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What’s New – Updates and Information from ContactPoint and CERIC

This Issue’s Theme: Career Advancement

• Career Advancement: Do You Know How to Get Ahead? Most Canadians Don’t from CERIC
  
• Steer Your Career: Eight Strategies to Promotion by Darlene Foster
• Broadening Our Sense of Career Advancement by Kathy Johnson
• Are the Voices in My Head Hindering My Career Advancement? Exploration of Cognitive Scripts and Career Identity by Sonny K. H. Wong
• One Stride Closer: Psychological Considerations of the Immigrant Career Transition by Basak Yanar
• The Excitement of the Journey! One Recruiter’s Transition to Canada by Tibisay Bermudez
• Career Practitioner Supervision Training: For Your Current or Prospective Role by Cheri Butler

Other Points of Interest:

• Sector Specific Approach to Job Development for Foreign Trained Professionals by Habib Ullah
• Green Jobs for Canadians by Khaled Islaih
• Gameworks: Engaging Youth-at-Risk in Career Development by Madelaine Currelly
• The Counselling Arabia Conference: Recognizing the Needs of Arab Youth in Today’s Modern World by Jessica Lawrence

Regular Features:

• Conference Sketch: Cannexus 2011 by Maija Wiik
• Continuing the Conversation: Control, Opportunity & Leadership: A Study of Employee Engagement in the Canadian Workplaceby Shawn Bakker
  (following from our Winter 2011 issue on “The Balancing Act”)
• New Programs and Initiatives: Professional Skills Development for International Students by Lynn Walsh and Jennifer White
• Research: Retirement Re-Visited by Juanita Hennessey
• Research: Social Workers and Non-Traditional Careers: Making the Links by Marlene Pomrenke and Heather Morris
• Upcoming Events
• Hot Links: on Career Advancement

The Summer 2011 issue of The Bulletin: Serving Rural Communities
Submission deadline: May 16

The Fall 2011 issue of The Bulletin: Parents’ Role in Career Planning
Submission deadline: September 14

To submit an article, please note our submission guidelines and send your article to: paula@ceric.ca

Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of ContactPoint and CERIC. Mention of programs, services, products and initiatives is not an endorsement of these items.

ContactPoint is a program of CERIC and supported by The Counselling Foundation of Canada.

The ContactPoint Bulletin is a quarterly publication of CERIC and a great venue for sharing career development best practices, information and strategies.

Guidelines

The Bulletin aims to be an inclusive career services resource that provides quality original content from different perspectives in the field of career development and from across the nation.

Articles that are a “good fit” for The Bulletin meet the following criteria:

• A topic relevant to career development and/or the field of career services
• Between 300 to 600 words in length, including biography (slight exceptions will be made for the inclusion of footnotes)
• Canadian focus – regional perspectives are welcomed if they are explicitly stated as such (Some international submissions will also be accepted. Please inquire.)
• Inclusive in nature and applicable in multiple contexts
• Non-political
• Fact substantiated
• Solution focused
• Non-promotional – submissions must provide solid information and ideas

Be sure to include a 2-3 line biography that showcases your work history, publications and/or organization.

If your information is of a promotional nature, please contact our Director of Marketing, Web & New Media, Sharon Ferriss (sharon@ceric.ca) to discuss options.

Compensation

Publishing an article in The Bulletin is an excellent opportunity to build your profile as a career development practitioner. Bulletin contributors are volunteers and are not financially compensated.

Each issue of The Bulletin is promoted to over 6,000 ContactPoint subscribers through our Bulletin e-mail list and our Career Developer Google Group and LinkedIn Network. The print issues (Summer and Winter only) are mailed to an additional 1,500 individuals and organizations and are distributed at Cannexus and other conferences and events in the field. Back issues of The Bulletin are available on our website. Bulletin articles are often reprinted in other publications. We also encourage contributors to promote their organizations or services in their biographies.

Repeat Contributions

The Bulletin is committed to providing a venue for a variety of perspectives in career development and for welcoming new voices to the ContactPoint community. As such, we strongly encourage new writers to contribute to The Bulletin. In an effort to create an inclusive environment, CERIC’s Editorial Committee reserves the right to publish individual authors only once every twelve months.

