BLOG

Help clients reflect on their career break so they can address it with confidence during job search

Marie-Hélène Collin, Éric Damato and Mélanie Grégoire

Life brings us its share of unexpected events and surprises that affect our career path. Whether it’s a sick leave, accident, sabbatical year or extended maternity/paternity leave, career breaks evoke an array of emotions. Sometimes they are positive, other times they can cause a certain level of anxiety.

Some people voluntarily take a break between jobs to restore their psychological health before returning to work. In fact, when possible and desirable, it is not uncommon for a counsellor to suggest that a client take some time to reflect before beginning an active job search.

Regardless of the reasons for taking career breaks, they can be difficult to justify on a resume or in an interview. Some people worry about “gaps” in their career path. Others, seemingly more ingenious, cheat by extending job dates or changing job titles. This strategy is risky, as companies can verify the veracity of the information provided in a resume. It could even be seen as fraud that would justify dismissal. It is also unnecessary, because for candidates with equal skills, the majority of employers are more interested in their “soft skills” and personality. The know-how can be taught on the job.

Many jobseekers try to fill in the gaps in their resumes or explain the obstacles they have overcome to increase their chances of getting the job they want. So, how can they justify their decision to take a professional break after the fact? We suggest evaluating the issue based on multiple factors, since the answer depends on the nature of the break, the perceived losses and gains, and the attitude of the person who made the decision. Each situation has its advantages and disadvantages; while some see it as an opportunity, others describe it as an unavoidable barrier to overcome.

The role of the career development counsellor

Career development counsellors are trained to help separate facts from emotions, so that they can be translated into experiences, skills and abilities that will enhance their clients’ employability profile.

Their role is to make their clients aware of what they have learned from their experience and how to interpret it. When the clients are assessing the relevance of disclosing their professional break, the counsellor helps them make an informed decision about what information to reveal.

Read more from the Career Pivots issue of Careering:

Optimizing engagement to pivot effectively

Developing a change-ready mindset during the pandemic and beyond

‘Hard to stay motivated’: Strategies to boost client momentum in job search

It’s essential for the counsellors to be careful: they must find the best way to help their clients without dictating what to do and how to do it. It’s up to the clients to “make up their own mind” on the issue, in keeping with their own values and the explanation they wish to put forward to address (or not) this personal chapter of their life.

To help clients deepen their reflection, we suggest asking some questions that will allow them to put into words their life experiences in a professional context:

• What justified this temporary withdrawal from the labour market?
• What did they learn?
• What specific skill(s) did they have the opportunity to develop?
• What meaning do they attribute to this period?
• How can this enrichment be transposed into the desired professional context?
• How was this time away necessary professionally? (if applicable)

Transforming experiences into transferable strengths

Here are some concrete examples of life situations that have allowed people who have experienced career breaks to develop transferable strengths.

Throughout this exchange, it is entirely appropriate to use creativity to transform experiences into the development of competencies that continuously improve “soft skills.” Hence the relevance of being guided by a professional to objectify the circumstances and their impact on one’s professional life.

Once the client has identified what she or he would like to mention on the resume and in the selection interview, the counsellor can give an opinion on how to present the information.

For example, the counsellor may propose changing the chronology of the experiences to emphasize the client’s skills, suggest removing a few short, insignificant experiences to lighten the content, or advise grouping the experiences together to reduce the impression of instability caused by frequent job changes. It’s all in the attitude and the art of saying things.

Beyond the words, what is most important?

It’s said that finding meaning in a situation that seems to have deviated from the original path can change the entire perception. In this sense, being comfortable with the narrative presented gives it credibility.

Marie-Hélène Collin has been a career counsellor for more than 15 years and is a partner in Individual Services at Brisson Legris.

Éric Damato has been an organizational career counsellor for over 20 years and is a partner in Organizational Services at Brisson Legris.

Mélanie Grégoire is co-owner of the firm Brisson Legris, has a master’s degree in Sociology with a specialization in vocational rehabilitation, holds the Registered Vocational Professional designation, and has been an author and vocational rehabilitation counsellor for over 20 years.

Survey examines how Kwantlen Polytechnic University grads are navigating work, education and life disruptions

Candy Ho and John Grant

Many of us have experienced the exhilarating and scary process of transitioning from education into the so-called real world. Imagine this situation when an unprecedented, unanticipated event arrives – one that has a major (and sometimes devastating) impact on our life. Any semblance of excitement is displaced by uncertainty and confusion. Welcome to the world of the class of 2020.

