Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors

Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for

Instructors

ROB STRABY
CONESTOGA OPEN LEARNING
KITCHENER, ONTARIO
Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors Copyright © 2024 by Rob Straby is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

This book and the media within may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language
models or generative AI software without the permission of Conestoga College.
Contents

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

Accessibility xi

Attributions xii

About the Author xiii

Part I. Chapter 1: Foundations of Effective Career Conversations

Haven’s Story: From Loss to Hope and a New Beginning 3

Introduction 5
1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice 6
1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice 9
1.3: What Is Trauma? 12
1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach 14
1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes 18
1.6: Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations 21
Chapter Review 23
References and Attributions 25

Part II. Chapter 2: Initiation — Building the Working Alliance

Lana’s Story: From Despair and Uncertainty to Optimism 29

Introduction 31
2.1: Building Empathic Relationships with Clients 32
2.2: Determining the Client’s Perceived Present 35
2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs 38
2.4: Clarifying Client Aspirations, Goals, and Challenges 43
2.5: Proposing the Plan of Action 45
2.6: Engaging Client Agreement 47
Chapter Review 49
References and Further Readings 51

Part III. Chapter 3: Career Exploration and Change: Process, Techniques and Applications

Jordan’s Story: Making Sense of School 55

Introduction 57
3.1: The Process of Exploration 58
3.2: The Components of Career Assessment 60
3.3: Quantitative Assessment Approaches 62
3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches 65
3.5: The Logical Levels Model 71
Chapter Review 75
References and Further Readings 77

Part IV. Chapter 4: Exploration — Creating Self-Portraits

Phoenix's Story: Rising From the Ashes 81

Introduction 83
4.1: What is a Self-Portrait? 84
4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait 86
4.3: Ways to Use the Self-Portrait 101
4.4: Using the Self-Portrait in a Group Setting 104
Chapter Review 106
Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits 109

Part V. Chapter 5: The Process of Preparation

River’s Story: Turning Dreams into Reality 115

Introduction 117
5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation 118
5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans 123
Chapter Review 129
References 131

Part VI. Chapter 6: Decision Making

Robin’s Story: An Emerging Path 135

Introduction 137
6.1: Decision-Making Styles Theory 138
6.2: Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and Integration Model 140
6.3: Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model 142
6.4: Practical Considerations in the Decision-making Process 144
Chapter Review 146
References 148

Appendix: Resources for Users 149

Glossary 150
Preface
Helping others navigate the multifaceted world of career development requires more than just a strategic mind; it
demands empathy, resilience, and an in-depth understanding of the psychological and emotional landscapes that
individuals traverse during career transitions. This book is designed to provide instructors who teach career coaching
with the tools, insights, and frameworks needed to support their students in their journey toward fulfilling and
sustainable careers as career professionals.
In my own career, I struggled early on to bring the skills, knowledge and applications of my work together. I was
fortunate enough to learn from Dave Redekopp and Kris Magnussen. Their work helped me integrate everything I had
learned into a coherent whole. Over the years, I have applied their work in my career practice with individuals. This has
led to multiple innovations in their original work. I have also used their work to teach career development professionals.
However, I reached the point where I needed to create material that integrated their original work with experience
gleaned from decades of client practice, which is why I decided to write this book.
In Chapter 1, we delve into the story of Haven, whose unexpected career upheaval is a poignant example of the
transformative power of empathetic and strategic career support. This chapter emphasizes the significance of
storytelling, the application of micro-skills, and the adoption of a trauma-informed approach. Through these
foundational elements, career professionals can better support individuals in navigating career challenges, fostering
resilience, and achieving meaningful professional growth.
Chapter 2 focuses on the importance of developing an empathetic relationship with clients. Understanding the client’s
perspective on their current situation is crucial in helping them determine the changes they want to make. This chapter
provides techniques for creating actionable plans that clients can commit to, ensuring they are equipped to bring about
the desired changes they seek in their careers.
Chapter 3 explores the intricate process of career exploration and change. This chapter offers an overview of
quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, emphasizing the importance of a multifaceted approach to career
exploration. Through these processes, clients can gain deeper insights into their strengths, interests, and values,
ultimately guiding individuals toward informed career decisions.
Chapter 4 introduces the concept of Self-Portraits in career exploration, offering a unique and holistic approach
to understanding one’s career aspirations and goals. By guiding clients through the creation of Self-Portraits, career
professionals can help them articulate their career narratives and envision their future paths with greater clarity.
Chapter 5 addresses the complexities of preparing for a career journey. This chapter provides a structured approach
to goal specification, emphasizing the importance of setting goals and breaking down long-term objectives into
manageable steps. Practical learning experiences, such as internships and volunteer work, are highlighted as essential
components of career development, enhancing both skills and confidence.
Finally, Chapter 6 tackles the often-daunting task of career decision-making. This chapter explores various decision-
making theories and models, offering practical advice on helping clients make informed and personalized career
choices. Understanding the principles of decision-making and recognizing the factors influencing career choices enable
career coaches to guide their clients with greater confidence and clarity.
As you embark on this journey through the pages of this book, I hope you find the insights and strategies presented
here both enlightening and empowering. Whether you are a seasoned career professional or new to the field, this book
aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to make a profound and positive impact on your clients’ lives.
To those who teach this course, I hope you find my experiences and approaches helpful in your classroom.

Preface | vii
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Rob Straby
September 12, 2024

viii | Preface
Acknowledgments

Land Acknowledgement

At Conestoga College, we would like to acknowledge that in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Brantford, we are
located on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Haudenosaunee people of Six Nations, which includes six
miles on either side of the Grand River. This is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral
peoples. Recognizing the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose environment we reside in
and a way of honouring the Indigenous people living and working on the ground for thousands of years.

Author Acknowledgements

Leadership Team

Lil Premsukh Singh, Dean, School of Business

Kimberley R. Snage, Chair, School of Business

Support Teams

Kimberlee Carter, OER Consultant, Open Learning, Library and Learning Services
Daleara (Dela) Hirjikaka, Instructional Designer—OER, Open Learning
Rachel Stuckey, Instructional Designer—OER, Open Learning
Cecile Monique Michniewicz, Instructional Designer—OER, Open Learning
Olu Oke, OER Project Coordinator, Open Learning, Library and Learning Services
Simone Larin, Administrative & Quality Assurance Officer, Open Learning
Holly Ashbourne, Library Technologist, eLearning and Digital Skills, Library and Learning Services
James Yochem, Copyright Coordinator, Conestoga College ITAL
Juliet Conlon, Conestoga College ITAL

Student Contributors

The following students contributed to this project by creating videos, building H5P activities, and assisting with
Pressbooks development:
Silvana Morales Cortes
Tania Deane
Sarthak Gupta
Vasu Sai Kiran
Esther Oko

Acknowledgments | ix
 Mohammad Sanan

x | Acknowledgments
Accessibility
Conestoga College Open Learning is committed to producing open educational resources accessible to as many learners
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Accessibility | xi
Attributions
“Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors,” copyright © by Rob Straby, was published by Conestoga Open
Learning in 2024 and is licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International except
where otherwise noted. Any derivative work must include an attribution statement on each page, with a link back to the
original work. Please use the following template statement as a guide:

Unless otherwise indicated, this [insert chapter or work description] contains material adapted from “Career
Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors” by Rob Straby, published by Conestoga Open Learning in 2024,
and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
Download and access this OER for free at Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors.

Book cover designed by Cecile Monique Michniewicz, Instructional Designer, Open Education Resources. Cover image:
Photo by Jess Bailey from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

“Life-Role Analysis” and “Creating Self-Portraits” are methods originally developed by Kris Magnusson, now at Simon
Fraser University, and Dave E. Redekopp, currently with the Life-Role Development Group Ltd.
The “Five Critical Career Counselling Processes” is a model developed by Kris Magnusson.
This material is adapted with permission from the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. Contact the Life-Role
Development Group Ltd. for more information: www.life-role.com.

xii | Attributions
About the Author

Since my teenage years, I’ve been fascinated and

challenged by the world of work. I’ve always found my
own jobs, experiencing the full spectrum of
emotions—fear, anxiety, panic, and hope—while
searching for work. Through these experiences, I’ve
gained a deep understanding of how to help a person
clarify their vision and bring it to life!

Rob Straby is passionate about helping individuals build careers that allow them to reach their full potential and realize
their dreams. Since 1986, he has assisted over 3,500 people in clarifying their goals and navigating career paths that align
with their personal and professional aspirations without sacrificing their personal lives.
Rob is a co-founder of the Career Development Professional program at Conestoga College. He has guided the
program through its evolution from a traditional classroom delivery to Conestoga College’s first fully online program
serving students across Canada.
Drawing from his personal life, education, and professional experiences, Rob has designed and delivered cutting-edge
educational courses, provided career development coaching and job search strategies for individuals and corporations,
and led seminars on organizational change, team building, and process facilitation.
Outside of work, Rob is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys practicing Tai Chi Qigong, cross-country skiing,
swimming, cycling, and gardening.

About the Author | xiii

xiv | About the Author
PART I
CHAPTER 1: FOUNDATIONS OF EFFECTIVE
CAREER CONVERSATIONS

Chapter 1: Foundations of Effective Career Conversations | 1

2 | Chapter 1: Foundations of Effective Career Conversations
Haven’s Story: From Loss to Hope and a New
Beginning

Credit: Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

After a new vice president joined the organization, the director of their department was fired, and Haven was next.
When I saw Haven, they had been let go. For five years, Haven worked hard to build new programs for their
organization. The director was supportive, and all was well. But then the executive leadership changed, and Haven’s
projects became targets. First, their boss was let go, then Haven. Haven was devastated.
It felt like all was lost. Haven couldn’t see a way forward. The pain was so deep. Obligations like the mortgage and the
kids’ college tuition weighed on Haven.
I was Haven’s career coach and they shared with me their loss, their pain, and their fears. Little by little, Haven began
to tell me stories about things that mattered. Projects they created, things that went well, and people they cared about.
Listening to Haven’s stories and probing for strengths and themes started to have an impact.
A transformation began as Haven clarified their identity and strengths. They were able to reclaim their professional
identity, which transcended their job. They realized they were so much more than the lost position.
Haven had been staying away from groups and events. The thought of attending “networking events” left them cold
and dry. But, empowered with original stories to tell, Haven began meeting with colleagues one by one. The focus was
to build relationships and find a way through. What surprised Haven was how receptive people were. They were willing
to meet and listen to Haven’s stories. Each meeting built confidence; people were interested in what Haven had to say.
It was inspiring. Contacts were shared, and introductions were made.
The process took time; there were ups and downs, and some meetings went well, and others didn’t. Yet Haven
persevered. There was magic in the stories. Haven kept meeting people, learning about needs and telling stories about
how they could help. Potential opportunities began to arise.

Haven’s Story: From Loss to Hope and a New Beginning | 3

 Yes, we created a resume. Yes, Haven’s LinkedIn profile was updated. Yes, they monitored “job boards.” But this is not
where the action happened.
Haven met with key people who then introduced them to people with the power to make hiring decisions. They met
with more people and heard their problems. The decision-makers liked Haven’s stories. In the same week, Haven had
three employment offers. After extensive negotiations, a final choice was made.
Haven’s story of recovering from a layoff is an example of the challenging transitions that an individual may go
through. Multiple challenges will affect individuals along their career journeys. A mother with two children going
through a separation suddenly finds she needs to gain an income to survive. An ex-offender trying to find their way. A
freshly graduated college student seeking their first full-time job. We will encounter hundreds of scenarios in our work
as career professionals.
To effectively help individuals grow their careers, career coaches must ensure that they have all the elements they
need to nourish the growth of their clients.

4 | Haven’s Story: From Loss to Hope and a New Beginning

Introduction
Through the poignant story of Haven, who faced unexpected career upheaval, this chapter illustrates the profound
impact of empathetic and strategic career counselling. Readers will gain insights into the transformative power of
storytelling, the importance of micro-skills in career counselling, and the need for a trauma-informed approach. By
understanding these foundational elements, career professionals can better support individuals in navigating career
challenges, fostering resilience, and achieving meaningful professional growth. This chapter provides practical tools and
underscores the emotional and psychological aspects of career transitions, making it a valuable resource for enhancing
your practice as a career coach and positively impacting your clients’ lives.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Use metaphors and storytelling to apply career theory to practice

2. Describe how to use microskills in career counselling.
3. Define the terms trauma and trauma-informed communication.
4. Discuss how and why career development professionals should adopt a trauma-informed approach.
5. Outline and describe the five career-helping processes model.
6. Identify the six outcomes of an effective career conversation.

Introduction | 5
1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice

Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Career theories investigate the relationship between work and professional development. They provide a basis for
identifying how people chart their career landscape. One of the most helpful ways to conceptualize career theories is to
use metaphors.

Career Metaphors

A metaphor is a figure of speech that we use to describe something in a way that is not literally true. You may have
learned about metaphors when you studied literature. For instance, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, “Long Walk to
Freedom,” uses the metaphor of a journey to represent his life and career.
Over the past few decades, several theorists developed different career metaphors to help us discuss career
experiences. Career metaphors can be viewed as different perspectives through which we can view career progression.
Metaphors shape our thinking about careers and influence how we perceive them. When used in career development
exercises, personally meaningful metaphors can significantly impact how individuals engage with their careers.

6 | 1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice

 The foundation for this work was established by Inkson and Amundson in 2002. Inkson refined this work in 2004,
identifying nine key metaphors. These metaphors are explained in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 – A Summary of Career Metaphors

Career Metaphors and Their Meanings Examples of Client Statements Career Theorist

“People like me just can’t do that where I come

James G. Goodale, Mon
Inheritance: The predetermined outcomes passed onto us through from.”
Johnson, Donald Kirkpa
our historical background and parents. “There is a glass ceiling here; no women have
Jeylan T. Mortimer
been able to break through it.”

“I’m graduating from school this spring and need

Diana Bilimoria,
to decide what’s next.”
Cycles: The stages that can be identified through which we pass in Daniel Levinson,
“My children are young and need more of my
life. Deborah A. O’Neil,
time. I don’t feel I can balance my work and family
Donald Super
demands.”

“Once I make a career decision, I will stick to it.”

Douglas, T. Hall,
Action: The behaviours we engage in through which we seek to “Getting a college education is necessary to get a
John Krumboltz,
impose our will on the world. good job.”
Robert W. Lent
“Somewhere out there is the right job for me.”

“Somewhere out there is a job that fits like a R.V. Dawis,

Fit: The extent to which there is a good match or not with the work
glove.” John Holland,
we are doing.
“I feel like a round peg in a square hole.” Frank Parsons

“My career feels like I am on a roller coaster ride.” John Arnold,

Journey: The way in which we understand our career as a movement
“I am unsure if I want to keep climbing the Edgar Schein,
through space.
company ladder.” Laurie Cohen

“I can’t keep managing the conflict between my

Donald Gibson,
work and family.”
Roles: That which we act out through the theatre of our lives. Hermina Iberra,
“Since I lost my job, I no longer have a clear sense
Donald Super
of my identity.’

“It’s not what you know; it’s whom you know that Sara Bosley,
Relationships: That which arises from our interactions with others
counts.” Don Cohen,
and through our social networks.
“I need to find a mentor to get ahead.” Mark Granovetter

“I am wondering how to transfer my skills to a

Michael, B. Arthur,
new industry.”
Resources: The view that individuals are inputs to serve the Jan Francis-Smythe,
“I want to extend my competencies and am
corporate purpose. Sandra Hasse,
looking for new assignments to improve my value
Catherine Steele
to the organization.”

