Competency Category:
Competency Series:

6.1 – Develop and Maintain Professional Relationships

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) work cooperatively with colleagues, employers and the local community to broaden experience, keep up-to-date with research and share ideas to improve practice. Members of a CDP’s network can be based locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

  • P1. Develop professional relationships with members of the community and associations, including:
    • Indigenous groups, elders
    • Local service organizations
    • Government agencies
    • Businesses and employers
    • Politicians
    • Non-profit organizations
    • Faith communities
    • Educational institutions
    • Unions
    • Professional associations
  • P2. Establish community network to:
    • Share services
    • Enhance services for clients
    • Build event-based programs
    • Identify community solutions
  • P3. Develop professional network, for example:
    • Attend agency open houses and information sessions
    • Attend professional conferences, seminars and career fairs
    • Develop relationships with agencies in the community
    • Join professional social networking platforms, e.g. LinkedIn
  • P4. Share information, for example:
    • Provide guidance and constructive feedback
    • Consult on regular basis, formally and informally
    • Share resources, insights and information

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

  • K1. Key stakeholders’ needs
  • K2. How to build and maintain professional and community networks

Contextual Variables

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

None

Glossary & Key References

Terms

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

None

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

None

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

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

Minimal risk: SOMEWHAT CRITICAL

Frequency

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

Occasionally, e.g. generally several times in a month

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?

To become fully proficient in this competency, a career development professional requires a minimum of two years of experience, establishing at least 10 relationships representing a broad range of stakeholders

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None