Statistics Canada (2020) has reported on disruptions students faced as a result of the pandemic. For students who expected to graduate in 2020, 54% expressed major concerns that their credentials may not be deemed equivalent. There is also much discussion around students’ concerns about graduating into what many deem an economic depression.

As a career practitioner in a post-secondary environment (Candy Ho) and an expert in alumni relations (John Grant), we were keen to explore how the class of 2020 has been affected by these unprecedented circumstances. Are the crises as bad as news headlines lead us to believe? Are these young professionals demonstrating resilience and adaptability? How can our institutions best support these graduates? Ho initiated a study to explore these questions.

The study was conducted in November 2020 as an online anonymous survey with 2020 Faculty of Arts graduates at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. It was distributed to 357 graduates, of which 59 (17%) responded in full.

The survey was designed using Nancy Schlossberg’s 4S Transition Theory model (1981; 2011) and thus touched upon four core areas of exploration: self, situation, support and strategies. Here’s what we discovered.

Read more from Careering

How career exploration affects admission and scholarship success

Career competencies and skills translation: Helping students prepare for the future of work

Client Side: Grade 12 was tough enough. Then the pandemic hit

Self: How has the pandemic affected graduates’ level of confidence in their post-university lives?  

The pandemic has had a major impact on both the confidence that class of 2020 graduates have in themselves and in their future career or academic prospects.

Before COVID-19, 83% of respondents felt hopeful about their post-university transition. Many were looking forward to jobs, volunteer opportunities or further education, or were already gainfully employed. However, this number plummeted to only 38%, a 45-point drop, as graduates entered the seventh month of the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, 75% felt that they had control over their career success, whereas during the pandemic, this number fell to only 42% of respondents. Many new graduates felt lost, alone and stuck in their pursuits:

“I have been forced to take two jobs that I had planned to stop doing as I wanted to start pursuing my career in criminology but this pandemic has left me where I am. I feel like I am not growing, but rather stuck.”

Situation: How does the pandemic impact and influence students’ post-graduation goals and plans?

“I was laid off while in pursuit of full-time work, as well as let go from volunteering both due to the shutdown. [I] have struggled to find new work and had to return to a previous job (not in my field) in order to make ends meet.”

The majority (80%) of respondents expressed that they were required to make adjustments to their short- and long-term goals due to the pandemic: taking lower-paying jobs, the first job offer available or a job unrelated to their studies. Others mentioned remaining in a part-time job or with a current employer when they were initially planning to exit, or even becoming self-employed.

Several indicated that finding a job has become more competitive, as more experienced workers who have lost their jobs are now competing for similar roles. For those planning to pursue further studies, they cited a significant delay in their plans as they were no longer able to travel and/or not willing to complete their studies in an online capacity.

Students identified a lack of employment opportunities and financial instability as the biggest barriers they face in achieving their goals.

Support: What resources or supports do they have from their network? What is missing for them that they might need (e.g. professional mentorship) and how do they go about obtaining these resources?

Respondents most frequently cited social and emotional support such as family, friends or colleagues. Less than half did not feel supported in their career development and also do not know where to find such support.

We asked if there was one thing that post-secondary institutions could do to support their successful transition. Interestingly, students identified career services and programming that are generally considered standard offerings by most institutions, highlighting an opportunity for career services to better promote their programs:

• Promoting career and job opportunities – tailored content for alumni
• Seminars on job application writing and interviews
• Help with graduate school applications
• Online job fair and networking opportunities
• Lobbying to government for further support for recent graduates
• Financial and counselling support for graduates

Social capital also remains important (having friends and family), but what remains unclear is if recent graduates are leveraging these relationships for career support.

“My parents have been the biggest help for me financially, and my boyfriend emotionally. I never asked for any kind of help outside of my friends group, I just never did. I’m not used to asking for help I guess.”

Strategies: How can the pandemic experience be leveraged to adjust or strengthen their post-graduation goals and trajectory?

“I do see the upheaval of 2020 as an opportunity to innovate long-standing systems which have become stagnant for a very long time. Change is good.”

Despite challenges experienced, we were curious if our respondents could reflect upon the pandemic as an opportunity to adjust or perhaps even strengthen their professional trajectory and overall transition. What we discovered is that many found value in spending more time with their loved ones, or considered new paths that may not otherwise have transpired due to happenstance.

“I would not have applied for graduate school if the pandemic didn’t happen.”

Conclusion

With the completion of our first phase, we will conduct another survey to determine how these graduates have adjusted since fall 2020 and to explore more themes in detail through focus groups. We speculate that these transition issues are not new – every class of graduates discovers unexpected challenges; however, we suspect that these issues are more pronounced due to the pandemic.