Laurie Cohen,
“I wanted to work in the sports industry; I always
Audrey Collin,
Stories: The narratives about our lives. What we tell ourselves and loved sports. Then I went into…”
Hermina Iberra,
other people. “After the company closed, I did not know what to
Mary Mallon,
do next…”
Richard, A. Young

1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice | 7

Source: Based on Inkson K. (2004). Images of career: Nine key metaphors. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 65. 96-111.
10.1016/S0001-8791(03)00053-8.

Storytelling

Understanding these career metaphors and their related theories will help career coaches develop relationships with
their clients and understand their career challenges. However, what every career metaphor has in common is that it
involves storytelling. Consider the examples of career metaphors in practice, and you may recognize that they are all
story elements.
Storytelling is central to human endeavour (Polkinghorne, 1988). When clients talk about their careers, we hear a
story about themselves and their world. So, no matter what metaphor we use, careers can be understood as a story or
series of stories. As a career development professional, I have heard thousands of stories. This book is filled with career
stories, like Haven’s story in this chapter. These stories provide a central means of understanding clients and the tools,
techniques and processes presented in the following chapters.

Watch this TED talk on how the best career path isn’t always a straight line to see how career
progressions typically happen in the real world.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=42#oembed-1

Source: TED. (2021, June 11). The best career path isn’t always a straight line. | Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper
[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/1ALfKWG2nmw?si=zT8Rq4ZFmzajlYpF

8 | 1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice

1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills
into Client Practice

Credit: Photo by Vitaly Gariev from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Career practitioners often ask what advanced techniques they should learn. I usually recommend working on core
counselling skills. Haven’s journey from layoff to a new beginning was facilitated through a counselling approach that
began with deep listening. The process did not involve “fancy” techniques but was grounded in a core set of counselling
skills that allowed Haven to be heard and helped them sort out their career. Understanding and improving your use of
these counselling microskills is vital to career practice.
Microskills are the basic building blocks of counselling; they are the specific techniques and interventions we use
to interact with clients and help them achieve their goals. Allen Ivey originally developed the model in his counsellor
education programs (Ivey, 1971). Developing a mastery of microskills is essential for conducting effective client
interviews.
Table 1.2 highlights seven basic microskills and provides examples of statements that represent how career coaches
use these skills in career coaching sessions.

1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice | 9

 Table 1.2: Basic microskills with examples

Microskills and Their Meanings Examples of How Microskills are Used in Career Coaching

Attending behaviour: Verbal or non-verbal statements/gestures that encourage Culturally appropriate eye contact, head nodding, and physic
the client to continue talking. mirroring.

Open questions: A question that invites the client to respond with additional
information. Open question stems include the following: What, When, Where, and “What happened before your boss reprimanded you in the m
How.

Closed questions: A question that the client can answer with a yes/no or a specific
“Did your employer give you advance notice that your team w
statement. Closed question stems include the following: Who, Is, Are, Have, Can,
let go?”
and Did.

“On a scale from zero to ten, with zero representing no hope

Scaling questions: Ask clients to rate something on a numerical scale. representing an abundance of hope, how much hope do you h
right now that you will find a new job?”

Reflecting feelings: A brief statement connecting the client’s emotions to content

“It sounds like you’re feeling really frustrated about your job.
from the session.

Paraphrasing: A statement that condenses session content but less than a “So far in our conversation, it sounds like you’re feeling stuck
summary. It may include content, affect, and meaning. job and unsure how to move forward.”

Summarizing: A statement that reiterates more content than paraphrasing.

“During our session today, we talked about your relationship
Typically used at transition/ending points in the counselling session. A summary
your boss, and the challenges you face in being heard.”
may include content, affect, and meaning.

Source: Based on Ivey, A., Ivey, M. & Zalaquett, C. (2018). Intentional interviewing and counselling (9th ed.). Cengage
Learning Custom Publishing.

Watch this video on the microskills related to attending, paraphrasing and summarizing to get a sense of
how to use these essential skills with your clients.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=45#oembed-1

10 | 1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice

 Source: Kelly Allison. (2021, April 15). Attending, Paraphrasing and Summarizing. [Video]. YouTube.
https://youtu.be/JGMGXtfAX7U?si=-INWd4WNqFqM_Qep

1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice | 11

1.3: What Is Trauma?

Credit: Photo by Alex Green from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Trauma is generally defined as “an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as
physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and
physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” (SAMHSA, 2019). Many people experience different types of trauma in
their lives. Some people get help to deal with this trauma, but many do not. Therefore, career development professionals
must begin all their communications with an understanding that anyone may have experienced trauma at some time in
their lives and be prepared to support survivors of trauma. This approach is called trauma-informed communications.
Individuals who have experienced trauma may have little space for learning. They may have a constant state of tension
and arousal, which makes it difficult for them to concentrate, pay attention, retain, and recall new information. A
traumatized client may also feel like danger lurks around the corner constantly. This behaviour is challenging in a career
development setting when trying to develop a relationship with a client. Trauma survivors tend to protect themselves
from reliving the traumatic experience, so discussing their history or even current situation may be difficult. Trauma
can also affect a client’s decisions or their ability to trust others, including career development professionals.

12 | 1.3: What Is Trauma?

Understanding Trauma

Different types of trauma may include the following:

• Acute trauma is caused by a singular incident, such as a natural disaster, accident, or acts of violence.
• Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged, resulting from situations such as domestic violence or abuse.
• Complex trauma is varied and encompasses multiple traumatic events, often of an interpersonal nature, such as
abuse or profound neglect, which often occur with caregivers.
• Historical trauma, also called multigenerational trauma, can be experienced by a specific cultural, racial or ethnic
group, often related to significant events that oppressed a group of people, such as residential schools, the
Holocaust, forced migration, or violent colonization (City of San Diego, n.d.).

A person can experience one, some, or all these traumatic stresses during their lifetime. Multiple studies show that
severe or ongoing exposure to highly stressful or threatening events can impact a client’s ability to function in a socially
acceptable way (Haskell & Randell, 2019; King, 2021; National Child Traumatic Stress Network [NCTSN], 2017). Therefore,
career development professionals should adopt a trauma-informed approach to their practice.

1.3: What Is Trauma? | 13

1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach

Credit: Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

What Is a Trauma-Informed Approach

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMSHA, 2019) in the United States explains that a
trauma-informed approach accomplishes the following:

• Realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery.
• Recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved.
• Responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices.
• Seeks to resist re-traumatization actively.

Why Is Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach Essential?

As a career development professional, you will work in various settings and encounter very diverse populations. A
trauma-informed approach is critical to promoting lifelong well-being for anyone who has had adverse childhood

14 | 1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach

and adult experiences. Adopting a trauma-informed approach (TIA) means that the career development professional
(CDP) understands how adverse life experiences can impact a client’s well-being and potentially influence their career
decision-making. It is not always clear whether a client has experienced past trauma; however, if a professional develops
an awareness of trauma, it can prevent retraumatizing the client. Re-traumatization can occur when a client must
explain their story over and over to multiple service workers (SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative, 2014).
The CDP can help to avoid re-traumatizing the client by using their different microskills to assess the situation and
respond. The CDP should recognize that responses to trauma can include avoiding things that are reminders of previous
traumatic experiences, and increased sensitivity to these reminders, people, and the environment. For example, if a
client is uncomfortable in a setting, you could move them to another area. Many parts of the setting can cause a client
to re-experience an event. Smells, sights, sounds or touches can be a trigger. For instance a client may cringe when
exposed to a particular noise. It is essential to take a survivor’s trauma responses seriously (e.g., they may be jumpy
or anxious, have a hard time sleeping, or may need to avoid a neighbourhood that has too many reminders of past
experiences). This can be demonstrated by communicating respectfully and using appropriate language to build healthy,
trusting and professional relationships. (OASH, 2021).
CDPs can provide non-judgmental, warm, empathic, and genuine interactions at all times while maintaining healthy
professional boundaries (National Child Trauma Stress Network (NCTSN), 2020).
There may also be an opportunity for the CDP to provide information for the clients about trauma and its effects.
When possible, offer flexibility and choices as to how a survivor can interact with programs and staff.

Understanding Symptoms as Adaptations

When we adopt a trauma-informed approach, we understand that a survivor’s behaviour reflects adaptations to a world
that has not always been safe. We must also understand that multiple variables such as brain chemistry, genetics, and
life experience, as well as the person’s access to resources, affect how the world looks to them, what feels safe, what
they think may happen, and how they ask for and use services (National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental
Health, 2011). It’s also important for clients to understand that if they have a mental illness, they do not have to hide it,
and they do not have to disclose it to get the help they are seeking.
Of course, this does not mean that the career development professional will not have reactions if a person’s behaviour
is troublesome, disrespectful, or dangerous. It does mean that the way the career development
professional communicates their reactions should not shame or embarrass the client. Saying, “We want everyone to be
safe and comfortable here. You have been shouting for a while, and that worries some of us,” is better than saying, “You
cannot keep making all that noise; you need to sit down and please be quiet.” (National Center on Domestic Violence,
Trauma & Mental Health, 2011). Both statements let the client know that people are reacting to their behaviour, but the
first statement is respectful and acknowledges that the survivor is doing the best they can (Haskell & Randall, 2019).

Best Practices for Trauma-Informed Communication

One of the main goals of the helping interview is to achieve and maintain a trusting relationship with the client.
Career development professionals can model positive, non-judgmental communication to support healing for those
in need and promote well-being for everyone. The CDP should listen empathically and utilize the microskills reviewed
earlier in this chapter. Other best practices include the following:

• Communicate respectfully: The tone of voice can significantly impact how people receive and react to messages.
• Be respectful of others’ life experiences: Recognize that someone’s mental health issues, substance abuse or

1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach | 15

 physical health concerns may be rooted in “what has happened to them” and not because “something is wrong
with them.”
• Build healthy relationships: When interacting with others, treat people with dignity and respect.
• Be an active listener: Engage with the speaker by showing interest, maintaining eye contact, and providing
feedback.
• Focus on behaviours and not the person: Address specific actions or patterns rather than attributing them to
someone’s character.
• Use appropriate body language: Adopt physical expressions that align with the spoken message in a given context.

Creating a Safe Environment for All Clients

An emotionally safe setting may seem challenging to achieve because it is hard to measure. The CDP should
understand emotional safety. Emotional safety means that one feels accepted; it is the sense that one is safe from
emotional attack or harm. Most trauma survivors have probably felt emotionally unsafe or had their sense of “being all
right” taken away by others. Many survivors share that the ongoing and unrelenting attacks on their sense of well-being
are more painful than a beating (King, 2009). Clients should always feel welcome in your practice setting (Washington
Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, 2012).
Many survivors may experience diverse feelings and worries that make it difficult to make decisions, follow plans, and
tend to responsibilities for their personal and career needs. Thus, career development professionals can give clients
greater control, such as booking appointment times that work best for the client’s schedule. The career development
professional can also engage the client in thinking and planning how to gain better control over their situation. This can
mean providing or offering a caring and calming presence, helping with tasks that appear to be overwhelming, such as
completing paperwork or online scheduling of appointments or directions.
When possible, the career development professional can provide a relaxing place. When providing a calm
environment, the message sent to the client is that one cares about their privacy and is interested in attentively listening
to how the client feels and their physical and emotional status. A soothing space may be a quiet corner of a room or a
comfortable chair, low lights, a flexible door that can be closed or kept open, or a source of quiet music. Alternatively,
it could be a room with plants or flowers, videos of beautiful scenery, a source of upbeat music, and space for writing.
Different things will be soothing at different times and to different types of clients and department settings.
Once again, the career development professional can provide information about trauma. Learning about trauma
triggers can help clients understand and manage their feelings and increase their sense of control.
The career development professional needs to provide clear information and avoid surprises. They may be concerned
about what the professionals will do with their information. Providing clear and accurate information about policies,
procedures, rules, plans, and activities helps support emotional safety (Schladale, 2013).
The career development professional may be able to help trauma survivors feel comforted and in control. Each
survivor has a pattern of needs related to emotional safety. For example, one survivor may find it reassuring to have
clear directions or information from staff who speak with authority and expertise. For someone else, withdrawing from
external stresses to explore their thoughts and feelings will be the jump start they need to plan for their future. An
essential aspect of helping survivors feel comforted and in control is ensuring that survivors know they can ask for what
they need. (OASH, 2021; National Child Trauma Stress Network (NCTSN), 2008).

Trauma-Informed Communication Strategies

What can the CDP do? They can create open, non-threatening communication by using focused eye contact and

16 | 1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach

engaging body language. The CDP can ask open-ended questions to answer the who, what, when, where, and how
questions about the topics discussed. When the client speaks, avoid interruptions and judgments and do not try
to fix things. Also, remember to focus on behaviours and not the person. (National Child Trauma Stress Network
[NCTSN], 2008; National Child Trauma Stress Network [NCTSN], 2020; Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2004). Table
1.3 summarizes some key points of trauma-informed communication.

Table 1.3. Trauma-Informed Communication: Dos and Don’ts

Dos Don’ts

Speak with a normal, controlled voice and invoke a sense of calm Shout or lose control of your emotions.

Express kindness, patience and acceptance. Remain present with the

Use your phone or tune out.
client.

Use engaging eye contact and positive body language. Interrupt, judge, or try to fix things.

Use confrontational body language, such as putting hands on your hips,

Ask open-ended questions that answer the who, what, when, where and
your arms, getting too close to others or backing them into a corner. Th
how of topics being discussed.
cause already stressful situations to escalate.

Respect personal space Use physical touching.

When using trauma-informed communication, the CDP should be aware of the following things:

• Trauma can happen to anyone.

• The response to trauma is very individual.
• Consider that all clients have life experience or history and may have differing triggers.
• Assess each client and modify your communication to the client’s needs.
• Create a safe environment for all clients.

Attribution: Section 1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach was adapted from Chapter 11 Trauma Informed
Communication in Therapeutic Communication for Health Care Administrators by Kimberlee Carter, Marie Rutherford,
and Connie Stevens and is used under a CC BY SA 4.0 licence.

1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach | 17

1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes

Credit: Photo by fauxels from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

How can you structure a conversation with clients to guide them through a career change? How do you start this
session?
This section outlines a holistic approach to getting started with a client and guiding them through a career change.
Kris Magnuson (1992, 1995) developed this method, which includes five career-helping processes:

1. Initiation
2. Exploration
3. Decision-making
4. Preparation
5. Implementation

1. Initiation

Initiation is the process of meeting with the client and finding a shared space in which to proceed with the career
development process. It involves creating an empathic relationship with your client. Initiation refers to what takes place

18 | 1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes

in your very first meeting with your client. It also refers to what happens in the first moments you meet that same
individual in future sessions. The key to understanding effectiveness in helping conversations is to create a rapport with
the individual. There must be a strong relationship, a working alliance. By creating this relationship, you can then engage
in an effective process. A vital component of this initiation process is ensuring that the client understands the benefits
of the process and how it will help them move forward.

2. Exploration

Exploration takes the process of initiation deeper, providing greater insight. It is the process of exploring strengths,
talents, interests, values, or beliefs. It allows a creative process where we help individuals explore their world and the
opportunities available. From here, the individual can explore potential career opportunities available to them in the
world.

3. Decision-Making

Decision-making is a vital part of the overall process. This is because decision-making is core to the overall process.
The whole process is in essence a decision-making process. The CDP is facilitating an approach to help clients discern
who they are and what opportunities are available. Gathering or organizing the information, we’re establishing criteria
for setting goals. We’re implementing action plans. Everything we do in our encounter with the client involves a career
decision-making process.

4. Preparation

Preparation is a process that allows individuals to prepare themselves to be ready to build the skills they need to
move forward with their choices. Examples of preparation could be work search skills, such as developing a resume or
LinkedIn profile. It could involve interview preparation skills. It may also include things like accessing transportation or
childcare in preparation for work.

