11.3 – Help Client Develop Goals and Action Plans

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) meet with clients regularly to help them to articulate meaningful goals and action plans based on their aspirations, preferences, and employability strengths and needs.CDPs work collaboratively with clients to help make career choices and develop goals and action plans. This helps ensure clients are engaged and making informed decisions.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Prepare for interview, e.g. review employability assessment notes
P2. Obtain informed consent for collection, use and disclosure of information
P3. Confirm outcomes of previous meeting, where applicable
P4. Outline methods of exploring career options, for example:
- Access labour market information
- Explore sectors of activities
- Conduct information interviews with employers, employees, students, family members and/or support networkcontacts
- Explore education and training options
P5. Relate findings to career choices, for example:
- Assess suitability of options
- Articulate an initial goal, recognizing it may change as more information is gathered
- Establish a plan of action
- Evaluate as needed
P6. Articulate career goals with client:
- Prioritize goals with client
- Verify goals reflect client needs and abilities, e.g. achievable, meaningful, tangible
P7.Explore possible actions to achieve goals, e.g. self-guided activities, CDP interventions, community programs
P8. Develop action plan with client:
- Reiterate career goals
- Select actions
- List actions identified to achieve each goal
- Prioritize actions
- Break down actions into tasks
- Identify potential challenges and possible solutions
- Identify resources and support required for each task
- Agree on timelines and milestones
P9. Track progress and results, e.g. contacts gained, activities undertaken, job applications submitted, interviews
attended
P10. Revisit goals and action plan regularly
P11. Evaluate outcomes

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Principles of action planning, e.g. breaking down steps, ensuring adequate time and supports, monitoring and
acknowledging progress, adjusting as needed
K2. External factors that affect education and employment, e.g. economic forecasts, local labour market
K3. Significant issues commonly faced by clients, e.g. poverty, systemic racism, post-traumatic stress, learning
disabilities, unstable/unsafe housing, food insecurity, mental health challenges, addiction, limited
education/training
K4. Occupational information sources, support services, training, and educational options
K5. Legislation and regulations relating to employment, e.g. Human Rights Legislation, Canada Labour Code, Privacy Act,
Workers Compensation Act and Employment Standards, Health and Safety regulations

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

CDPs must accommodate clients who may have difficulty communicating their strengths and needs and/or understanding the information presented, either because of language used or other factors that might limit communication/cognitive function.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Informed consent: client’s right to be informed, understand, and agree to the services to be provided, roles and responsibilities of the service providers and how information collected during the process will released to others and for what purpose. Signed consent is required as proof of consent. Informed consent is obtained at the beginning of a process and may be required again if the nature of the services provided are later updated or revised.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Canadian Career Development Foundation, PRIME 2.0 (Performance Recording Instrument for Meaningful Evaluation) tool, 2019 Edition

Shepard, B. C., & Mani, P.S. (Eds.). Career development practice in Canada: Perspectives, principles, and professionalism. Toronto, ON: CERIC, 2014.

Zunker, Vernon G. Career Counselling: A Holistic Approach. 9th Edition. Boston: MA: Cengage Learning, 2016. ISBN 13: 978-1-305-08728-6

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is somewhat likely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None