This study emphasizes the need to help graduates develop a career mindset early on – not just when they are about to graduate. Shifting to a lifelong career management approach can distribute the access to and awareness of support throughout a student’s academic journey and beyond. We are keen to continue learning from our participants, and to generate recommendations for institutions to better help students and alumni conceptualize their career development process as a canoe: moving and shifting with the ebb and flow of life and transitions.

Dr. Candy Ho is honoured to serve as Vice-Chair of CERIC. She is the inaugural Assistant Professor, Integrative Career and Capstone Learning in the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. She also holds teaching positions in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Educational Studies department and in Douglas College’s Career Development Practitioner Program.

John Grant is a lecturer in Applied Communications, School of Business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and a visiting lecturer with Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business. His background is in higher education administration, the majority of which was spent in alumni relations. Grant also holds an MEd in Post-Secondary Leadership from Simon Fraser University. 

References

Schlossberg, N. K. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaptation to transition. The Counseling Psychologist, 9(2), 2-18. doi: 10.1177/001100008100900202

Schlossberg, N. K. (2011). The challenge of change: The transition model and its applications. Journal of Employment Counseling, 48, 159-162. doi: 10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01102.x

Statistics Canada. (2020). COVID-19 Pandemic: Academic impacts on postsecondary students in Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00015-eng.htm

These strategies can help leaders create a framework for meaningful work that aligns with employee goals

Shahrzad Arasteh

The pandemic has affected how we work, our priorities and the resources ­available to meet organizational and individual needs and goals. However, career development remains a priority for many people. Research and anecdotal evidence consistently show that opportunities for career development are a key factor in career decision-making and employee engagement (Mullen O’Keefe, 2020; Morris, 2018). It can affect hiring and retention, as well as organizational reputation and performance.

In my work with organizations and individual clients, the theme of meaningful career development and career management consistently shows up. It may be a manager who wonders how they can best support their team’s career development needs; an employee who is proactively thinking about the skills they need for their next step; or someone who is frustrated because they don’t feel supported in their efforts to move their career forward.

Here are a few strategies and tools that managers and organizations can use to build stronger career development frameworks.

1. Clarify what career development and career management mean in your organization

As a first step, organizations should outline how they define employee career development and what they offer in this area. This should be done in consultation with staff and career professionals. Individuals will also want to reflect on what career development means to them and what managing their career well would look like. This will enable them to express the kind of support they need to advance in their work to their employer or manager.

This process will help create a common understanding and language around career development/management between organizations and current or prospective employees. It will make clear that career development within an organization is a shared responsibility between the staff member and their manager.

2. Have one-on-one career conversations

Managers should offer regular opportunities for staff to share their interests and goals and get feedback and support. This is a chance for leaders to better understand:

• what interests employees and why;
• the diversity of skills their team members hold; and
• what type of work employees are interested in and how this aligns with organizational pathways.

The staff member may not be aware of the options for learning and progression available to them. Having a manager’s support and genuine interest in helping them achieve their goals can make a huge difference to their progress.

It is important to remember that this is the staff member’s career conversation and the focus should be  on their aspirations, interests and questions. This is a chance for them to guide the conversation, invite collaboration, get feedback and perspective, and end each conversation with a clear sense of the next steps each party commits to.

More from Careering

Community connections foster K–12 career exploration

Strategic approaches to international student employment

Optimizing engagement to pivot effectively

3. Broaden ideas of progression

“Up is the only way” culture has been changing for a long time. In many organizations, there just aren’t that many opportunities to promote people because of flatter organizations, limited number of positions or budget constraints. One of the great things about this change is it creates space for employees to craft their own path rather than having to fit into someone else’s idea of success.

Not everyone is interested in moving “up the ladder,” but most people want a meaningful career, to do work that interests and energizes them, and to be appreciated and recognized for their work.

However, the idea that promotions are the primary way for an employer to reward performance and show people they are valued still seems to grip many managers and employees. It will take sustained effort to shift ideas of progression to what an enriching experience would look like for an individual. Start by asking, and inviting staff to ask, questions like:

• What experiences do I want to have and build?
• What skills do I want to master (or learn next)?
• What problems do I want to solve/whom do I want to serve?
• What would give me meaning in my work?

As a manager, understanding what meaningful work looks like for your staff will help you have more effective career conversations. It can also help organizations develop more effective career programs and build flexible pathways that meet the career needs of their team.