5. Implementation

Implementation is where we take all the outcomes of the process and act on them. The key is setting up a support
system to help individuals advance their careers. Identify supports they have in their community network that will allow
them to move forward. This is also a transition place where the individual may end their relationship with the CDP while
they embed the career development process within their communities.

Intentionality

In conclusion, each of these processes is necessary to help facilitate a career transition. These processes are not linear

1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes | 19

sequences. They are more about the intentionality of your work. When I worked with Haven, we cycled back and forth
through these processes. Overall, this approach will help the CDP to focus their conversation with their clients and
enhance their career opportunities.

Attribution: The “Five Critical Career Counselling Processes” is a model developed by Kris Magnusson. This material is
adapted with permission from the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. Contact the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. for
more information: www.life-role.com.

20 | 1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes

1.6: Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations

Credit: Photo by Vitaly Gariev from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Our work as career development professionals can have a transformative impact on the lives of our clients. Effective
career development interventions can free individuals from challenging circumstances in life.
There are six critical outcomes of an effective career intervention. The first is to help the individual identify their
strengths. Understanding one’s skills, knowledge, and values is a vital foundation that enables one to navigate the world
of work. The individual must also become aware of their challenges and how they can leverage their strengths to
overcome them. Next, the individual needs to identify one or more goals that support their career. This may involve
goals for other life roles (e.g., parenting) that support their career goals.
Once goals are in place, the individual must develop a clear strategic plan and a way of meeting their goals—it is
essential to have action steps that they can take to move forward. These need to include steps they can take immediately
to move forward.
The individual’s ability to be self-sufficient in the career development process should also be enhanced. Ideally, they
have developed effective career management skills as a part of the career coaching process.
Finally, the most effective outcome is to have a renewed sense of hope. When they have hope about their life and what
they can do, they will feel empowered to engage in an effective change process. The role of hope has been identified in
career research as an essential ingredient in the outcomes of effective career intervention (Amundsen et al., 2016).

1.6: Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations | 21

 Six Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations

After an effective career conversation, an individual will have met the following goals:

1. Identified their strengths.

2. Gained an awareness of their challenges and how to leverage strengths to overcome them.
3. Identified one or more career-supporting goals.
4. Developed a strategic plan or action steps to meet their goals.
5. Enhanced their ability and skills to manage and develop their career.
6. Renewed their sense of hope and feelings of empowerment.

22 | 1.6: Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

1.1: Applying Career Theory to Practice

• Career metaphors are different perspectives through which career progression can be viewed.
Metaphors shape our thinking about careers and influence how we perceive them. Inkson identified the
following nine key career metaphors: (1) Inheritance (2) Cycles (3) Action (4) Fit (5) Journey (6) Roles (7)
Relationships (8) Resources (9) Stories. Clients can use career metaphors to tell their stories. Career
professionals can use metaphors and storytelling to apply career theory to practice.

1.2: Incorporating Career Counselling Microskills into Client Practice

• Career counselling microskills are specific techniques used by career professionals to interact with
clients and help them achieve their goals. Seven microskills commonly used by career professionals are (1)
attending behaviour (2) open questions (3) closed questions (4) scaling questions (5) reflecting feelings (6)
paraphrasing, and (7) summarizing.

1.3: What Is Trauma?

• Trauma is defined as an event or series of events that are physically or emotionally harmful, having
long-lasting adverse effects on an individual’s functioning and well-being. Career development
professionals should acknowledge that anyone may have experienced trauma and adopt a trauma-
informed approach in their communications to support survivors effectively.
• Trauma can be categorized into acute, chronic, complex, and historical, each having distinct
characteristics and impacts. Individuals who have experienced trauma may struggle with concentration,
trust, and learning, making it essential for career development professionals to understand these
challenges and approach clients with sensitivity and support.

1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach

• A Trauma-Informed Approach recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and integrates knowledge
into policies, procedures, and practices to support recovery and prevent re-traumatization. It
understands and identifies signs of trauma in clients and others involved, promoting a supportive
environment.
• Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach is essential for promoting lifelong well-being and supporting
clients who have experienced trauma by preventing re-traumatization and fostering healthy, trusting
relationships. Career development professionals can provide empathetic, non-judgmental support,
adapting environments and interactions to avoid triggering traumatic responses.

1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes

Chapter Review | 23
 • Kris Magnuson’s holistic approach to guiding clients through career changes involves five key
processes: Initiation, Exploration, Decision-making, Preparation, and Implementation, each focusing on
building relationships, exploring opportunities, making informed decisions, preparing necessary skills,
and acting on plans with community support.
• The approach emphasizes the importance of intentionality, highlighting that these processes are not
linear but rather cyclical, allowing for flexibility and revisiting each stage as needed to effectively
facilitate career transitions.

1.6: Outcomes of Effective Career Conversations

• Effective career development interventions help individuals identify their strengths, become aware of
their challenges, set career-supporting goals, develop strategic plans, enhance career management skills,
and renew their sense of hope and empowerment.
• The transformative impact of career conversations enables clients to navigate their careers better by
understanding their skills and challenges, setting actionable goals, and fostering self-sufficiency and
hope for positive change.

Reflection Questions

1. How can storytelling and career metaphors be utilized to help clients articulate their career
experiences and goals? TIP: Consider how different metaphors resonate with various client experiences
and how they can aid in career exploration and development.
2. What are some core microskills that you believe are most crucial in career counselling, and how can
you improve your use of these skills in your practice? TIP: Reflect on your own counselling style and
identify areas where enhancing specific microskills could benefit your interactions with clients.
3. Why is it important for career development professionals to adopt a trauma-informed approach, and
how can this perspective influence your practice? TIP: Think about how understanding trauma and its
effects can change the way you engage with clients who have experienced traumatic events.
4. How can the five career-helping processes (initiation, exploration, decision-making, preparation, and
implementation) be applied in your current client work? TIP: Analyze how each process can be integrated
into your client interactions to create a more structured and supportive career development experience.
5. What are the six critical outcomes of effective career conversations, and how can you measure and
achieve these outcomes with your clients? TIP: Reflect on your current methods for assessing client
progress and consider strategies for ensuring that each of these outcomes is met during your career
counselling sessions.

24 | Chapter Review
References and Attributions

References

Amundson, N.E., Goddard, T., Niles, S.G., Yoon, H.J., Schmidt, J. & Braga, M. (2016). Hope centred career interventions
research project final report. Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling. https://ceric.ca/wpdm-
package/hope-centred-career-interventions-research-project/
Center for Health Care Strategies. (2019, January 23). What is trauma-informed care? [Video].
YouTube. https://youtu.be/fWken5DsJcw
City of San Diego. (n.d.). Trauma informed resources. Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention.
https://www.sandiego.gov/gangcommission/directory/trauma
Family Violence Prevention Fund. (2004, August). Identifying and responding to domestic violence: Consensus
recommendations for child and adolescent health. Futures Without Violence. http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/
userfiles/file/HealthCare/pediatric.pdf
Haskell, L., & Randall, M. (2019, January 1). Impact of trauma on adult sexual assault victims: What the criminal justice
system needs to know. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3417763
Inkson, K. (2004). Images of career: Nine key metaphors. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 65. 96-111. 10.1016/
S0001-8791(03)00053-8
Inkson, K, Amundson, N. E. (September 2002). Career metaphors and their application in theory and counseling practice.
Journal of Employment Counseling, v39 (3), 98-108.
Ivey, A. (1971). Microcounseling: Innovations in interviewing. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
Ivey, A., Ivey, M. & Zalaquett, C. (2018). Intentional interviewing and counseling (9th ed.). Cengage Learning Custom
Publishing.
King, J. (2009). Emotional abuse: The lack of emotional safety as an internal indicator in abusive relationships. Prevent
Abusive Relationships. https://www.preventabusiverelationships.com/articles/emotional_safety.php
National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health. (2011, August). Tips for creating a welcoming
environment. Creating Trauma-Informed Services: Tipsheet Series. http://nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/01/Tipsheet_Welcoming-Environment_NCDVTMH_Aug2011.pdf
National Child Trauma Stress Network (NCTSN). (2008, October). Child trauma toolkit for
educators. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/child-trauma-toolkit-educators
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). (2017, July 17). Safe spaces, safe places: Creating welcoming and
inclusive environments for traumatized LGBTQ youth [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8zNbQ_8KRew
OASH. (2021). Meaningful youth engagement. Office of Population Affairs. https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health/
positive-youth-development/meaningful-youth-engagement
Polkinghorne D. (1988). Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences. Albany: State Univ. N.Y. Press
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2013, May 12). The truth about ACEs [Infographic]. https://www.rwjf.org/en/
library/infographics/the-truth-about-aces.html?cid=xsh_rwjf_pt
Rowe, K. (2020). Improving provider confidence and partnership with LGBT patients through inclusivity and
education. Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects, 5. https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/dnp-projects/5
Schladale, J. (2013). A trauma-informed approach for adolescent sexual health. Resources for Resolving
Violence. https://foster-ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/A-Trauma-Informed-Approach-for-Adolescent-
Sexual-Health-2013.pdf [opens a PDF file]
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). (2019, August 2). Trauma and violence. U.S. Department
of Health & Human Services. https://www.samhsa.gov/trauma-violence

References and Attributions | 25

SAMHSA’s Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative. (2014, July). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-
informed approach. https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf [opens a PDF file]

Attributions

Section 1.4: Adopting a Trauma-Informed Approach was adapted from Chapter 11 Trauma Informed Communication in
Therapeutic Communication for Health Care Administrators by Kimberlee Carter, Marie Rutherford, and Connie Stevens
and is used under a CC BY SA 4.0 licence.
Section 1.5: The “Five Critical Career Counselling Processes” is a model developed by Kris Magnusson. This material is
adapted with permission from the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. Contact the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. for
more information: www.life-role.com.

26 | References and Attributions

PART II
CHAPTER 2: INITIATION — BUILDING THE
WORKING ALLIANCE

Chapter 2: Initiation — Building the Working Alliance | 27

28 | Chapter 2: Initiation — Building the Working Alliance
Lana’s Story: From Despair and Uncertainty to
Optimism

Credit: Photo by energepic.com from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

In my career coaching practice, I have had the privilege of guiding many people. Lana was a young mother who came to me
feeling despondent. She had a good job but felt that the work and the environment weren’t conducive to her well-being. She
was unsure of what she wanted to do next.
Eight years in project management, and I felt like I was nowhere. The firm I worked for turned out to be a toxic
workplace. I was feeling harmed there. I needed to get out. I spoke with my friend, and they said to call this career guide
at the agency downtown, that they could help. I trusted my friend’s recommendation.
I phoned the agency to start. It sounded like it was worth an initial meeting. I felt a little bit nervous, and although I
had worked with counsellors before, I was unsure what this would involve. The guide said that it wouldn’t involve testing
and that we would sit down and talk about my work and needs. That sounded like a good start to me.
I came out of the first meeting with this career guide, and a few things came to mind. It felt safe. So that was
important—you know—I felt comfortable there. I felt heard, that the guide listened to what I had to say. So that was

Lana’s Story: From Despair and Uncertainty to Optimism | 29

helpful because I wasn’t sure. I’ve talked about my work problems with others, and they were too quick to give an
opinion. I have often felt that others did not want to hear what I had to say. Getting all the issues that I’m really worried
about off my chest was good. I felt like, okay, I have support, and I would go back and see this person again.
One of the things that came up was that the career guide asked about things I did well and things I had done well in
the past. At first, it was hard to think of stuff because I was so overwhelmed. After some nudging, I remembered a few
stories. The guide shared back the things they heard about my strengths. It was helpful to hear that I had a creative
streak.
One of the challenges was that I had to do some homework. I was unsure at first. I said I’m busy with the job, I’m busy
with my daughter, and I’ve got lots of things going on over the next few days. We talked about the challenges and my
desire for change. Somehow, I found the energy to fit the homework in.
The main thing I found was that I had some hope for the future. And I’m like, okay, I can get out of this environment,
and I will be something else out there. I didn’t know what, but I believed it was possible. That was a different feeling for
me; I felt listened to and had a sense of hope. I was ready to take the next step, whatever that may be.

30 | Lana’s Story: From Despair and Uncertainty to Optimism

Introduction
In this chapter, we will learn about the initiation phase of the career coaching process, which involves developing an
empathic relationship with the client. We will also learn the importance of understanding the client’s perspective on
their current situation. We will study techniques to help clients determine what changes they want to make. We will
discuss how to create an action plan that clients can commit to, which will help them bring about the desired changes.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Outline the key elements needed to build empathic relationships with clients.
2. Discuss the importance of determining a client’s perceived present.
3. Describe how career development professionals can elicit client history, strengths, and needs.
4. Describe how career development professionals can clarify client aspirations, goals, and challenges.
5. Outline how to develop and implement a plan of action.
6. Describe different techniques for engaging client agreement.

Introduction | 31
2.1: Building Empathic Relationships with Clients

Credit: Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The initiation process is, in essence, a helping interview set within the context of a career intervention process. In a
helping interview, the focus is on the client’s wants and on providing assistance.
Lana’s story highlights the most critical need when we meet a client for the first time. We need to connect and build
an empathic relationship. We must appreciate that Lana wasn’t keen to come in and meet with a career professional at
an agency. There was hesitation. She was unsure what the benefit would be. Hence, the most important thing for us to
do when we meet with a new client is to create a safe and trusting environment. We must build a vessel that allows the
client to feel safe and heard. All our efforts and energy need to be directed toward this primary goal of creating a safe,
trusting, welcoming space for clients to come into and be fully present and share what is happening within their lives.
In reviewing Lana’s story, you’ll recognize that these outcomes were achieved and that being heard was unique for
her. What typically happens when people struggle with careers and start sharing with friends, coworkers, and family is
that everyone around them gives an opinion. It is rare in our society for a person to be thoroughly listened to. The most
common feedback I have received throughout decades of career conversations is that people appreciate being heard. To
be listened to, sadly, is a rare experience.
Ensuring healthy boundaries is an essential platform from which to move forward. This is a part of building a
relationship. Lana and I defined the boundaries of the relationship. We also discussed confidentiality. However, the
primary focus of the initial meeting is to ask questions and hear what the individual says.

32 | 2.1: Building Empathic Relationships with Clients

Creating a Safe Environment

Creating a safe and trusting environment is crucial before starting the storytelling or listening process. Here are several
strategies to achieve this:

1. Establish clear boundaries and expectations: Begin by explaining the purpose of the meeting and what the client
can expect. Clarify the boundaries of confidentiality and the extent to which the information shared will be used.
2. Demonstrate empathy and understanding: Show genuine concern for the client’s feelings and experiences. Use
empathetic language and body language to convey understanding and support.
3. Create a comfortable physical space: Ensure the meeting space is private, quiet, and free from distractions.
Arrange seating to promote a sense of equality and openness.
4. Be non-judgmental and open-minded: Approach the conversation without preconceived notions or judgments. Be
open to the client’s perspective and experiences.
5. Encourage openness and honesty: Let the client know that they can speak freely and that their honesty is valued.
Reassure them that there are no right or wrong answers.
6. Provide reassurance and support: Offer verbal and non-verbal reassurance that the client is in a safe space.
Acknowledge their courage in seeking help and sharing their story.