Previously Published Submissions

The Bulletin aims to provide new ideas and information to the career development field. However, some articles warrant wide distribution. We will accept a limited number of articles that have been previously printed in other publications/websites. Please provide the details of previous printing with your submission and confirm that we have permission to reprint your article.

The Process

If you would like to submit an article to The Bulletin, please e-mail it to Catherine Ducharme at catherine@ceric.ca

Watch the front page of the ContactPoint site for submission deadlines and issue themes. Submissions on topics outside the theme are also welcomed. We will also post a quarterly call for submissions on our Career Developer Google Group and LinkedIn Network.

Submissions to The Bulletin are reviewed by CERIC’s Editorial Committee using the criteria outlined above. The Editorial Committee consists of volunteers with a breadth of experience various areas of career development. They also represent different regions of Canada and have writing and/or publishing expertise.

Articles selected by the Committee may be edited. Authors approve of edits to their articles prior to publication. We ask that authors provide approval of edits in a timely manner to ensure inclusion.

We often receive a large number of submissions and may save articles for future issues. We may not be able to print all submissions accepted for the Summer and Winter issues, our print editions, and some accepted contributions for these issues will only be available on the website.

Contributors will be notified via email when their article is published on the ContactPoint website. If your article appears in our print issues (Summer and Winter only), the author should notify ContactPoint at contactpoint@ceric.ca to request a print version.

CERIC reserves the right to update links and information as required in articles that are archived on ContactPoint.ca.

Reprinting

If we are approached by another organization asking to reprint an article, we will contact the author with the details assuming that we have up-to-date contact information. Contributors are asked to notify us if there is a change of email address.

If an author is approached by another organization asking to reprint his/her article, we ask that the author notify us and request that the following text is added to the reprint: “First published in the ContactPoint Bulletin, [insert volume number and date].” We also ask that in electronic reprintings, a hyperlink from the article leads back to the ContactPoint site.

Thank you to all of our authors for making The Bulletin such a successful resource!

A majority of Canadians see the value of a professional career counselling program, but fewer are certain they would use one.
Most Canadians see the value in professional career development programs, possibly due to the assistance they could provide to those who often have trouble finding fulfilling and satisfying work. Eight in ten believe these programs would be valuable, with about three in ten (27%) who say these programs would bevery valuable and one-half who think these programs would be somewhat valuable (52%). Only five percent report that professional career counselling programs would not be valuable at all. The perceived value of professional career development programs has softened slightly since 2007, with fewer Canadians who now think that such a program would be very important (27%, down 7 points from 2007).

The Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) has released findings of a survey conducted by Environics Research Group asking Canadians about their job satisfaction, their perceptions about their workplaces and performance management, and the tools and resources they turn to when looking for a job or building a career. This project is a follow-up to a benchmark initiative completed in 2007 that asked similar questions. This article is an excerpt from the 2011 survey report. For methodological information, please see below.

Certainty of using a professional career counselling program (2007 and 2010)

CERIC Welcomes New Marketing, Web Team

Three new employees have joined CERIC to lead marketing of the organization’s programs and projects, including Cannexus, ContactPoint/OrientAction and The Canadian Journal of Career Development.

Bringing an extensive background in non-profit marketing and communications from HR and purchasing associations, Sharon Ferriss is the new Director of Marketing, Web and New Media. Gilles Paquette, an experienced communications and public relations professional, is the Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications and comes most recently from a rubber industry association. A part-time instructor at both the University of Toronto and Sheridan College in communications and design, Norman Valdez is the IT and New Media Specialist and has expertise in managing web content and social media.

Expect to hear more from the new team as they increase outreach to the career development community, raise awareness of the career development field and enhance CERIC’s web presence.

Register Now for Cannexus12

Cannexus12 marks the sixth anniversary of the National Career Development Conference. Cannexus continues to offer delegates robust programming and relevant professional development opportunities at competitive rates. Networking opportunities abound! Conference delegates can choose from over 70 workshops and hear from three renowned keynote speakers: Mark Savickas, Trey Anthony and Michael Adams.

Take advantage of an excellent business opportunity and become one of our conference sponsors or exhibitors. This nationally recognized conference reaches a 600+ delegate audience and receives nationwide media attention. Showcase your organization or business and at the same time support CERIC.

Visit Cannexus.ca to register and sign up for conference updates.