4. Offer formal and informal opportunities for career development

To branch outside of the ladder model of career development, organizations can offer other avenues for learning and growth, such as:

• Developmental assignments: These allow employees to join another department on a temporary basis to gain experience or learn new skills or work in an area of interest to them. This has an added benefit of helping employees expand their network and visibility.
• Cross support: Here, a percentage of the person’s time is allocated to working on another team (or department), with the idea that they’ll contribute by using their skills and expertise, while also gaining knowledge and experience related to the work of this unit.
• Stretch assignment: Employees take on new work in addition to some or all of their regular responsibilities, for a period of time, to learn/use a new skill or shift their area of focus.
• External assignment/service: The employee will work for another organization for a period of time, for example in an exchange or secondment. This exchange of talent, perspective and expertise benefits both organizations and enriches the individual’s career experience, potentially leading to future opportunities.

While I encourage managers and staff members to use formal and informal resources for career development, I also invite them to be creative and move beyond what’s available. This is especially important if there aren’t that many relevant options in place that meet the needs of the individual. Managers should consider: What can you do to support team members’ career development while also meeting the needs of the organization? Approach this question with curiosity and be open to inviting others in to generate ideas. You can partner with staff, career professionals, your HR business partners and other managers (and resources outside your organization) as you work on creating or enhancing career development options.

As you explore different career development frameworks, don’t focus on perfection. Concentrate on having open conversations and taking actions based on positive intent and trust, and approach different programs or actions more like experiments. Do your best work, engage in the process, then see what worked well and what didn’t; make adjustments and keep working toward more effective career development options for you and your organization.

Shahrzad Arasteh, author of Nourish Your Career, is a holistic career counsellor and trainer specializing in working with people and organizations with a social good focus. She is a Past President of Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association (MACCA) and the 2017 recipient of MACCA’s Outstanding Contributions Award. Arasteh has an MA in clinical psychology and is a Certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Practitioner and Global Career Development Facilitator. shahrzad@careerconsultmd.com  careerconsultmd.com

References

Morris, S. (2018, September 25). Lack of Career Development Drives Employee Attrition. Gartner gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/lack-of-career-development-drives-employee-attrition/

Mullen O’Keefe, S. (2020, April 24). Focus on Three Elements if Career Growth to Keep Your Best Employees. Gallup gallup.com/workplace/309239/focus-elements-career-growth-keep-best-employees.aspx

In this Careering feature, jobseekers and students reflect on successes and struggles in their career development

Ailie Crosbie

COVID-19 has affected all of us in ways that we never expected. Although the experience has come with some good things, like spending more time with family, the negatives outweigh the positives for most of us.

As a Grade 12 student doing online school from my bedroom, my level of stress associated with graduation and planning for post-secondary education has increased drastically. However, I have tried to put aside all of the negative emotions of social isolation and focus on school instead, which I think has saved me from spiralling into depression. Through these challenges, I have learned that I am a lot stronger and more capable that I ever gave myself credit for. I now have a better sense of what I want in life and have learned to value what I think and not what others think about me.

Senior-year decisions

Grade 12 is a tough year to begin with. I, for one, can attest that stress and anxiety are things that should not be taken lightly. From the overwhelming amount of school work to the underlying pressure of what to do next, it can be a challenging year. When you add a global pandemic to the mix, it’s no wonder that students can experience stress, anxiety and sometimes depression. There are a lot of factors to take into account during senior year, like what you want to do at college or university – or if you want to take a different path.

More Careering Client Side articles

• I’ve become the career strategist I wish I had when launching my career
• How I found career joy in an unexpected place
• I had my career mapped out – until a new experience opened my eyes

As the youngest in my extended family, there has never been a question that I would attend university because it is just something everyone did. I don’t feel any pressure, though, because it is such an encouraged and exciting opportunity. Although many of my peers are choosing to take a fifth year, gap year or go straight to work, none of those options were on my radar. Focusing exclusively on school and university plans has helped me achieve good grades and maintain some kind of routine during this strange time.

Thinking of the future

Some students are choosing not to attend college or university next year for fear that it will still be online and they will miss out on the full experience, but I know I still want to move forward. The possibility of living in residence has helped me feel more motivated and excited, even if  school will still be online. I am ready to move on after a full year of isolation. The future is on my mind every day and is my main motivation to succeed at school.

My parents have helped me through my final year of high school at home, by making me feel comfortable and safe, and encouraging me to stay focused on my goals. They also supported me through the university application process, so I didn’t need help from my guidance counsellors and teachers.

Change of plans

As a student at an Ontario high school, I am a member of an Integrated Arts Program. I joined the program to follow my passion for singing and musical theatre but what I discovered instead was a passion for English, writing, critical thinking and research. Over the years I came to realize that these were interests I wanted to pursue.