Active Listening

Active listening involves more than just hearing the words spoken by the client. It requires deep engagement with the
speaker’s message and an understanding of their emotions and perspectives. Key components of active listening include:

1. Full attention: Give the client your undivided attention. Avoid distractions and focus entirely on what they are
saying.
2. Reflective listening: Paraphrase or summarize the client’s words to show understanding and confirm accuracy.
This can involve statements like, “What I hear you saying is…”
3. Empathic responses: Respond empathetically to demonstrate that you understand and share the client’s feelings.
Use phrases like, “It sounds like you’re feeling…”
4. Non-verbal cues: Use appropriate body language, such as nodding, maintaining eye contact, and leaning forward,
to show that you are engaged and interested.
5. Clarifying questions: Ask open-ended questions to encourage clients to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings.
Avoid interrupting or interjecting your own opinions.
6. Silence: Allow for pauses and silences in the conversation. This gives the client time to think and reflect, showing
that you are patient and willing to listen.

Build an Empathic Relationship

Building an empathic relationship involves several key steps, which can be based on the microskills model expounded
by Ivey (1971). These steps include:

1. Attending behaviour: Demonstrate that you are fully present with the client through appropriate eye contact,
body language, and verbal following. This behaviour sets the foundation for a trusting relationship.
2. Open and closed questions: Use a combination of open and closed questions to explore the client’s issues. Open

2.1: Building Empathic Relationships with Clients | 33

 questions encourage detailed responses, while closed questions can help clarify specific points.
3. Paraphrasing: Regularly paraphrase the client’s statements to show understanding and ensure you have accurately
captured their message. This helps build trust and rapport.
4. Reflection of feeling: Reflect on the client’s emotions to show empathy and to help them explore their feelings
more deeply. This can be done by saying, “You seem really frustrated by this situation.”
5. Summarizing: Periodically summarize the main points of the conversation to reinforce understanding and to
provide a sense of closure to different parts of the discussion.
6. Encouraging and validating: Offer verbal encouragement and validation to the client. Acknowledge their efforts
and the difficulties that they face. This helps to build a supportive and empathic relationship.

By integrating these steps and principles, you can create a safe and trusting environment, practice active listening, and
build a strong empathic relationship with your clients, facilitating more effective and meaningful career interventions.

Watch this insightful video on empathy versus sympathy to get an understanding of the difference
between these two concepts.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=71#oembed-1

Source: RSA. (2013, December 10). Brené Brown on Empathy. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/
1Evwgu369Jw?si=AGnxZZ2RG79j_hI8

34 | 2.1: Building Empathic Relationships with Clients

2.2: Determining the Client’s Perceived Present

Credit: Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Career professionals must first ask, “Why has the client come to see me?” Understanding the client’s perceived present
or current reality is a prerequisite for engaging in an effective helping process where the guide makes the client feel
comfortable and helps them express their reason for being there. The client comes in with a presenting issue. For
example, Lana’s reason for seeking help and her motivation for the change was to get out of harm’s way. She felt that
she was experiencing harm in that environment. When we reflect on Lana’s situation, we see the answer to this first
question, which is that there was trauma in the workplace.
Lana was the lone female in an all-male workplace. Our conversation made it clear there were no overt, direct attacks
on her, but there were always subtle gender microaggressions like cruel jokes, careless comments, and insults that
made her feel like her workplace did not value her and her work. These issues impacted her ability to do her job, feel
safe to voice her suggestions and contribute meaningfully to the workplace. Hence, it was essential to help her remove
herself from that environment. Further conversation also clarified that she was no longer sure if she wanted to be
managing engineering projects. After eight years in the field, she no longer enjoyed the work.
It is important to note that Lana’s primary motivator was removing herself from a traumatic workplace. That is why
she sought career counselling. However, through the initiation process, she identified that she wasn’t even sure she
wanted to manage large engineering projects anymore. Before she came into our meeting, that issue wasn’t even on her
mind.

2.2: Determining the Client’s Perceived Present | 35

 Remember that when an individual comes in to meet with a career development professional, there may be multiple
issues affecting them and their career. Our goal is to ensure that we first understand the complete current reality that
they are facing. In Lana’s case, there were two types of changes possible:

• First was the need to move to a different workplace.

• Second was the need to consider the kind of work she wanted to do.

Clarifying the issues faced by your client will help you appreciate the changes that may be necessary for their client’s
career development.

Identifying the Type of Change

In the initial discussion with your client, the answer to the question “Why are they here?” will help identify the type of
change needed. In Lana’s story, she needed change because of a workplace that was harmful to her psychological well-
being, and she maybe wanted to change the type of work she did. As a CDP, you must listen to the client’s story — their
answer to the question, “Why are you here?”— to focus on the type of change needed.
As a client shares about the type of change they seek, you can use the microskills of reflecting feelings and
paraphrasing to ensure you hear what is going on and that they feel listened to.
Here are examples of client statements that begin to answer the question: “Why has the client come to see me?”

• “I don’t know what to do when I finish school.”

• “I’ve been a plumber for the past ten years, and I enjoy the work. However, I was injured in an accident and can’t do
that anymore. So now I need to find something else.”
• “I’m a single parent with three kids to support and a mortgage. I need a new car. I’ve got to find a job that pays
$55,000 a year.”
• “I’ve worked for a small start-up software company over the past two years. Things haven’t gone well; the market is
changing. The venture capitalist has removed their funding and laid off all the staff. I don’t know what I’m going to
do next.”
• “I’ve stayed home to look after our children for ten years. They are both in school, and I’m ready to return to work.”
• “Last week, I took my car in for an oil change. I chatted with the firm’s owner, who is offering franchises. I thought,
Gee, maybe I would like to do that. I want to check out what’s involved in starting a business.”
• “I want to get into project management, but I’m having trouble finding a job in that area.”
• “The Social Services department told me I would get cut off if I didn’t come down and see you. Can you sign this
paper to say I was here?”
• “The company I’m working in has a clear glass ceiling. I’m frustrated because no women are working above my
level. I want to find a way to get ahead in another company.”

These statements help the CDP to understand the client’s present situation. Once the “current reality” becomes obvious,
the CDP can help the client figure out the best path ahead for them.

CDP Toolkit: An Online Tool for Initiation

Alberta Learning Information Services (ALIS) has an extensive website for individuals and career

36 | 2.2: Determining the Client’s Perceived Present

development professionals. The Career InSite section of the provincial government site includes many
helpful exercises. One of these exercises is called “Where Do I Start?” Using this interactive checklist can
help individuals clarify what areas of career development they may need to work on.

Try the Where Do I Start? exercise on the ALIS site. [opens in new window]

2.2: Determining the Client’s Perceived Present | 37

2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs

Credit: Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

I like to take a retrospective approach once we discuss the client’s current reality. The primary goal is to learn about
their career patterns (or history), strengths, and needs. This part of the conversation also supports the development of
an empathic relationship with the client.
A good way to elicit a client’s history is to ask a series of open-ended questions in chronological order. Open-ended
questions encourage clients to think and not simply answer with a monosyllabic response. When discussing a client’s
history, focusing on the transitions from one life stage to another is always helpful. Start with a foundational question
like, “Where did you go to school?”
There are many directions that this part of the conversation can take. Allow a client’s interests to guide where the
questions flow. If they remember high school years well and are animated when talking about them, you can allow details
to emerge from there. Or perhaps they remember their first job best. Following up with questions in a chronological
pattern can elicit a thorough history from any starting point. For example, if you begin with “What did you do after high
school?” You would discover if they went to work or to post-secondary. Then, you might ask the client how they made
that choice. What was influencing them? Did they set goals? Who are the key people in their life?

38 | 2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs

Using Question Sets

Rather than thinking of questions as you go, developing question sets to work from is helpful. As you ask questions, you
can expand or move on to other issues that come up. Your job is to help your client talk out their career history so that
you can examine the patterns and themes together. Work through your questions in a relaxed manner, and feel free to
explore other related issues that may come up.

Some sample questions that can reveal a client’s history, strengths, and needs are as follows:

Education

• Let’s start with your education. What did you concentrate on in school?
• How do you feel now about having chosen those areas? Why did you choose those areas?

First Job Role

• What was your first job after your formal education?

• (If they did not start working) What was your first major life event after your education?
• What were you looking for in your first job or life event? Why did you make that choice?

Early Goals

• What were your ambitions or long-range goals when you started your career?
• How did the first job work out in terms of your dreams?

Next Job Role or Major Life Event

• What was your first significant change in job, employing organization, or life?
• How did this come about?
• Who initiated the change?
• What were the reasons for the change?
• How did you feel about the change? How did it relate to your goals?

Next Job Role or Career Change

• Review what you consider significant changes in the role, organization, career, or life. List each
change and explore the reasons as well as the consequences.
• How did this come about?
• Who initiated the change?
• What were the reasons for the change?
• How did you feel about the change?
• How did it relate to your goals?

Long-Range Goals

• Have your ambitions or long-range goals changed since you started your career? When? Why?
• How would you now describe your long-range goals?

Looking Forward

2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs | 39

 • As you look ahead in your career, what are the things you are especially looking forward to?
• Why are you looking forward to these things?
• What do you think your next role will be?
• After that, what do you think your next role will be?

Describing Their Work

• How would you describe your work to others?

• What are you good at?
• What do you most want out of your career?
• What values do you mainly try to uphold in your career?
• Do you have any other comments about yourself that you would like to make at this point?

Finish by asking: “Do you have any other comments about yourself that you would like to make at this
point?”

Identifying Patterns and Themes

As the client shares their story by responding to your questions, pay attention to the patterns and themes that emerge.
Here are a few patterns and themes that often emerge in client histories.

Career Orientation

As your client describes their history, listen for a particular emphasis on specific interests. Are they pursuing a career
where they’re constantly trying to find ways to serve and help others? Is their career driven by creating, designing,
or building new things? Is there an entrepreneurial orientation? Are they seeking to develop their careers along the
leadership path? Are they driven to deepen their skill set? Is there a drive for increased competency in a specialization?

Active vs. Passive

When the individual describes the changes within their career, listen for how they occur. To what extent is the individual
initiating the change? Alternatively, are their changes primarily initiated by others? For example, people may wait until
they are invited into new roles. Others may choose to act sooner and create their own opportunities.

Individual vs. Collective

One of the essential cultural components of a career focuses on the extent to which the person is centred around an

40 | 2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs

individualistic culture versus a collectivistic culture. Are their decisions primarily made by themselves, irrespective of
family and others? Alternatively, is the family an important part of decision-making?

Focus vs. Exploration

What is the nature of their career path? Is there something specific that the individual is moving toward? Does the
person appear to be in an exploratory phase? Are they moving around through multiple roles? Experimenting to see
what fits?
As stated earlier, we can use our microskills of reflecting and paraphrasing to ensure we hear what is going on and
that the client feels listened to.

Reflecting Strengths

When clients share their stories, listen for opportunities to probe more deeply. Even a client who is experiencing many
challenges in their life and work will have moments when they feel joy in an activity and a sense of pride in the work
that they are doing. It does not matter whether these moments were part of a paid position, a volunteering activity, a
hobby, or a parenting experience. Everyone has strengths that show up in different life roles. As clients describe various
aspects of their journey, I listen attentively to those special moments.

First-Hand Experience

In my first meeting with Lana, several highlights emerged through our conversation. She started to discuss
her work around creating a Christmas card for the company. I said: “When you described that, your face lit up,
and you began to smile. Can you tell me more about it?” She then told me a story about an interesting aspect of
her work. Here is what she said.

“This was an idea I had when I took over the position. The company had created Christmas cards in
the past with tacky software, which did not seem professional to me. On the other hand, we did have a
family culture, and I had seen some commercial cards that used the concept. So, I suggested creating a
company Christmas card based on our children’s drawings.

Over the years, we have tried variations, and I have learned what works best. Art drawn by children is
always superior. I have also decided to use a theme for each year and write a message that ties the
theme into the tradition of why we do the card in the first place. Customers comment that they look
forward to receiving our cards and that they collect them and use them as decorations. In a time when
the corporate Christmas card is being replaced by emails. Ours just keeps getting better.”

When we read Lana’s story about the corporate Christmas card, we hear several key strengths emerge:

2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs | 41

 • Creativity and design
• Engaging the company culture
• Promoting an idea and getting buy-in

I try to ensure that all of my clients leave their first session with an awareness of at least some of their strengths. In my
experience, this increases their motivation to engage in the career change process. Through listening, we can identify
a client’s strengths and reflect them back to the client. As clients experience hearing their skills shared back with them,
excitement and possibilities emerge. They gain an immediate boost to their self-esteem. They also learn how having an
effective career conversation can benefit them.

42 | 2.3: Eliciting Client History, Strengths, and Needs

2.4: Clarifying Client Aspirations, Goals, and
Challenges

Credit: Photo by Monstera Production from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Thus far, in our work, we’ve talked about the present situation, and we’ve also talked about the past. The next step is to
consider the future. At this point, it’s helpful to gain insight into how much future orientation the client has.

• Do they have a vision for a preferred future?

• Have they considered what their career might be?
• Have they thought about where they might go next?
• What options, alternatives, or possibilities are they considering?

This is an appropriate time to ask questions that elicit insights into the vision or long-term goal. My favourite question
is: “In the best of all worlds, what do you want to get out of your life?” This could also be phrased as “In the best of all
worlds, what do you want to get out of your career?” Any version of this question can be helpful in identifying client
aspirations and goals.
By encouraging clients to envision a future tense, you can help to clarify their true aspirations, goals, and challenges.
What is it that they want? Take time to query the future to discern what potential avenues they’ve been considering.
This also helps to determine if clients know how to envision their own future.

2.4: Clarifying Client Aspirations, Goals, and Challenges | 43

 Understanding whether or not they have a vision and the degree to which they have a vision helps to discern what
kind of work you will need to do with a client. Some individuals lack vision, and we must work on assisting them in
developing an image of a preferred future. Others know exactly what they want but are unsure how to get there. Hence,
in those cases, we work on researching and clarifying the goal and then developing a series of action steps to move
forward. The key here is that we must first fully explore their thoughts to clarify their aspirations and goals.
This approach generates insights into what the client wants. It also helps to identify the potential barriers the client is
facing. It’s normal for clients to generate a lot of “buts” or reality statements, which express the beliefs or obstacles that
prevent clients from achieving their aspirations. It is best not to confront or challenge them immediately when engaging
in career conversations. Instead, keep clients focused on their future vision.
For example, if a client says: “Oh well, I would love to if only I had the money,” you can say, “Thanks for sharing; I’m
going to make a note of that. But for now, let’s keep going and assume you do have the money.”
We must record perceived challenges the client shares and address them as part of the process. It’s important not to
be distracted by talking about those issues. Acknowledge whatever they are and then, go back to eliciting a future state.
What are their hopes? What are their aspirations? Do they have long-term goals?
When reality checks come up, an important consideration is not to confront those issues. The role of the career coach
is to help the client figure out a process to discern if their vision is possible. It is not our job to say, “Oh, that’s not
realistic,” or “That is very practical.” The client should develop a career resourcefulness skill set that allows them to test
ideas for viability. To be clear, it is not our role to inform them of the viability of an idea; instead, it is our role to help
them to discern if something is viable and how to get there if it is.
In the next section, we will discuss how the career coach can help the client figure out a process to discern if their
vision is possible.

44 | 2.4: Clarifying Client Aspirations, Goals, and Challenges

2.5: Proposing the Plan of Action

Credit: Photo by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Once a career development professional has established a client’s current situation, elicited some of their history, and
clarified their aspirations and challenges, they are ready to negotiate an action plan.
Our clients may not be clear about the process we’re embarking upon to help them make a change. We must present
a clear and concrete series of action steps to help them achieve their goal.
The first step is to identify the options they have already considered or that have come up in conversation. Identifying
the types of actions they’ve already explored to make a change is essential. Consider all the things they’ve wanted to do.
From there, ask permission to suggest some alternatives. This will generate a list of ideas from the client and the CDP to
put on the table and consider going forward.
After discussing the alternatives and possible courses of action, agree on a specific plan. This will lead to a clarification
of what steps are needed to move forward to reach their goal. Throughout this process, check in to ensure that the
client understands the stages and is motivated to embark on this change process. Although we work together, the client
will do most of the work to affect this career change. We need to ensure that they have sufficient motivation to conduct
this change.
In Lana’s story, it became clear through our conversation that she needed to change the type of work she was doing
and the organization she was doing it within. It was also clear that she wasn’t sure what that new type of work would be
or where she might find it.

