, there are barriers to accessing career services:<\/p>\n

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  1. Some respondents said they didn\u2019t think they needed to access these services because they knew what they wanted to do;<\/li>\n
  2. They never considered career services because they didn\u2019t know the option was there;<\/li>\n
  3. They had no clear idea of the types of services that were available;<\/li>\n
  4. They didn\u2019t know how to select services appropriate for them;<\/li>\n
  5. They didn\u2019t know where to look; and<\/li>\n
  6. They were concerned about costs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    These results are probably not surprising to you. Taken in sum, the research solidifies and codifies the fact that career professionals have a profile problem. However, as mentioned before, those that do use your services are much more likely to end up in careers they love. And for those that don\u2019t use your services, about 50% said that, in retrospect, they would have benefited from career counselling. So the key is to demonstrate the value of career development services to the Canadian public.<\/p>\n

    \"Watt_chart\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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    Career professionals have done a great job at creating meaningful services, but if no one knows about it, what\u2019s the point? For instance, when post-secondary career centres fail to articulate their value to students, the institution may perceive the centre as a cost and prioritize spending for areas perceived as revenue generators. After all, price only matters when there is no other concept of value.<\/p>\n

    So what can you do to raise the profile of the profession? What can you do to adjust your communications so that you speak clearly to your stakeholders and target audiences? And, importantly, how can you demonstrate value?<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

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    1. Champion your successes and tell your stories. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Nothing is more powerful and poignant than hearing directly from the ones you helped. You help people find careers they love; you help young, overwhelmed students navigate their academic choices towards a complex job market; you help mid-career workers figure out how to transition in a changing world; you help people leave a dead-end job in which they feel trapped for the greener pastures of a career they will love. I\u2019m sure all of you can think of countless examples of individual success stories that you\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n

      You need to tell these stories. You need to champion these stories.<\/p>\n

      Use social media. Continue to build relationships with high school counsellors, university counsellors and university professors \u2013 typically the first line of defence for young people trying to make it in the job market. Use the resources of CERIC, so that your successes are housed under one succinct umbrella. When you do this, you will garner results tenfold.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

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      1. Take advantage of digital communications when influencing your target audiences.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Having access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels does not necessarily mean they are used efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\n