At the beginning of high school, I thought I wanted a career in singing. However, with some time to self-reflect and learn, I realized that that is not my dream. My experience in the arts program was full of fun and great learning opportunities; however, with the help of my amazing English teachers, my love for writing grew. I started to visualize myself in a career that involved writing and critical thinking because those are two talents of mine. For those reasons, choosing an undergraduate program was not difficult for me.

In the fall of 2021, I will be attending Western University for Media, Information and Technoculture (MIT). This program offers a critical analysis of the impacts that social media and the internet have on society. Social media has been an outlet for people to make connections, especially in the midst of a pandemic, and I am excited to study its impact on society. Not only does this interest me, but the program will also involve a lot of writing, critical thinking and research – all things I enjoy. There are many possible career choices out of this program, from journalism to communications to law.

Pandemic lessons

The pandemic has taught all of us more about ourselves than ever before. My generation tends to focus on what other people think rather than what we really want for ourselves; this pandemic has taught me to put my needs first. With all this uncertainty, the transition from high school to university seems intimidating, but with the support of my parents, friends and teachers, the process has been much more manageable. The time spent alone has forced me to do a lot of self-reflection, which has helped me learn more about myself and what I want out of life.

Throughout the COVID-19 journey, the whole world has had to take a step back and learn to accept change, which is a hard but beneficial lesson for a Grade 12 student. I have tried to push myself every day to do my best at school because it is one thing I can fully control. The valuable lessons I have learned this year have helped me become aware of the kind of person I am and want to be and have kept me focused on my future at university and beyond.

Ailie Crosbie is a Grade 12 student in Ontario. When she isn’t in school, Crosbie spends time reading, writing and with family. She enjoys running and exercising and has a strong passion for healthy living. Crosbie is excited to start her future at university and can’t wait for the opportunities that lie ahead.

With stronger career literacy, jobseekers can optimize career opportunities amid disruption

Tim Ragan

Much like literacy was a core skill in driving 19-century industrialization, career literacy is a key skill for success today. Consider how rapidly our economy and work environment are evolving. The level of organizational disruption – driven by technology, globalization, outsourcing, automation – is unprecedented and accelerating. For individuals, the higher their level of career literacy, the more they are futureproofing themselves for the turbulence ahead.

Career literacy is about developing the habit of constantly exploring and optimizing career opportunities. It is being continually attuned to what is working, what is not, and having an action plan to address identified deficiencies and opportunities.

How can we help our clients develop greater career literacy to futureproof their careers? By coaching and helping them through these seven steps.

1. Take ownership of “Platform of Me”

Futureproofing starts with the client’s commitment to take full ownership of their career – and life – with a framework known as the “Platform of Me.”

For each of us, our one truly scarce resource is time. When you take away sleep, basic personal grooming and eating, we have maybe 100 remaining hours weekly to program in our most purposeful life. What are our clients choosing to do with those 100 hours? Help them break it down into meaningful categories (e.g. paid work, commute time, family activities, relaxing, hobbies) so they more clearly understand the choices they are making.

This opens the space for a valuable conversation about how they would invest their time in their ideal world, revealing insights into required shifts in time usage to approach their ideal.

2. Bolster your productivity

It is one thing to know how you want to invest your time and quite another to develop the discipline, routine and habits to invest it that way. We can help our clients centre their career objectives by guiding them to create and maintain a “weekly heartbeat” habit for planning and managing their work. In this approach, the client identifies a theme for the work week that will drive their focus. Rather than just being driven by an endless to-do-list, this encourages the client to visualize what a successful work week will look like.

Mid-week reflections allow course correction as required and the week ends with recording a short status report of the week’s activities. These simple actions can become a powerful routine over time. That is when a client’s performance really takes off, because they are being deliberate and disciplined in what they are choosing to focus their time on.

3. Get clear on how you add value

Let’s go back to a core issue for work-life success: We all must decide what we stand for and how we want to invest our time. The “Platform of Me” provides the structure; your programming focuses on maximizing the value you derive from the activities you invest your time in.

We want to put our clients on a path where they can gravitate toward work that fulfills them, and this means they need to be crystal clear about what they find important and meaningful.

“We all must decide what we stand for and how we want to invest our time.”

Our clients all see the world differently, are wired differently, have vastly different capabilities and experiences, and find themselves drawn to different working situations to contribute their time and effort toward. We need to provide a step-by-step approach for leading them through this discovery process.

4. Hone your story through practice

Having greater clarity of purpose allows our clients to shift their time from the highly ineffective job board “spray-and-pray” routine to more disciplined networking activities. By investing their time meeting people, they create ample opportunity to practise sharing, tightening and refining “their story.”