2.5: Proposing the Plan of Action | 45

 Here are the steps we used to develop an action plan for Lana and how the actions associated with each
step helped Lana to stay focused on her goal of affecting a career change.

Step 1: Identify actions and attempts to make changes and ask permission to suggest alternatives.

Action: We visited the stories of things Lana had done in her life that she felt good about and identified
her skills and abilities.

Step 2. Generate a combined list of ideas for change.

Action: Helped Lana conduct interviews with individuals to identify areas where her strengths would be
best utilized.

Step 3. Discuss the ideas and develop a plan of action.

Action: Developed marketing materials to help Lana market and present herself to others, including a
resumé and LinkedIn profile.

Conducted an in-person strategic networking campaign to lead Lana through a series of trusted referrals
to attain a new role.

Step 4: Check in with your client to ensure motivation and buy-in to the selected plan of action.

Action: During our discussions, Lana shared that she had been working with a counsellor to deal with her
trauma issues. I asked if she would continue this work while we worked on her career change. She
committed to doing so. I offered to meet with her and the counsellor if she felt that would be helpful.

Maintained weekly contact throughout this process to ensure that Lana felt confident moving forward
and could discuss any key ideas or access new skills that she needed to continue the momentum.

When I checked in with Lana, it was clear that she was highly motivated to engage in this process. One of the things that
helped ensure I felt confident in her ability to do this was the stories she shared in our session. Lana shared multiple
experiences where she had to make complex changes to care for herself or her children. Her effectiveness at managing
change in other life roles gave us both encouragement and confidence that she could accomplish this career change.

46 | 2.5: Proposing the Plan of Action

2.6: Engaging Client Agreement

Credit: Photo by fauxels from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The final step of the career conversation is to engage in client agreement. When closing off a meeting with a client, it is
crucial to summarize the key things you’ve done in the session. You must identify the core areas you’ve discussed and
the types of content or feelings that have emerged during your time together. Begin by reinforcing the strengths you
heard them share. Then, clarify the steps to move forward and make an effective change. And finally, ask again: “Are you
good to go with this?”
There are several ways I like to check in to ensure that the individual is motivated to move forward. One of my
favourite approaches is asking the client: “How will your life be different if our work together is successful?” The client
will be able to identify the key things they changed in their life, which typically leads to them smiling, sitting upright,
looking engaged and feeling optimistic about the career change process.
Another way to check in with the clients is to ask them a scaling question, where clients are asked to rate their
capabilities and feelings.

Here are some steps to help you learn how to use scaling questions:

2.6: Engaging Client Agreement | 47

 Question: How motivated are you to make this change on a scale of 1 to 10, one being not at all and 10 being
100%?

The client’s response will be a number. In my experience, this number usually comes out somewhere
between 6 and 9.

Follow up the client’s response with the next question:

Question: Why didn’t you score it lower?

This prompt leads to an interesting dynamic in which the client can explain why they can do what they
think they need to do. In other words, it helps the CDP to understand the degree to which they are
motivated and committed to moving forward and making an effective career change. Scaling questions
originate in qualitative research and solution-focused counselling (Strong, Pyle & Sutherland, 2009).

48 | 2.6: Engaging Client Agreement

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

2.1 Building Empathic Relationships

• The initiation process starts with establishing an empathic, trusting, and safe relationship. A place
where the client can honestly share about their career.

2.2 Determining the Perceived Present

• A strong working relationship lets clients share the issues they perceive as impacting their careers,
which allows the CDP to interpret the types of change they are experiencing.

2.3 Eliciting History, Strengths and Needs

• Once the present challenges are shared, it is time to engage in a reflective process to help the client
and the CDP learn about the significant events from their early school years leading up to the present.
Eliciting a person’s career history provides rich insights into patterns and themes. This process allows the
CDP to gain insights into client strengths. These, in turn, become empowering moments for clients as
they develop an awareness of their capabilities and the power of the career processes that they are
engaged in with the CDP.

2.4 Clarifying Aspirations, Goals and Challenges

• With the relationship established and a survey of their career history and strengths completed, the
CDP can learn about their client’s hopes, aspirations, and challenges.

2.5 Proposing a Plan of Action

• It is helpful to understand that the CDP’s role is process-oriented. The CDP’s work is intended to help
others become more effective in directing their career. This leads to developing an action plan, a series of
steps designed to resolve the career challenges.

2.6 Engaging Client Agreement

• Engaging client agreement is vital to ensure the client has the motivation to take the next steps toward
implementing the action plan.

Chapter Review | 49
 Action Learning Log Practice and Reflections

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=88#h5p-1

50 | Chapter Review
References and Further Readings
Ivey, A. (1971). Microcounseling: Innovations in interviewing. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Strong, T., Pyle, N., Smoliak, O. (2009). Scaling questions: Asking and answering them in counselling. Counselling
Psychology Quarterly. 22. 171-185. 10.1080/09515070903157321.

References and Further Readings | 51

52 | References and Further Readings
PART III
CHAPTER 3: CAREER EXPLORATION AND
CHANGE: PROCESS, TECHNIQUES AND
APPLICATIONS

Chapter 3: Career Exploration and Change: Process, Techniques and Applications | 53

54 | Chapter 3: Career Exploration and Change: Process, Techniques and Applications
Jordan’s Story: Making Sense of School

Credit: Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Jordan’s life was at a pivotal crossroads. A sixteen-year-old with a penchant for art, Jordan faced the dissonance of
declining academic performance, slipping from a stellar student to one barely maintaining average grades. This shift
marked a low in Jordan’s high school journey, challenging their once-unshakable enthusiasm for education.
The issue at hand was not merely academic but existential; Jordan grappled with finding the relevance of educational
pursuits in the context of their artistic aspirations. It was a classic case of a creative spirit feeling confined by the
traditional structures of schooling.
Jordan’s mother, recognizing the underlying tension, referred them to a career development professional. The
intervention was timely, offering Jordan a structured forum to articulate and explore their values, interests, and goals.
The sessions were revelatory, serving as a mirror reflecting Jordan’s innate passion for creativity. This was something
Jordan had struggled to see clearly amidst their academic slumps.
The process played a crucial role in illuminating Jordan’s deep-seated love for artistic expression. It was a
transformative experience that reoriented Jordan’s perspective on education. Gradually, Jordan began to perceive
schooling as a vehicle to further their creative talents, especially in English and the arts.
Acting upon the insights gained from the process, Jordan sought mentorship in poetry from the English teacher. This
initiative marked a significant turnaround in Jordan’s educational experience. The mentorship was not only instructional
but inspirational, empowering Jordan to refine their poetic skills.

Jordan’s Story: Making Sense of School | 55

 As the academic year progressed, Jordan’s grades made an impressive recovery, returning to their previous standard
of excellence. This resurgence was not confined to the report card but was reflected in Jordan’s contributions to class,
where their poetry resonated with peers and teachers alike, earning Jordan newfound respect and recognition.
Upon completing high school, Jordan transitioned smoothly into a post-secondary creative arts program, a testament
to their restored confidence and clarity in pursuing their passion. Jordan’s educational choices became aligned with
their desire to effect change through artistic mediums, particularly in addressing social issues.
Jordan emerged from uncertainty and into a place of purpose, leveraging education to fuel their creative ambitions.
Jordan’s dreams were no longer intangible but were actively being realized through their academic and artistic
endeavours.
In retrospect, Jordan’s story is an eloquent narrative about the power of self-discovery and the importance of aligning
one’s education with one’s career desires. It underscores the significance of mentorship and the positive impact of
career support in navigating the complexities of academic and career planning.
Jordan’s experience serves as a reminder that academic struggles need not define one’s potential. With introspection,
guidance, and a proactive stance, it is possible to transform educational challenges into stepping stones for personal
and professional development. Jordan’s journey exemplifies how embracing one’s individuality and leveraging one’s
educational journey can create a fulfilling trajectory that harmonizes one’s passion with purpose.

56 | Jordan’s Story: Making Sense of School

Introduction
Chapter 3 introduces the intricate processes, techniques, and applications involved in career exploration and change.
This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the career exploration process, highlighting the
essential components of career assessment. By introducing quantitative and qualitative assessment methodologies, the
chapter seeks to equip readers with the tools to apply the logical levels framework effectively in facilitating career
changes.
Jordan’s story serves as a poignant case study, illustrating the transformative power of career guidance and
mentorship in realigning one’s educational and career trajectories with personal passions and strengths. Through
Jordan’s journey, the chapter underscores the importance of aligning education with career aspirations and the
significant role of self-discovery and professional support in navigating academic and career planning challenges.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Explain the process of career exploration.

2. Identify the components of career assessment.
3. Summarize the types of quantitative assessment instruments.
4. Summarize the types of qualitative assessment processes.
5. Apply the concept, language, and hierarchy of the logical levels’ framework to a career change.

Introduction | 57
3.1: The Process of Exploration

Credit: Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The process of exploration is part of the process where career coaches guide clients through the exploration of who they
are and what career opportunities they might pursue. When a student says that they saw a career guidance professional
or career development professional, one often wonders what kind of test did they make them do? Regardless of the
approach, most theorists in the field of career development would agree that exploration is a core part of the overall
career change process, which involves creating a transition and facilitating decision-making.
The history of career exploration stems from the work of Frank Parsons in 1909, who considered three aspects of the
process of career decision-making:

1. Know yourself
2. Know the demands and opportunities of the workplace
3. True reasoning

Knowing oneself and the demands and opportunities that exist in the workplace are central functions of the career
exploration process.
In previous chapters, we looked at the process of initiation. This involved establishing a relationship with the client,
identifying what the person is seeking to meet their needs, and agreeing on a plan to work together to resolve those
needs.

58 | 3.1: The Process of Exploration

 Once those core issues were reviewed and the client and professional both agreed that there was a need to proceed,
the counselling sessions would typically move to the next stage, i.e., the exploration process.

3.1: The Process of Exploration | 59

3.2: The Components of Career Assessment

Photo by Alex Green from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Donald Super (1985) proposed a model for career assessment. He believed that what counsellors do in the beginning is a
preview. He suggested that the next step was to go into a depth view.

The Preview Phase

In Donald Super’s theory, “preview” refers to the initial exploration and exposure to various career options during
childhood and adolescence. It involves learning about different occupations, interests, and skills.
During the preview stage, individuals gather information about potential career paths. They might explore hobbies,
participate in extracurricular activities, or engage in discussions with family members, teachers, and peers. This early
exposure helps shape their understanding of different vocations and contributes to their self-concept and aspirations.
According to Super, a positive preview experience can lead to informed career decisions later in life. It allows
individuals to develop preferences and identify areas of interest.
The preview phase is parallel to the initiation phase. Dr. Kris Magnussen (1992) explains that the initiation phase
focuses on establishing a relationship with the client and identifying their needs. It involves creating a mutual

60 | 3.2: The Components of Career Assessment

understanding between the counsellor and the client about what they seek and hope to achieve through the counselling
process.
During initiation, the counsellor works to build rapport, gain trust, and clarify the client’s goals and expectations. This
stage sets the foundation for the entire counselling process by ensuring that both the client and the counsellor are on
the same page.
After the preview stage, Super suggested that the next step was to go into a depth view. For Super, the “depth view”
represents a deeper understanding of a specific career or occupation. It occurs during adolescence and early adulthood.

The Depth View Phase

As individuals move beyond the preview stage, they focus on specific career paths. They explore their chosen field
in greater detail, considering factors such as job requirements, educational qualifications, and lifestyle implications.
The depth view involves researching specific occupations, gaining practical experience, and developing a more realistic
perspective.
Developing an in-depth view helps individuals make informed decisions about their career trajectory. It allows them
to assess whether a particular occupation aligns with their abilities, values, and long-term goals.
The depth view includes an exploration of career values, career change readiness, skills assessment, and interest
clarification. When we as career professionals move the process from initiation or preview to exploration or depth view,
it helps us understand what we are trying to accomplish.
The difference between initiation and exploration lies in the intention of the strategy. In initiation, we think about
the client’s needs and their importance to the client. Exploration, on the other hand, is much more about what types
of things a client can do to meet those needs. In our opening story, when the career coach first met with Jordan,
they identified the challenge of school and Jordan’s lack of motivation. During the exploration process, Jordan explored
their artistic interests and skills in depth, leading to a renewed desire to pursue their natural strengths as part of their
educational journey.
To address the process of exploration, we then need to embark on an assessment strategy. There are typically two
approaches to addressing this exploration and assessment process. The approaches are quantitative assessment, which
tends to be formal like personality tests, and an arguably more robust qualitative assessment, which is an informal
approach where an in-depth career conversation with clients gathers more information than a test.
Regardless of whether we approach assessment from a quantitative or qualitative standpoint, the goal remains the
same: to inform the client about who they are as a person and what aspects of who they are as a person would be
beneficial in helping them understand themselves in relationship to the world of work. The most common areas we seek
to assess are skills, interests, values, beliefs, and possibly character or personality traits. The idea is to help the client
understand these aspects of self and then identify opportunities within the world of work to which these aspects of self
can be matched.
Remember that this assessment process does not tell us who the client will be, rather, it identifies who they are in the
moment. In other words, it’s a snapshot in time. In the next sections, we will take some time to review the differences
between the quantitative and qualitative assessment processes.

3.2: The Components of Career Assessment | 61

3.3: Quantitative Assessment Approaches

Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

Quantitative assessment is used here to refer to standardized approaches to career assessment. These typically refer
to interest or aptitude assessments. Most have been developed using some rigorous approach to test construction;
they employ the standardization of administrative processes and have been subjected to various validity and reliability
assessments.
Interest measures are mostly used to determine the client’s interests by asking a client about their preferences or
presenting them with a scenario-based question. Examples of interest measures include approaches such as the Self-
Directed Search, the Career Occupational Preference System, and the Strong Interest Inventory.
Aptitude assessments are used to ascertain the client’s abilities and match their strengths to certain careers.
Approaches to aptitude assessment include the General Aptitude Test Battery, the Differential Aptitude Tests, and the
Career Ability Placement Survey.
Measures of values are used to determine the client’s essential values and match their beliefs with suitable careers.
Value assessments include approaches such as the Career Orientation Placement and Evaluation Survey and the Career
Values Scale.
Some of the more popular quantitative exploration strategies include personality or type and temperament scales.
These tests are used to determine the client’s personality and temperament and recommend career choices based on
the results. Examples include the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the DISC profile, and Personality Dimensions.

62 | 3.3: Quantitative Assessment Approaches

 Career tests, often used in educational and career counselling settings, aim to help individuals identify occupations
and educational paths that match their interests. However, a body of research critiques these tests’ effectiveness,
reliability, and validity. Key weaknesses include their oversimplification of career decision-making, cultural bias, reliance
on self-reported data, and the dynamic nature of the workforce, which these tests may not fully capture.

First-hand Experience

Early in my career, I had experiences with clients that caused me to step back and consider the validity of the
quantitative assessment process. Two issues occurred that gave me concern. First, I had multiple clients
coming in who had already completed a series of career tests and were still struggling with what they needed
to do. In other words, no formal assessment had helped them clarify their decision-making.