Graduate Student Engagement Program

Are you a full-time graduate student at a Canadian university whose academic focus is career development/counselling? Or, do you know someone who is a full-time graduate student working in the area of career development?

If so, please visit the Graduate Student Engagement Program at  www.ceric.ca. You might be eligible for the GSEP Award, to be on a CERIC Committee or even to have your thesis published. It is worth a look!

Assessment Guide for Career and Guidance Counselling

Through a partnership project with CERIC, Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec has developed a publication on assessment practices. The Guide provides career and guidance counsellors with a general frame of reference to help delineate all aspects of the assessment and evaluation process and associated issues.

The Guide is available in French and English and can be downloaded from the CERIC site: www.ceric.ca.

Register Now for Cannexus12

Back for its 6th year, Cannexus is Canada’s bilingual National Conference on Career Development, promoting the exchange of information and exploring innovative approaches in career counselling and career development. Cannexus will run January 23-25, 2012 in Ottawa. The largest conference of its kind, Cannexus brings together 700 professionals across the career services field, including community-based agencies, private coaches and educators. Another outstanding program has been put together, including a “who’s who” of speakers in the field.
Keynote speakers are:

Mark Savickas, PhD
Professor (U.S., South Africa)
“The Career Counsellor’s Career”

Trey Anthony
Playright, actor, comedian
“The Call Comes for You”

Michael Adams
President, Environics Group of Companies
“Canada’s Demographic Destiny”

Early bird rates end October 31st, 2011 REGISTER TODAY!

New Research to Explore Mental Health and Work

A CERIC-funded research project will map the growing role of career practitioners in supporting people with mental health challenges who want to move into the workforce. Job-seekers are increasingly disclosing their experience with mental illness and employment counsellors report feeling handcuffed by a lack of knowledge and resources.

Led by the Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) in collaboration with Neasa Martin & Associates, the project will engage and educate career counsellors, educators and policy planners to share best practices, improve career counselling access and service delivery for people living with mental health issues. The learning from this project is expected to be relevant to developing a national program.

“There is a definite gap between the needs of clients with mental health conditions and the comfort level of career practitioners who are trying to move their clients into the workforce,” says Nancy Dube, Chair of the CERIC Board of Directors and General Manager of the YMCA Sudbury. “This research will provide valuable guidance to career practitioners to better understand and manage these issues.”

For more information on this project, please visit: http://ceric.ca/?q=en/node/372

CERIC co-sponsors first Manitoba Aboriginal Literacy Symposium

The Counselling Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC) have joined Literacy Partners of Manitoba as the Eagle+ lead sponsor in presenting the first provincial Aboriginal Literacy Symposium, New Relationships, New Opportunities!

The symposium takes place November 1 & 2, 2011 at the Victoria Inn, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The key focus is on developing a shared vision and strategies, in partnership with Aboriginal organizations, to improve literacy and essential skills towards employment for Aboriginal peoples in Manitoba. Guest speakers include Hon. James Bartleman, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Ningwakwe George, author and literacy advocate, and Ovide Mercredi, Grand Rapids First Nation, former AFN National Chief.

Low Aboriginal literacy is a matter of growing concern. Between 40 and 70% of adults in many of Manitoba’s Aboriginal communities have less than a grade 9 education, leaving them without the minimal literacy skills for coping with every day work and life. Outside of Canada’s northern territories, Manitoba is the province with the highest proportion of Aboriginal peoples at 15.5%, according to the 2006 Canadian Census. By 2017, 25% of Manitoba’s population will be Aboriginal. These projections indicate that Aboriginal peoples will have a more prominent role to play in the labour force.

For more information: http://aboriginal-literacy2011.ca/
Follow Us on Twitter!

You can now follow ContactPoint on Twitter. Gilles Paquette will be following news feeds and events and tweeting important content relating to the career development sector. Gilles is Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications for the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling (CERIC), Join the conversation as we talk about career development!
Follow @CareersDev

Career Centre Evaluation: A Practitioner Guide (www.ceric.ca/careercentreevaluation) is a customized online resource to help university career centres think about and design effective evaluation strategies. This resource provides a look at how five different career centres have tried to understand the components of evaluation and how they developed tools to use in their settings.