It is important to understand that their story is not about education certificates, role descriptions and years of experience; it’s about why they are drawn to seek out certain types of challenges and how they add value in solving those problems. The more they share their story, the more comfortable and confident in telling their story they become, and the more their personal and professional network grows.

Read more from the Career Pivots issue

Career competencies and skills translation: Helping students prepare for the future of work

Book review: Don’t Stay in Your Lane an essential read for career counsellors

Career development helps people and organizations thrive

5. Get more curious

In these highly disruptive times, perhaps the greatest value from ongoing networking is learning about and from others, what they are seeing and experiencing, and how they making sense (or aren’t) of what is happening around them.

Our clients can tap into that rich vein of insights, challenges and opportunities through the simple act of asking more and better questions. Here’s a few tips and tricks to help them boost their curiosity:

• Continue to reach out and meet new people. This will help jobseekers tighten their brand messaging and enhance their conversational skills.
• Ask lots of questions. Listening to others share their stories demonstrates interest and makes jobseekers memorable to their connections.
• Always follow up. A “good to meet you” note is courteous and jogs the connection’s memory of the interaction.
• Stay in touch. Clients should periodically “drip-feed” their growing network with interesting articles or connections.

6. Churn your opportunity pipeline

Each new connection represents a new opportunity for jobseekers. A client’s opportunity pipeline is just like a salesperson’s prospecting funnel: there are many prospects at the top and few at the bottom. Our client’s job is to fill the funnel at the top continuously with fresh opportunities and transition evolving opportunities down through the funnel, making them increasingly tangible and real.

Key to your client’s success with this step is “churning”: adding new connections to the top of their funnel while nurturing existing relationships to move them forward. This should not be transactional (“Do you have a job for me?”), but an opportunity to develop deeper relationships.

7. Join an accountability community

A well-functioning accountability community with other motivated professionals provides opportunities to learn, collaborate and grow. Unfortunately, most people don’t have a support community to tap into.

What do our clients need from an accountability community? A handful of people who are simultaneously cheerleading for them and their dreams – while asking tough questions to force them to get serious and specific. People who hold their feet to the fire, while encouraging their passion to reach for the stars. That is the kind of engaged community we all need, the village that it takes for each of us to reach our full potential.

Conclusion

Helping our clients through these seven steps futureproofs them against the unknown – and undoubtedly challenging – times ahead. Dedicating as little as one hour weekly to their “Platform of Me,” they can take regular positive, tangible, bite-size steps. As they build this routine into their life, they’ll enjoy greater professional success and satisfaction and achieve their goals faster.

Tim Ragan (BScEE, MBA, owner Career Constructors), leveraging 35 years of varied business experience, is on a mission to help others survive and thrive our modern working times. Ragan’s career book (Reboot Your Career) has helped thousands create a powerful values-based brand, and he facilitates a community of self-employed professionals (Free Agent Collective) to accelerate their professional growth. tragan@careerconstructors.com

Four ways career professionals can support graduates’ school-to-work transition

Chiedza Pasipanodya

According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), the number of international students in Canada increased by 185% between 2010 and 2019. Despite this impressive growth, there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in national discussions on the need for appropriate service provision for these students, and only few conversations about international student outcomes after graduation. The pandemic has also limited the mobility of international students and many are studying remotely from their home countries, introducing a different set of challenges. As international students transition from post-secondary education to the world of work, the unique challenges and barriers they face require innovative and intentional supports.

A 2019 Statistics Canada report found that although international students are more likely than their domestic counterparts to have completed advanced degrees typically associated with higher earnings, such as a master’s or doctorate, they still earn less than their Canadian-born peers in the years following graduation. These findings highlight the need for a strategic, specialized approach to service provision for international students, particularly as they are a key source of talent for the Canadian labour market and play an essential supporting role in the sustainability of post-secondary enrolment. International students also figure significantly in Canada’s immigration strategy; nearly a third of those holding a bachelor’s degree and almost half of international students with a master’s degree transition to permanent residence within their first 10 years in the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn have increased competition for jobs. Labour market shifts have also underscored the need for recent international graduates to take an exploratory turn from their major and geographical location to consider career options more aligned with their broader skills and competencies. New career pathways and ways of working are emerging quickly, often faster than higher-education institutions can develop programming. The ability of recent graduates to apply their skills in different and emerging industries is essential in order to succeed in the labour market. This adaptability, combined with a commitment to lifelong learning, will ensure that international graduates are able to retrain and upskill as needed to meet labour market demands.