The second issue that came up frequently was that I would encounter people who had used formal
quantitative career assessments but did not understand the context of the test and, hence, were not clear
about the results. In most cases the individuals had taken a formal test but did not understand what it meant
and misinterpreted the meaning of the results. I found myself having to guide them through a reinterpretation
of the material to help them make sense of it. I found that it could take significant time to turn around a
person’s misconception about the results of the formal assessment.

One of the things I notice more than anything else with clients is that formal or quantitative assessments
often seem to have what I would call a placebo effect. Clients would take a formal test and, at the end of it,
identify a particular aspect of that test that would help them to confirm a bias they had about what they should
do. In other words, rather than providing an open source of consideration, the test reconfirmed preference
bias.

Preference bias is like wearing glasses that only let you see what you already believe. It happens when we pay
more attention to information that supports our ideas and ignore anything that disagrees with our perceptions.
For example, if your client thinks that being a chef is the best job ever, they might notice all the cool cooking
shows, delicious recipes, and successful chefs but ignore stories about chefs working long hours or struggling
to find jobs.

I have often heard individuals say things like, “I know I’m the right person for this career because when you
look at this test, it says I’m ‘outgoing;’ therefore, I should be a ‘salesperson.’

Significant challenges regarding using quantitative assessments are identified in career research literature. The most
significant issue is whether they help a person predict fit in a future career choice. This is impacted by the challenge of
how difficult it is to measure “fit” and the fact that the workplace is dynamic and changing.
One of the most widely used and most researched quantitative approaches has questionable connections between
its measurements and what people in actual jobs are like. In the late fifties John Holland, an American psychologist
introduced the concept that there were six categories of personality, and each category was drawn to a particular career
environment. However, Magnusson, K., & Stewin, L. (1990) found weak correlations between a person’s Holland Code
and those who worked in occupations. It turns out that human interests are much more complex than many career
theorists and researchers thought.

3.3: Quantitative Assessment Approaches | 63

 The article “Do Ornithologists Flock Together? Examining the Homogeneity of Interests in Occupations” (Nye, C.D.,
Perlus, J.G. and Rounds J., 2018) explored the concept of homogeneity of interest within occupations, challenging the
foundational assumption that individuals in the same occupation share similar interest profiles. It investigated this
by examining Strong Interest Inventory data and a quantitative review of congruence indices, revealing significant
heterogeneity of interests across various occupations. This finding suggests a continuum of interest homogeneity exists,
prompting a reevaluation of the assumption that occupations comprise individuals with homogeneous interests. The
study underscored the importance of reconsidering the role of interest homogeneity in career planning and employee
selection, highlighting the complexity of person-environment fit in vocational and organizational research.
These concerns suggest that we must be very careful about quantitative approaches into the assessment and
exploration process as career professionals. Let’s look at the qualitative assessment approaches in the next section.

64 | 3.3: Quantitative Assessment Approaches

3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The qualitative or informal assessment process is a process by which the career professional asks questions, observes,
and then asks more questions to assist a client to uncover their potential career pathways.
Qualitative assessment involves informal forms of assessment that allow for flexibility and interaction between the
client and the counsellor. These assessments consider the whole person, integrating personal, social, and contextual
factors.
Over the years, there has been a shift away from formal, quantitative assessments in favour of a more client-centred
or qualitative assessment process. The client-centred approach in career counselling involves placing the client at the
heart of the process. Clients actively participate in their own career exploration and decision-making. The counsellor
acts as a facilitator, supporting the client’s self-discovery.
There are several reasons for this shift.
The qualitative career assessment process tends to be much more flexible. Kris Magnussen (1992) identified some
benefits of informal or qualitative assessment processes, including:

• There is less likelihood of subjecting clients to gender, culture, or socioeconomic bias.

• The process is highly individualized, allowing the counsellor to customize their work to fit the client’s needs at that
moment.
• The client is actively engaged in the process. It is highly participatory, which allows them to own the outcomes.

3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches | 65

 • The process allows the client and counsellor to explore in a creative manner that enhances both the focus and the
enjoyment of the process.
• Finally, it’s a much more flexible approach, and it’s easy to move back and forth through the different processes,
such as initiation and exploration.

McMahon and Watson (2015) provide an excellent summary of the benefit of this approach when they state, “Qualitative
career assessment stimulates storytelling, and in doing so, facilitates learning about oneself through self-reflection and
enhanced self-awareness.”

Types of Qualitative Assessment Processes

Interview Strategies

The interview process is the primary career counselling technique. The techniques for interviewing used in career
exploration are very similar to the generic interviewing techniques associated with a personal counselling process.
Critical skills all counsellors need to know include using open-ended and closed questions, encouraging,
paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, and summarizing. The skillful use of these processes and techniques can guide the
client through an exploration of their interest, values, and experiences to enable effective career exploration.
An effective model for structuring an interview is the “Five Stage Counselling Session” (Ivey A.E., Ivey, M.B., Zalaquett,
C.P., 2023). The stages provide a useful structure for guiding a client:

1. Empathic Relationship: Initiating the session with the client. Engaging in rapport building and structuring the
interview.
2. Story and Strengths: Gathering information, drawing out stories, issues, concerns and or challenges.
3. Goals: Mutual goal setting; what does the client want to have to happen?
4. Restory: A working process to explore alternatives and confront incongruities and conflict. The client can rewrite
their story to include strengths.
5. Action: Generalizing and action on new stories to move forward.

These five stages can form the foundation of the process of exploration. They can also provide a framework for
integrating all other qualitative assessment approaches.

Watch this video on the Alignment of Micro-skills and the 5-Stage Interview Process to get a good
understanding of how to use this method.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=110#oembed-1

66 | 3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches

 Source: KVCC Teaching & Learning Centre. (2017, July 31). Microskills and 5 Stages Alignment –
Counselling. [Video] YouTube. https://youtu.be/GvJi6Y265P8?si=SfA3KQhHJhqmO5As

Significant Experiences

The process of “Significant Experiences” (Bolles, 2020) in career exploration is a reflective exercise that helps individuals
understand their interests, skills, values, and motivations by examining the experiences in their lives that have been
most meaningful to them. This process can be particularly useful for clients who are uncertain about their career path
or looking to make a career change. Here’s an outline of how such a process may unfold.

1. Identification of Experiences

• Reflect on past experiences: Clients are encouraged to think about their past experiences across various aspects of
their lives, including education, work, volunteer activities, hobbies, and personal challenges.
• List significant experiences: From this reflection, clients identify experiences that they found particularly
engaging, satisfying, or challenging. These are moments that felt significant in some way, whether they were
positive or negative.

2. Analysis of Experiences

• Examine each experience: For each identified experience, clients delve into why it was significant, what they
enjoyed or found challenging, the skills they used or developed, and the values or interests it reflected.
• Identify common themes: By analyzing multiple experiences, clients can begin to see patterns or themes in the
types of activities, environments, or roles that consistently bring them satisfaction or fulfillment.

3. Connection to Careers

• Research career options: Using the insights gained from their significant experiences, clients can explore careers
that align with the themes, skills, and values they’ve identified. This might involve researching industries, roles, and
job descriptions that match their interests.
• Reflect and adjust: Throughout the process, clients are encouraged to continuously reflect on their experiences
and the satisfaction they derive from their career-related activities. This ongoing reflection allows adjustments to
be made to their goals or plans.

The “Significant Experiences” process is iterative and may be revisited multiple times throughout an individual’s career.
It is a powerful tool for self-discovery and making informed career decisions that lead to fulfilling professional lives.

Read this story and answer these questions about values.

3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches | 67

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online
here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=110#h5p-2

Credit: Photo by Mikhail Nilov, used under the Pexels License.

Read this story and answer these questions about skills.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online
here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=110#h5p-3

Credit: Photo by Huy Phan from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Creating Self Portraits

“Creating Self-Portraits” is a career development process designed by Redekopp, Day, Magnusson, and Durnford (1993)
to facilitate self-assessment and career exploration without relying on traditional testing methods. This approach stems
from the recognition that conventional career tests often limit individuals by assigning them labels (e.g., personality
types) that hinder further self-exploration and pigeonhole them into specific occupational roles without considering the
full spectrum of their interests, values, and potential for growth.
The process adopts a developmental approach to career assistance, encouraging individuals to engage in a
comprehensive self-examination process. This process involves exploring four key aspects of the self:

• Meaning (values, beliefs, interests, and barriers)

• Outcomes (visions for the future, including personal, work-related, and educational goals)
• Activities (preferred, past, and needed activities toward achieving one’s dream)
• Tools/Techniques (skills, knowledge, attitudes, and personal characteristics used in past activities)

The method utilizes a semi-structured interview format, which can be conducted individually or in groups, typically
over one to three sessions. Responses are organized into four columns on a large sheet of paper, facilitating a holistic
view of the individual’s self-concepts and aspirations.

68 | 3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches

 The primary goal of the process is to empower individuals to understand themselves in a way that promotes ongoing
self-discovery, accommodates change over time, and avoids restrictive labels or classifications. Doing so aims to help
individuals make life and work choices that are meaningful and aligned with their personal values and dreams. Client
feedback suggests that the process of creating Self-Portraits is enjoyable, reduces the pressure of making the “right”
career decision, and enhances self-understanding and adaptability.
“Creating Self-Portraits” represents a novel approach to career development that emphasizes self-exploration and
the dynamic nature of personal and occupational growth. By moving away from traditional testing and classification
methods, it seeks to enable individuals to chart a career path that is truly reflective of their unique interests, values, and
aspirations, thereby fostering a more fulfilling and adaptable approach to career planning and development.

Vocational Card Sorts

Vocational card sorts are a valuable resource in the career counsellor’s toolkit. They have been used since the early
1960s to help individuals explore various aspects of themselves. They are an interactive career counselling tool designed
to aid individuals in exploring their career interests, values, and skills. This hands-on method facilitates self-discovery
by allowing clients to sort through cards, each representing different aspects of careers and work life, such as specific
occupations, work values, and skills. The process is structured to encourage reflection and discussion, helping clients
articulate their preferences and align them with potential career paths.
The process begins with an introduction to the Vocational Card Sorts, where the counsellor explains the purpose and
methodology of the tool. Clients are then presented with a set of cards to sort according to their interests or values,
ranging from “highly interested” to “not interested” or “very important” to “not important.” This sorting phase is crucial
as it prompts clients to consider what they value in a career, identify their skills, and explore what work environments
or roles they find appealing.
Following the sorting activity, clients have a discussion with the counsellor to delve deeper into their selections. This
conversation is key to uncovering deeper insights into the client’s career preferences, addressing misconceptions, and
identifying knowledge gaps about certain careers. The counsellor’s role is to facilitate reflection, helping the client to
understand why they favour certain options and how these preferences align with potential career opportunities.
Based on the outcomes of the sorting and discussion phases, the counsellor assists the client in narrowing down
career options that best match their identified interests, values, and skills. This may involve further steps such as
conducting research, engaging in informational interviews, or exploring educational pathways for the preferred careers.
Vocational Card Sorts (Osborn et al., 2015) offer several benefits, including promoting self-discovery, providing an
engaging and tactile method for career exploration, and allowing customization to meet individual client needs. They
serve as a foundational step in the career decision-making process, helping individuals to move from broad interests
to specific, actionable career paths. Through this structured approach, clients gain clarity on their career-related
preferences and how these align with available or desired career opportunities, ultimately facilitating informed and
meaningful career choices.

Watch this vocational card sorts video and fill out the action learning log.

3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches | 69

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=110#oembed-2

Source: Open Learning at Conestoga College. (2024, September 3). Career Card Sort Activity. [Video].
YouTube. https://youtu.be/NRWh4FamnVo?si=5DpZKcP81hfuoPmw

Action learning log:

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online
here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=110#h5p-4

Download a PDF with printable vocational cards. Use them in class to create your own card sort activity.

70 | 3.4: Qualitative Assessment Approaches

3.5: The Logical Levels Model

Credit: Photo by Alexander Suhorucov from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The Logical Levels model, often attributed to anthropologist Gregory Bateson (1972) and further developed by Robert
Dilts (1990), is a framework for understanding how different levels of processes within individuals and systems interact
and influence one another. It’s used in coaching and personal development and is especially helpful for understanding
career transitions.
The model proposes that learning and change can be categorized into a hierarchy of logical levels. Each level is
progressively more influential on one’s behaviour and identity, with changes at the higher levels having a broader impact
on the lower levels. The levels are as follows:

1. Environment: This level is about the external conditions where a person’s behaviour takes place. It includes the
physical space, the people around the person, the time of day, etc.
2. Behaviour: The specific actions and reactions that are observable within the environment.
3. Capabilities: These are the skills and strategies a person must perform. It includes abilities, knowledge, and
experience.
4. Beliefs and Values: The personal belief systems and values that provide the framework for making decisions and
justify behaviours and capabilities.
5. Identity: A person’s sense of self. It’s about how individuals perceive themselves and what they identify with.
6. Spirituality or Purpose: Some interpretations include this level, which pertains to the broader system, purpose, or

3.5: The Logical Levels Model | 71

 connection to something greater than oneself.

Exhibit 3.1 depicts the various hierarchies of logical levels.

Exhibit 3.1: The Hierarchies of the Logical Levels Model.

At the base of the Logical Levels model, the Environment level represents the physical and social backdrop where one’s
professional life unfolds. Moving up, the Behaviour level refers to the specific actions and roles one engages in at work.
The Capabilities level encompasses the skills and knowledge necessary to perform effectively in a chosen career. The
Beliefs and Values level reflects the inner convictions and principles that motivate and justify professional choices. The
Identity level pertains to one’s professional self-image and role within a career. Finally, the top level, sometimes referred
to as Spirituality or Purpose, transcends the individual to consider broader questions of meaning and connection to a
larger mission or calling. Changes at higher levels, such as beliefs or identity, can cascade down to inform and transform
aspects at the lower levels, like behaviour and environment, making this model a powerful tool for navigating and
facilitating career transitions.

Watch this video on the Logical Levels to get a better understanding of this model.

72 | 3.5: The Logical Levels Model

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=114#oembed-1

Source:

Helen Oakwater. (2018, May 29) Robert Dilts explains NLP Logical Levels of learning & change. [Video]
YouTube. https://youtu.be/hrK9_ZPo790

Practical Application of the Logical Levels Model

For example, if a student wants to improve their study habits (Behaviour), they might first change their study
environment by finding a quiet place without distractions (Environment). To enhance their capabilities, they might learn
new study techniques or time management skills (Capabilities). This could lead to a change in their beliefs about their
ability to study effectively (Beliefs and Values), which ultimately might affect how they see themselves as a student
(Identity). If this change is aligned with a larger purpose, such as contributing to the well-being of their community or
advancing in their career (Spirituality or Purpose), it reinforces the changes at the lower levels.
An essential aspect of this model is that a change at a higher level will affect all levels below it, but not necessarily the
other way around. Therefore, interventions aimed at higher levels are often considered more powerful.

First-hand Experience

Here’s an example of how someone might navigate a career change using the Logical Levels model:

1. Environment: Kiran works in a corporate office setting but feels uninspired. Kiran decides to make a
career change to something more aligned with their values.
2. Behaviour: In their current job, Kiran’s behaviours include routine tasks that they no longer find
fulfilling. Kiran has started to explore different industries and jobs that could suit their interest.
3. Capabilities: Kiran realizes that to shift careers, they need new skills. Kiran begins to take courses on
digital marketing, recognizing this is a key capability needed for the new career they are interested in.
4. Beliefs and Values: Kiran must address the belief that they’re only suited for the corporate world. As
Kiran gains new skills, their belief shifts to “I am adaptable and can succeed in different fields.” This is
bolstered by Kiran’s core values of growth and learning.