The guide provides:

• An introduction to a framework for evaluation
• Example tools that you can adapt to your own setting
• Case studies of evaluation activities at other career centres

This project was created through a partnership between CERIC and a working group of the career centre leaders at the University of Toronto, Trent University, the University of Waterloo, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Windsor. Many thanks to the career centre staff, managers and directors who inputted ideas and comments, and those who reviewed drafts.

Cathy Keates was the Project Co-ordinator for the creation of this CERIC-supported guide. Cathy has worked for over a decade with university career centres and has recently joined Queen’s University as the Director, Career Services.

The ContactPoint Bulletin is a quarterly publication of CERIC and a great venue for sharing career development best practices, information and strategies.

Guidelines

The Bulletin aims to be an inclusive career services resource that provides quality original content from different perspectives in the field of career development and from across the nation.

Articles that are a “good fit” for The Bulletin meet the following criteria:

• A topic relevant to career development and/or the field of career services
• Between 300 to 600 words in length, including biography (slight exceptions will be made for the inclusion of footnotes)
• Canadian focus – regional perspectives are welcomed if they are explicitly stated as such (Some international submissions will also be accepted. Please inquire.)
• Inclusive in nature and applicable in multiple contexts
• Non-political
• Fact substantiated
• Solution focused
• Non-promotional – submissions must provide solid information and ideas

Be sure to include a 2-3 line biography that showcases your work history, publications and/or organization.

If your information is of a promotional nature, please contact our Director of Marketing, Web & New Media, Sharon Ferriss (sharon@ceric.ca) to discuss options.

Compensation

Publishing an article in The Bulletin is an excellent opportunity to build your profile as a career development practitioner. Bulletin contributors are volunteers and are not financially compensated.

Each issue of The Bulletin is promoted to over 6,000 ContactPoint subscribers through our Bulletin e-mail list and our Career Developer Google Group and LinkedIn Network. The print issues (Summer and Winter only) are mailed to an additional 1,500 individuals and organizations and are distributed at Cannexus and other conferences and events in the field. Back issues of The Bulletin are available on our website. Bulletin articles are often reprinted in other publications. We also encourage contributors to promote their organizations or services in their biographies.

Repeat Contributions

The Bulletin is committed to providing a venue for a variety of perspectives in career development and for welcoming new voices to the ContactPoint community. As such, we strongly encourage new writers to contribute to The Bulletin. In an effort to create an inclusive environment, CERIC’s Editorial Committee reserves the right to publish individual authors only once every twelve months.

Previously Published Submissions

The Bulletin aims to provide new ideas and information to the career development field. However, some articles warrant wide distribution. We will accept a limited number of articles that have been previously printed in other publications/websites. Please provide the details of previous printing with your submission and confirm that we have permission to reprint your article.

The Process

If you would like to submit an article to The Bulletin, please e-mail it to Catherine Ducharme at catherine@ceric.ca

Watch the front page of the ContactPoint site for submission deadlines and issue themes. Submissions on topics outside the theme are also welcomed. We will also post a quarterly call for submissions on our Career Developer Google Group and LinkedIn Network.

Submissions to The Bulletin are reviewed by CERIC’s Editorial Committee using the criteria outlined above. The Editorial Committee consists of volunteers with a breadth of experience various areas of career development. They also represent different regions of Canada and have writing and/or publishing expertise.

Articles selected by the Committee may be edited. Authors approve of edits to their articles prior to publication. We ask that authors provide approval of edits in a timely manner to ensure inclusion.

We often receive a large number of submissions and may save articles for future issues. We may not be able to print all submissions accepted for the Summer and Winter issues, our print editions, and some accepted contributions for these issues will only be available on the website.

Contributors will be notified via email when their article is published on the ContactPoint website. If your article appears in our print issues (Summer and Winter only), the author should notify ContactPoint at contactpoint@ceric.ca to request a print version.

CERIC reserves the right to update links and information as required in articles that are archived on ContactPoint.ca.

Reprinting

If we are approached by another organization asking to reprint an article, we will contact the author with the details assuming that we have up-to-date contact information. Contributors are asked to notify us if there is a change of email address.

If an author is approached by another organization asking to reprint his/her article, we ask that the author notify us and request that the following text is added to the reprint: “First published in the ContactPoint Bulletin, [insert volume number and date].” We also ask that in electronic reprintings, a hyperlink from the article leads back to the ContactPoint site.

Thank you to all of our authors for making The Bulletin such a successful resource!