“A 2019 Statistics Canada report found that although international students are more likely than their domestic counterparts to have completed advanced degrees typically associated with higher earnings, such as a master’s or doctorate, they still earn less than their Canadian-born peers in the years following graduation.”

Career practitioners are well positioned to provide supports that better equip international students to overcome barriers to successful participation as they enter the labour force. This article will outline four ways career professionals can support international students as they transition from school to work.

1. Encourage them connect to their competencies

 As new industries and jobs emerge, career development practitioners should encourage recent international graduates to explore careers and work opportunities outside the narrow scope of their major. The courage and ambition that enabled international students to leave their home countries and study abroad position them well to transition to the workforce and leverage their skills across sectors and roles.

To move into the workforce, international students need to understand how the skills and competencies they acquired in post-secondary can be applied to different jobs and sectors. For example, a political science student might feel a government policy job is a natural fit for their degree, but they could leverage their creativity, analytical skills and research experience to work in communications or knowledge management. Career practitioners can use skill identification and competency assessment tools to provide recent graduates with valuable information about their skillsets, thereby increasing new graduates’ agency over their career choices. The best of these tools provide real-time labour market information and have the potential to help employers interpret the skills and competencies that recent graduates can offer at a time when younger workers are essential to labour market sustainability.

Read more from Careering

Pandemic pivot perspectives from the class of 2020

Equipping international students to navigate culture difference in job search

Helping international students ‘find their voice’ through identity exploration

2. Get informed about immigration regulations

While flexibility is a key component of career success, the extent to which recent international graduates can pivot is often limited by Canada’s permanent residency employment requirements. Research shows that international students need campus and career services that are specific to the students’ goal of pursuing employment as part of their immigration process. Understanding immigration regulations in light of the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) program and the limitations on working in various sectors without compromising international students’ eligibility to pursue permanent residence is essential to those serving them. (The PGWP is the work permit issued by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada that allows international student graduates from designated Canadian colleges and universities to work in Canada upon graduation.) Practitioners who understand the bigger procedural picture can provide better support linking students’ studies to their jobs, to fulfill Canadian work experience requirements.

3. Take an intersectional approach 

International students are diverse and so require diverse approaches to the challenges they face; those advised by career practitioners who take an intersectional approach may be better served. Intersectionality is a term coined by U.S. law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe the way multiple forms of discrimination (for example, race- or gender-based) overlap in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups. Service provision should consider the varied ways in which racism, sexism and systems of oppression affect international students and their ability to change course and pursue new opportunities to flourish in the labour market. Practitioners should provide specific, appropriate and responsive supports that address graduates’ many challenges and barriers to entering the labour market.

4. Help them grow their networks

Evidence from previous economic downturns suggests that youth graduating from post-secondary education during a recession find it harder to find employment, particularly well-paid employment, compared with their immediate predecessors; lower earnings persist for 10 to 15 years. Increased labour market competition makes networking an even more important component of job search. However, when international students at Memorial University were asked to identify their most challenging barriers to employment, 82% said they had minimal to no professional networks in Canada.

COVID-19-related restrictions have made it more difficult to develop these important networks, but many organizations have shifted the networking experience online. There is value in leveraging webinars, online conferences and other virtual events to expand one’s network. Actively participating in such forums can help international students and recent graduates meet people and develop relationships to better understand the labour market, the opportunities available and the required skillsets. Online networking can also facilitate opportunities to arrange informational interviews, which can go a long way toward improving students’ understanding of different industries and roles. Career practitioners can recommend communities and platforms such as Immigrant Networks for Immigrants and International Students that provide invaluable supports and opportunities to develop mentor-like relationships with professionals.

A strategic approach to international student career services – one that addresses students’ complex identities and acknowledges the unique role of career practitioners in this area of labour market integration – is essential. The ability to pivot and adapt quickly is a quality born of flexibility and adaptability, a characteristic critical to the future of work as international students and recent graduates enter and explore the labour market.

Chiedza Pasipanodya is Program Manager, Knowledge Management, Global Talent Bridge at World Education Services (WES). As an immigration and refugee policy and programming professional, she also uses her lived experience to inform her approach to supporting newcomers to Canada.

References

Arthur, N. and Flynn, S., 2011. Career development influences of international students who pursue permanent immigration to Canada. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 11(3), pp. 221-237.