3.5: The Logical Levels Model | 73

 5. Identity: As Kiran acquires new skills and beliefs, they start to see themselves not just as a corporate
employee but as a creative professional. They identify themselves as someone who can thrive in a
dynamic, creative career.
6. Spirituality or Purpose: Kiran’s decision to change careers is also driven by their desire to do
meaningful work that contributes positively to society. Kiran feels that their purpose is not just to earn a
living but to make a difference through their work.

As Kiran moves through these levels, the changes at each level reinforce and support the changes at the
other levels. For instance, Kiran’s new identity as a creative professional might lead them to behave more
confidently in their new role, seek environments that nurture their new career, and further develop their
capabilities, all of which are aligned with their core values and a sense of purpose.

74 | 3.5: The Logical Levels Model

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

3.1 Exploration

• The process of career exploration is multifaceted and crucial for effective decision-making. Frank
Parsons, a pioneer in the field, emphasized three aspects of career decision-making: knowing oneself,
understanding workplace demands, and applying sound reasoning.

3.2 The Components of Career Assessment

• Donald Super’s model introduced the concept of moving from a preview (initiation) to a depth view
(exploration).

3.3 Quantitative Assessment Approaches

• Quantitative assessment approaches involve standardized tests measuring interests, aptitudes, and
values. However, these tests have limitations, including oversimplification, cultural bias, and an inability
to capture the dynamic nature of careers.

3.4 Qualitative Assessment Approaches

• Qualitative assessment approaches, on the other hand, offer flexibility and individualization. They
stimulate storytelling, enhance self-awareness, and allow clients to explore creatively. Examples of
qualitative assessment methods include interviews, significant experiences analysis, and creating self-
portraits. The latter focuses on holistic self-examination, considering meaning, outcomes, activities, and
tools/techniques. Vocational card sorts are also valuable tools, allowing clients to explore career
interests, values, and skills interactively.
• While quantitative assessments have their place, qualitative approaches provide more helpful results,
empower clients, and promote ongoing self-discovery. Career professionals must carefully consider the
assessment process to guide clients effectively in their career exploration journey.

3.5 The Logical Levels Model

• The Logical Levels model offers a structured approach to understanding the complexities of career
change by considering the impact of multiple interconnected layers.

Chapter Review | 75
 Reflection Questions

These questions are designed to encourage deeper thinking and analysis of the themes and events described
in the text.

1. How did Jordan’s academic performance change during their high school years, and what factors
contributed to this change?
2. How can the process of career exploration and change be applied to help other students who face
similar struggles as Jordan?
3. How does knowing oneself contribute to career decision-making?
4. Why is understanding the demands and opportunities of the workplace important in career
exploration?
5. How can a career coach help a client during the exploration stage?

76 | Chapter Review
References and Further Readings

References

Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an ecology of mind: Collected essays in anthropology, psychiatry, evolution, and epistemology.
Jason Aronson.
Bolles, R. N. (2020). What color is your parachute? A practical manual for job-hunters and career-changers. Ten Speed
Press.
Dilts, R. B. (1990). Changing belief systems with NLP. Meta Publications.
Holland, J. L. (1966). A psychological classification scheme for vocations and major fields. Journal of Counseling
Psychology, 13(3), 278–288. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023725
Magnusson, K. (1992). Career Counselling Techniques. Life Role Development Group.
Magnusson, K., & Stewin, L. (1990). The implications of Holland’s constructs in the prediction of employment: A
cautionary note. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 13(3), 205–217.
McMahon, M., & Watson, M. (2015). Career assessment: Qualitative approaches. Sense Publishers.
Osborn, D. S., Kronholz, J. F., & Finklea, J. T. (2015). Card sorts. In M. McMahon & M. Watson (Eds.), Career assessment:
Qualitative approaches (pp. 81–88). Sense Publishers.
Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a vocation. Houghton Mifflin.
Redekopp, D, Day, B., Magnusson. K., and Durnford, C. (1993). Creating Self-Portraits. Life Role Development Group.
Super, D. (1985). New Dimensions in Adult Vocational and Career Counseling. Occasional Paper No. 106. The National
Centre for Research in Vocational Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED261189

Further Readings

Bright, J. E. H., & Pryor, R. G. L. (2007). Chaotic careers assessment: How constructivist and psychometric techniques
can be integrated into work and life decision making. Career Planning and Adult Development Journal, 23(2), 46-56.
Brott, P. E., (2004). Constructivist assessment in career counseling. Journal of Career Development, 30(3), 189-200
Gysbers, N. C. (2006). Using qualitative career assessments in career counselling with adults. International Journal for
Educational and Vocational Guidance, 6, 95-108.
Ivey, A., Ivey, M. and Zalaquett, C., (2023). Intentional Interviewing and Counseling: Facilitating Client Development in a
Multicultural Society. Cengage.
Knowdell, R. L. (2005). Motivated Skills Card Sort. Career Research and Testing.
McMahon, M., & Patton, W. (2002). Using qualitative assessment in career counselling. International Journal of
Educational and Vocational Guidance, 2(1), 51-66.
McMahon, M., Patton, W., & Watson, M. (2003). Developing qualitative career assessment processes. The Career
Development Quarterly, 51, 194-202.
McMahon, M. (2008). Qualitative career assessment: A higher profile in the 21st century? In J. Athanasou & R. Van
Esbroeck (Eds.), International handbook of career guidance. Springer
McMahon, M., Patton, W., & Watson, M. (2017). My System of Career Influences (MSCI – Adolescent): Reflecting on my
career decisions. Brisbane, Australia: Australian Academic Press.
McMahon, M., Watson, M., & Lee, M. C. Y. (2019). Qualitative career assessment: A review and reconsideration. Journal
of Vocational Behavior, 110 Part B, 420-432.

References and Further Readings | 77

McMahon, M., Watson, M., & Patton, W. (2013). The My System of Career Influences Adult Version (MSCI Adult): A
reflection process. Australian Academic Press.
Okocha, A. A. G. (1998). Using qualitative appraisal strategies in career counseling. Journal of Employment Counseling,
35, 151-159.
Palladino Schultheiss, D. E. (2005). Qualitative relational career assessment: A constructivist paradigm. Journal of
Career Assessment, 13, 151-159.
Savickas, M. L. (2000). Renovating the psychology of careers for the twenty-first century. In A. S. Collin & R. Young
(Eds.), The future of career, 53-68. Cambridge University Press.

78 | References and Further Readings

PART IV
CHAPTER 4: EXPLORATION — CREATING
SELF-PORTRAITS

Chapter 4: Exploration — Creating Self-Portraits | 79

80 | Chapter 4: Exploration — Creating Self-Portraits
Phoenix's Story: Rising From the Ashes

Credit: Photo by George Milton from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Phoenix was a 32-year-old manager at a public service agency. Phoenix lost their job after the sudden closure of the
agency due to the unexpected end of government funding. A deep sense of loss and uncertainty followed the initial
shock of the announcement. Having led a passionate team and dedicated years to serving the community, Phoenix was
now on an emotional rollercoaster, grappling with disappointment and anxiety about the future. The abrupt end to
meaningful work and the disruption of professional relationships left a void, triggering concerns about career prospects
and financial stability.
Amidst this turmoil, Phoenix also felt a flicker of hope and determination at the thought of leveraging their skills and
experience in new opportunities despite the overwhelming challenges ahead. Phoenix was debating whether to return
to college to take a graphic design program or to find work at a small advertising firm. Phoenix was supported by a career
transition professional who helped them to face the challenges of losing their role and identifying the best pathway
forward.
Over the course of five sessions, the career professional guided Phoenix through the process of creating a self-
portrait. This process enabled Phoenix to gain confidence and provided clarity about their next steps.
We will produce a self-portrait for Phoenix as we go through the steps of creating a Self-Portrait described in this
chapter. By the end of the chapter, you will see a full portrait emerge (see Table 4.7) that summarizes the work that was
done over the course of the five sessions.

Phoenix's Story: Rising From the Ashes | 81

 At the end of the process, Phoenix entered a graphic arts program at a community college. Phoenix stated that the
process of creating a Self-Portrait helped them to understand what they wanted and realize how important it was
to complete a post-secondary education program that would teach them the foundations of a new profession before
entering a business setting.

82 | Phoenix's Story: Rising From the Ashes

Introduction
This chapter is based on the author’s personal experiences as a career counsellor who has guided clients through
the process of creating a Self-Portrait. In this chapter, we will learn about this career development method and also
understand how we can help our clients go through the steps of creating a self-portrait. We will explore how the Self-
Portrait can be used to analyze strengths and identify gaps to create a career action plan. Finally, we will learn how to
implement this method in a group setting.
The chapter has also been informed by the work of colleagues and the thoughts and perspectives of clients who have
gone through this process.

Learning Objectives

After engaging with this chapter, you should be able to

1. Describe the role of Self-Portraits in career exploration.

2. Understand the steps involved in creating a Self-Portrait.
3. Explain how to use a Self-Portrait as a tool to guide clients during the career exploration process.
4. Demonstrate the development of a Self-Portrait in a group setting.

Attribution: “Life-Role Analysis” and “Creating Self-Portraits” are methods originally developed by Kris Magnusson, now
at Simon Fraser University, and Dave E. Redekopp, currently with the Life-Role Development Group Ltd.
The material covered in this chapter is adapted with permission from the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. Contact
the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. for more information: www.life-role.com.

Introduction | 83
4.1: What is a Self-Portrait?

Credit: Photo by Firmbee.com from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

As discussed in the previous chapter, the creation of a Self-Portrait is a career development process designed by
Redekopp, Day, Magnusson, and Durnford (1993) to facilitate self-assessment and career exploration without relying on
traditional testing methods.
The process adopts a developmental approach to career assistance, encouraging individuals to engage in a
comprehensive self-examination process.
Creating Self-Portraits is a method to help people recognize how they are changing and growing. It helps them answer
the following questions:

• Who are they now?

• What skills do they have?
• What do they know?
• In what direction are they headed?
• What’s important to them?

With a clear picture of where they started, people can track their development and see progression — not once, but
continually.

84 | 4.1: What is a Self-Portrait?

 Creating Self-Portraits provides facilitators with a method for identifying and organizing components of their clients’
work, hobbies, and lives without suggesting occupational alternatives or classifying clients into types.

Components of a Self-Portrait

This process involves exploring four key aspects of the self:

• meaningfulness (values, interests, beliefs, and barriers)

• outcomes or goals for work and life
• activities that the individual has engaged in or wants to engage in
• skills that the individual has or needs to carry out desired activities

As these components are identified and organized, a detailed profile of the client called a Self-Portrait emerges.

Characteristics of a Self-Portrait

• The Self-Portrait can be used to make decisions, whether work-related or not.

• The Self-Portrait evolves over time, allowing clients to add, subtract, and reorganize information to best capture
their changing selves.
• The Self-Portrait moves clients away from preoccupations with job titles and encourages them instead to focus on
what they want to do in work and life.

This opens the door to allow facilitators to help their clients develop career paths rather than select an occupational
destination. In a rapidly changing world, people need the ability to set multiple goals, develop multiple pathways to
those goals, and make use of chance opportunities as they arise. Occupations thus become steppingstones rather than
destinations. Creating Self-Portraits helps with this by enabling clients to understand themselves in open, fluid and
flexible ways.
The Self-Portrait is an excellent tool, though not a career development panacea. Remember that:

• A Self-Portrait is simply a tool — one of many that can be combined with good career facilitation skills and
methods.
• The client is always more important than a method or tool. If creating Self-Portraits does not seem to help a client,
do something else. Or, if the format (i.e., columns of information) of the Self-Portrait doesn’t seem to be useful for
a client, change the format (e.g., create circles or visual collages).

Depending on your work with people, you may or may not have time to develop Self-Portraits with your clients.
However, if you are feeling pressed for time, it might be helpful to remember that Self-Portraits can be created at various
levels of detail. A Self-Portrait can be useful even if it remains general, so remember to adapt the tool to meet your
client’s needs.

4.1: What is a Self-Portrait? | 85

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

Credit: Photo by Antoni Shkraba from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Developing a client Self-Portrait, sometimes called profiling the client, involves five main steps:

1. Set the stage by doing some preliminary work to prepare the client for the Self-Portrait.
2. Explore meaningfulness issues and help outcomes to emerge.
3. Determine which specific activities the client wants to undertake to reach outcomes.
4. Choose the skills the client needs to undertake these activities successfully.
5. Polish the Self-Portrait to ensure that it appears in a form that is appropriate for the client.

Setting the Stage for the Development of a Self-Portrait

After you and the client have developed a rapport, begin by discussing the Self-Portrait. Describe the Self-Portrait, how
it is created, and how it can be used. Showing the client an example is often helpful. When the client seems comfortable
with the idea, obtain a blank Self-Portrait Sheet and sit beside the client as you go through the steps of filling out the

86 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

sheet. (Sitting beside rather than across from the client allows the client to more actively engage in the process and feel
greater ownership of the Self-Portrait.)

Meaningfulness and Outcomes

The first column of the Self-Portrait is labelled Meaningfulness, and the second column is labelled Outcomes. You’ll be
completing these simultaneously with the client. Before we go into the steps involved in filling in these columns, we’ll
first outline what information you’re looking for.

What Is Meaningfulness?

Under Meaningfulness, you’ll identify four categories of information with the client: values, beliefs, interests, and
barriers.
Values are those things that are fundamentally important to the person; they form the foundation of individual
actions. Some examples of values include:

• Autonomy: Valuing the freedom to make independent decisions, work with minimal supervision, and enjoy the
authority to manage tasks and projects.
• Responsibility: Taking ownership of one’s work, being accountable, and delivering on commitments.
• Integrity: Upholding honesty, ethics, and moral principles in all professional interactions.
• Independence: Appreciating the ability to work autonomously and make decisions without excessive oversight.
• Teamwork: Valuing collaboration, communication, and cooperation with colleagues to achieve common goals.
• Learning and Growth: Prioritizing continuous learning, skill development, and personal growth.
• Recognition: Appreciating acknowledgment and praise for contributions and achievements.
• Work-Life Balance: Striving for equilibrium between work responsibilities and personal life.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Supporting workplaces that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Values cannot be right or wrong; they exist. They are unique to each person and reflect what’s most important to an
individual.
Beliefs are ideas or worldviews that guide a person’s actions. Some examples of beliefs include:

• belief in God
• belief that people are inherently good
• belief that money brings happiness

Beliefs can also be clichés that people live by, for instance a stitch in time saves nine; the early bird gets the worm, you
can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink, are but a few examples.
Interests are things that the person enjoys or simply gets a kick out of. Interests often overlap with values, but they
need not. For example, someone who values children highly may not necessarily want to work with children. Some
examples of interests include:

• interacting with people

• using your hands
• solving problems
• playing with kids

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 87

 • organizing information
• being creative
• leading a team

Being able to fulfill these three elements (living according to your values, beliefs, and interests) provides meaning to a
person’s life.
Barriers to meaningfulness are things that get in the way of fulfilling values, beliefs, and interests. Some examples of
barriers to meaningfulness include:

• lack of finances
• location
• lack of education
• needs of dependents

What Are Outcomes?

Outcomes are things an individual wants to achieve or accomplish in life. These are what the person wants to get
from successful career planning. Outcomes can be classified in terms of three categories: personal, work-related, and
educational. Some examples of personal outcomes include:

• children
• home ownership
• successful marriage
• travel experiences

Personal outcomes can be anything an individual wants to get out of life.