Arthur, N. and Flynn, S., 2013. International Students’ Views of Transition to Employment and Immigration. The Canadian Journal of Career Development, 12 (1). http://ceric.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/International-Students-Views-of-Transition.pdf

Baratta, M., 2020. Career development resources to support Black students and jobseekers in Canada. CareerWise. Available at: https://careerwise.ceric.ca/2020/11/05/career-development-resources-to-support-black-students-and-jobseekers-in-canada/#.YDLMwuhKg2w

Frenette, M., Lu, Y. and Chan, W., 2019. The Postsecondary Experience and Early Labour Market Outcomes of International Study Permit Holders. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/11f0019m/11f0019m2019019-eng.pdf?st=U-s22c6O

Steinmetz, K., 2020. She Coined the Term ‘Intersectionality’ Over 30 Years Ago. Here’s What It Means to Her Today. https://time.com/5786710/kimberle-crenshaw-intersectionality/#:~:text=Kimberl%C3%A9%20Crenshaw%2C%20the%20law,inequality%20is%20not%20created%20equal

The Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew, P.C. is a Shútao’tine (Mountain Dene) from Tulit’a, Northwest Territories (NWT). She is a senior leader with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative. Early in her formidable career, Blondin-Andrew taught in three NWT communities; in Tuktoyaktuk, Deline and Fort Providence, eventually specializing in Indigenous language curriculum development in Yellowknife. In 1988, Ms. Blondin-Andrew was the first Indigenous woman elected to Parliament, serving for 17 years as an MP, 13 of them in cabinet. These days she spends much of her time out on the land working with Indigenous Guardians and helping them to address issues of food security for her people.

In a sentence or two, describe why career development matters.

We need to be deliberate, and we have to plan our future. Too many times, people leave it up to whatever happens. I believe you’ve got to combine vision, skills and make room for constant renewal and learning.

Which book are you reading right now and why did you choose it?

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. This book is about the people of the Osage that were taken off their land and put on a piece of land that the government in the States thought was useless, but it was oil-rich. The system felt they couldn’t have that, so they were murdering them.

What was your first-ever job and what did you learn from it?

I was a cashier when I was young, and then I went to work at the hospital as a candy striper. I learned how to deal with people. I learned how to be humble. And I learned that there was no job too big or too small, for me or anybody else there.

What do you do to relax and how does it help you?

Something I do is food harvesting. I love to pick berries. I prepare and make dried meats, because I like giving to people who are not well. It relaxes me to know someone’s going to receive it.

What is the one thing you wouldn’t be able to work without? Why?

I am much known as a pen hog. I always feel as though if I haven’t had a pen in my hand during the day, it’s a lost day.

What’s something you want to do in the next year that you’ve never done before?

Write a book. Everybody wants to know when I’m going to write my book. The other is to do a pilgrimage.

Who would you like to work with most and why?

If I can live long enough, I’d like to work with my grandchildren. I have two of them. I want to give them the gift of our language. I want to give them the gift of how culturally and historically we worked.

What is one piece of advice you have for people as we navigate these challenging times?  

Keep active, eat well, sleep well and do one thing at a time.

Which talent or superpower would you like to have and how would you use it?

I’d like to be able to heal people’s spirit. I’d like to give them back their power. The greatest gift in the world is to know that you made a difference to people like that.

What do you consider your greatest achievement and why?

I have become involved with conservation and caring for the Earth. In accordance with my old teachings from my people, I have a responsibility to my people, I have a responsibility to the animal kingdom and I have a responsibility to the Earth. At 70 years old, I’ve done a lot of things that involve other people’s power, other people’s objectives; this is mine.

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

Most Canadians who want to make a career transition have viable and desirable options available to them. Their opportunity landscape broadens if they are willing to learn skills and technologies required for a new job. This is also good news for employers experiencing labour shortages, who may have more options for recruiting than they may think. These are among the findings of research by Future Skills Centre and The Conference Board of Canada, which assessed job transitions for 450 occupations using their OpportuNext employability skills database. Here’s what else they learned.

View infographic PDF.

Plain text below image. 

A viable job transition requires similar skills, abilities, knowledge, experience and education.

A desirable job transition pays similar or higher wages and has prospects for growth.

Switching gears

• 22: The average number of possible qualifying transitions for each occupation
• 5: The percent of occupations without viable/desirable transitions
• Nearly half of the 450 occupations have fewer than 20 possible transitions
• One-third have fewer than 10

Highly paid or highly specialized jobs may have no viable or desirable transitions. To pivot, they may have to:

• Retrain
• Employ different skills
• Take a pay cut

In the third quarter of 2020, nearly one-third of employers reported they were limiting investment due to labour shortages.

9 key social and emotional skills for jobs with the most transitions:

• Active learning
• Active listening
• Complex problem-solving
• Co-ordination
• Critical thinking
• Judgment and decision-making