Work-related outcomes refer to anything that individuals want to achieve in their work. Some examples of work-
related outcomes include:

• moderate income
• variety
• new developments in a field
• contributing to the community

Work-related outcomes are often more individual-specific than personal outcomes. An outcome for an artist, for
example, may be renowned pieces of art, whereas an outcome for an educator may be children who can adapt to a
changing world.
Educational outcomes usually are tied to work-related outcomes. That is because they often exist for the sole purpose
of ensuring that work-related outcomes are achieved. For example, the educational outcome of studying photography
may be desired only because of a specific work-related outcome, such as becoming a world-class photojournalist.

How Are Meaningfulness Issues and Outcomes Determined?

So, now that you know what you’re trying to identify, let’s look at the how. Meaningfulness issues and outcomes often

88 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

overlap considerably. Desired outcomes usually are driven by an individual’s values, beliefs, and interests. To determine
these components, the facilitator asks the client a simple question:
“In the best of all worlds, what do you want to get out of your life and career?”
The facilitator’s job, then, is:

• listening to the answer to this very general question

• isolating meaningfulness issues and outcomes—zeroing in on the values, beliefs, interests and outcomes that you
hear in the answer
• recording your findings on the Self-Portrait.

Let’s revisit the process with Phoenix. Review Table 4.1 to see the initial Self-Portrait to understand what types of
information have been gathered so far.

Table 4.1: Self-Portrait with Initial Information

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and be financially stable.
BELIEFS: PAST:
WORK-RELATED:
INTERESTS: To work in an established business, learn the ropes, and then develop my own NEEDED:
business.
• Enjoyment of art.
• Writing newsletters. EDUCATIONAL:
• Helping people. Considering college for graphic design programs.

BARRIERS/DISLIKES:
Problems dealing with employment
insurance.

Notice that the career coach who is facilitating the session has coded or categorized the information the client provided.
There are information gaps: no beliefs have been identified. Given this initial information, the counsellor can ask specific
questions to obtain more information.

First-hand Experience

By encouraging the client to dream, you’ll access rich information about what really motivates and drives
your client. There’s no one right way to do this. All kinds of strategies can work to help clients let go of their
inhibitions and dreams. For example, you might say:

“You mentioned “being realistic.” I don’t think we need to “be realistic” now. Finish telling me what you want out
of your life, remembering that it’s okay to dream about any life you desire.”

Or

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 89

 “Let’s say you’re 70 years old and that you’ve lived your life exactly as you wanted to. Everything has gone your
way. I’m 85 now, and I bump into you again. I ask you to tell me about your life. What would you say?”

The point of the above queries is to give permission for the client to dream and generate a personal vision.

See how this response has changed the Self-Portrait in Table 4.2: Self-Portrait with partially completed meaningfulness
and outcomes.

Table 4.2: Self-Portrait with Partially Completed Meaningfulness and Outcomes

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and be financially stable.
BELIEFS: WORK-RELATED: PAST:
INTERESTS: To work in an established business, learn the ropes, and then
develop my own business. NEEDED:
• Enjoyment of art. To be self-employed in a graphic or creative design field.
• Writing newsletters. Using my communications and creative design abilities in
• Helping people. areas that will make a difference in the world, e.g., conserving
the environment.
EDUCATIONAL:
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: Considering college for graphic design programs.
Problems dealing with
employment insurance.

This additional question leads to more information. And, more importantly, the client is beginning to truly dream. Now,
it’s time for the facilitator to ask more specific questions to fill in the remaining information gaps. The facilitator will ask
questions about each category within Meaningfulness and Outcomes. For example:

• Values: What’s so important about these outcomes you’ve mentioned? What’s important to you? What gets you out
of bed in the morning and wanting to face a new day?
• Beliefs: What clichés do you live by? What sayings do you repeat to yourself?
• Interests: What’s fun for you? What do you enjoy or get a kick out of?
• Personal Outcomes: What do you want to get out of life? What do you want to achieve?
• Work-Related Outcomes: What do you want to get out of work? What do you want to achieve?
• Educational Outcomes: What educational accomplishments would you like to achieve?

These questions can be asked in any order. The only objective is to flesh out the first two columns of the Self-Portrait.
There are no strict rules or order that you must follow when doing this.
The client’s responses to these final questions for clarification result in the revised Self-Portrait in Table 4.3.

90 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

 Table 4.3: Self-Portrait with Meaningfulness and Outcomes

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and be

Exercising competence in my work. financially stable. PAST:
Flexibility and independence, owning my own WORK-RELATED:
schedule. To work in an established business, learn the NEEDED:
Work with others and value “team” ropes, and then develop my own business.
approaches to working together. To be self-employed in a graphic or creative
Care for and involvement in the community. design field.
BELIEFS: Using my communications and creative design
To respect the dignity of each person. abilities in areas that will make a difference in the
I believe that it is time for women to change world, e.g., environmental conservation, women’s
the world and be leaders on a new frontier. rights.
INTERESTS: EDUCATIONAL:
Enjoyment of art. PAST:
Writing newsletters, articles and press 1-year Architectural Technology Program at
releases. College
Helping people. High school accounting course
Prefer environments where I can control Basic counselling strategies
interruptions and focus on my tasks. Desktop publishing, and graphic design
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: FUTURE:
Dislike Sales, the competitive aspect, quota Considering college for graphic design programs.
expectations and the potentially aggressive side
of Sales.
Speaking in front of large groups in a lecture
or theatre setting.
Problems dealing with employment insurance.

If you’ve been able to work with your client to complete the first two columns, you’ll see that the Self-Portrait is
beginning to take shape. Now, you’re ready to explore “Activities.” But what happens if you get stuck and your client
simply cannot articulate outcomes or issues of meaningfulness? As indicated earlier, one option is to move straight to
the Activities or Skills sections. Doing this often stimulates thoughts about outcomes and meaning.
Another option is to ask your client to describe outcomes that they achieved in the past and include these in the
Self-Portrait. Successes don’t have to be momentous — seek out anything that the client felt good about, felt proud
of or enjoyed. For example, formerly incarcerated clients often simply want to stay out of jail, so they have difficulty
identifying other outcomes. In the past, however, these clients might have articulated outcomes such as successful
relationships, wealth (even if illegally obtained, this is still an outcome), and prestige. Beginning with these outcomes
builds self-esteem and jump-starts the process of thinking about other outcomes.
If your client struggles with verbal articulation of ideas, move to a visual format. For example, provide a stack of
magazines and have the client create a collage of pictures that represent outcomes and/or meanings. You can also have
your clients search the internet for images that appeal to them.

What are Activities?

The third column of the Self-Portrait sheet is labelled Activities. Activities are tasks, moves or processes that the client
has undertaken in the past, wants to undertake in the future, or needs to undertake to achieve their outcomes. These
are the roads that clients travel to arrive at their outcomes. Some examples of activities include the following:

• develop rapport with customers

• install brake shoes and pads
• assess clients
• frame walls
• play the guitar

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 91

Activities combine skills, attitudes, and knowledge into useful sets of procedures. Activities are thus more than simply
listing skills, attitudes, or knowledge; they provide purpose and direction to the client’s skills, attitudes, and knowledge.
It is important for clients to identify activities because these show clients (and potential employers) how they can reach
specific outcomes; hence, they are a demonstration of ability and competence.

How Are Activities Determined?

Activities are usually identified after outcomes and meaningfulness issues have been determined or at any time during
the Self-Portrait process.

1. Start with past activities, that is, activities the client has previously engaged in.
2. Move to identify preferred activities — ones that the client wants to undertake to reach desired outcomes.
3. Move to needed activities — ones that the client must undertake to achieve desired outcomes. Needed activities
may or may not be the same as preferred activities. Different methods of identifying activities can be used
depending on what types of activities are being sought.

Identifying Past Activities

Ask the client to identify things done in the past, including hobbies, sports, leisure activities, work experiences, or
volunteer experiences.
For example, a young client with no previous work experience responded with the following: “Well, I don’t know if
this is helpful, but I used to really be into cycling, and I’ve fixed a lot of bikes. Do you want me to list some things I
can do with bicycles? [Facilitator nods]. Well, I can repair tires, replace chains, install sprockets and derailleurs, replace
bearings, and straighten wheels.”
Most clients are not quite as direct as this young person, but this extract gets the point across.
Our client, Phoenix, has identified helpful content for the Past Activities column in Table 4.4.

92 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

 Table 4.4: Self-Portrait with Information About Past Activities

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and be

Exercising competence in my work. financially stable. PAST:
Flexibility and independence, owning my own WORK-RELATED: Winning high
schedule. To work in an established business, learn school team sports
Work with others and value “team” the ropes, and then develop my own business. playoffs.
approaches to working together. To be self-employed in a graphic or creative Completing
Care for and involvement in the community. design field. sketches for family
BELIEFS: Using my communications and creative and friends.
To respect the dignity of each person. design abilities in areas that will make a Promoting a
I believe that it is time for women to change difference in the world, e.g., environmental concert, which
the world and be leaders on a new frontier. conservation, women’s rights. resulted in a
INTERESTS: EDUCATIONAL: community group
Enjoyment of art. PAST: repaying debt.
Writing newsletters, articles and press 1-year Architectural Technology Program at Acting as a team
releases. College leader during the
Helping people. High school accounting course Summer Tech
Prefer environments where I can control the Basic counselling strategies program.
interruptions and focus on my tasks. Desktop publishing, and graphic design
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: FUTURE:
Dislike sales, the competitive aspect, quota Considering college for graphic design NEEDED:
expectations and the potentially aggressive side programs.
of Sales.
Speaking in front of large groups in a lecture
or theatre setting.
Problems dealing with employment insurance.

It’s important to identify as many activities in as many spheres of life as possible. Later, this will help show clients that
their transferable skills — activities they’ve completed in other aspects of their lives — can apply to their work life. With
individuals with a significant amount of work experience, you can focus more on previous work-related activities. In all
cases, however, it is always safest to identify as many activities as possible.

Identifying Preferred Activities

After identifying as many past activities as the client can remember, identify preferred ones. This helps to determine
how the client wants to achieve desired outcomes. In many cases, preferred and past activities will overlap, particularly
in those cases where clients are engaged in meaningful roles and simply want a minor change. For example, one of a
client’s past activities could be facilitating groups of people. They may also want to do this in the future; therefore, it
would be listed as a preferred activity.
In cases where clients want a minor change, the Self-Portrait technique works equally well to create a career action
plan or a roadmap of where clients want to be in their careers.
The counsellor can help clients identify preferred activities by asking: “In the best of all worlds, what would you like
to be doing on a day-by-day basis? How would you ideally like to reach your goals?”
The client may respond with something like: “I’m not sure I know enough about the video or film industry to know
what I’d like to be doing. I guess I’m really interested in the special effects used in shows. Like, you know, I’d love to
design miniature sets with robotic characters like monsters and space aliens or building sets where whole cities are on
fire, and it’s all done in miniature.”
The client would explain a great deal more than this, but this provides an idea of the types of preferred activities a
client may identify:

• create special effects (miniaturized)

• design miniature sets
• design robotic characters

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 93

Now, the client is becoming much more specific about a desirable role. Continue this discussion and further delineate
the client’s preferred activities. What if, however, the client stops here and does not know which activities would be
preferable? Or, what if the client cannot identify any preferable activities? In this case, further exploration is needed to
help the client have a clearer idea of where they want to be and what’s needed to get there. To do this, move the Self-
Portrait process to the next step: identifying needed activities.
This section focuses on what the client has to do in order to better identify preferred activities. If the client can
create a comprehensive list of preferred activities, the next step is to sequence these activities in order of preference.
Continuing with the previous example, the interviewed person may prefer to work with miniature robots more than
with miniature sets. Identify this in the Self-Portrait by listing preferred activities in the appropriate sequence.
Our client, Phoenix, has identified helpful content for the Preferred Activities column in Table 4.5.

Table 4.5: Self-Portrait with Information About Preferred Activities

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and Working in a team setting.
Exercising competence in my work. be financially stable. Doing design work—problem-
Flexibility and independence, owning WORK-RELATED: solving, aesthetic design,
my own schedule. To work in an established business, marketing, and promotion,
Work with others and value “team” learn the ropes, and then develop my helping the client to reach their
approaches to working together. own business. target population.
Care for and involvement in the To be self-employed in a graphic or Working with clients and
community. creative design field. meeting a variety of people.
BELIEFS: Using my communications and Connecting and networking in
To respect the dignity of each person. creative design abilities in areas that the community.
I believe that it is time for women to will make a difference in the world, e.g., “Making it happen,” helping to
change the world and be leaders on a new environmental conservation, women’s get the product developed,
frontier. rights. seeing the finished product,
INTERESTS: EDUCATIONAL: knowing the impact.
Enjoyment of art. PAST: Doing all of this at a pace that
Writing newsletters, articles and press 1-year Architectural Technology feels balanced. (I want a
releases. Program at College balanced social, family and work
Helping people. High school accounting course life.)
Prefer environments where I can Basic counselling strategies, Desktop PAST:
control the interruptions and focus on my publishing, and graphic design Winning high school team
tasks. FUTURE: sports playoffs.
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: Considering college for graphic Completing sketches for
Dislike sales, the competitive aspect, design programs. family and friends.
quota expectations and the potentially Promoting a concert, which
aggressive side of Sales. resulted in a community group
Speaking in front of large groups in a repaying debt.
lecture or theatre setting. Acting as a team leader during
Problems dealing with employment the Summer Tech program.
insurance. NEEDED:

Identifying Needed Activities

Move to identifying needed activities after the client has identified as many preferred activities as possible (or if the
client gets stuck at preferred activities). The list of needed activities will specify what the client should do to continue
the process of managing their career development. Common examples of needed activities include:

• develop network
• job shadow
• conduct library research
• interview experts

94 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

By engaging in these activities, the client will be better able to continue identifying preferred activities, clarifying
outcomes, and, more precisely, specifying values and interests. In this context the Self-Portrait becomes more of an
instructional tool than a clarification or assessment tool because the client may not yet know what the needed activities
are. In this case, it’s your role to help the client identify ways to gather further information or insights.
Our client, Phoenix, has identified significant content for the Needed Activities section in Table 4.6.

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 95

 Table 4.6: Self-Portrait with Information About Needed Activities

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family and Working in a team setting.
Exercising competence in my work. be financially stable. Doing design work—problem-
Flexibility and independence, owning WORK-RELATED: solving, aesthetic design,
my own schedule. To work in an established business, marketing, and promotion,
Work with others and value “team” learn the ropes, and then develop my helping the client to reach their
approaches to working together. own business. target population.
Care for and involvement in the To be self-employed in a graphic or Working with clients and
community. creative design field. meeting a variety of people.
BELIEFS: Using my communications and Connecting and networking in
To respect the dignity of each person. creative design abilities in areas that the community.
I believe that it is time for women to will make a difference in the world, e.g., “Making it happen,” helping to
change the world and be leaders on a new environmental conservation, women’s get the product developed,
frontier. rights. seeing the finished product,
INTERESTS: EDUCATIONAL: knowing the impact.
Enjoyment of art. PAST: Doing all of this at a pace that
Writing newsletters, articles and press 1-year Architectural Technology feels balanced. (I want a
releases. Program at College balanced social, family and work
Helping people. High school accounting course life.)
Prefer environments where I can Basic counselling strategies PAST:
control the interruptions and focus on my Desktop publishing, and graphic Winning high school team
tasks. design sports playoffs.
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: FUTURE: Completing sketches for
Dislike sales, the competitive aspect, Considering college for graphic family and friends.
quota expectations and the potentially design programs. Promoting a concert, which
aggressive side of a role in sales. resulted in a community group
Speaking in front of large groups in a repaying debt.
lecture or theatre setting. Acting as a team leader during
Problems dealing with employment the Summer Tech program.
insurance. NEEDED:
To prepare a polished
portfolio for application to
colleges and for future
employment interviews.
To develop a personal contact
list.
To conduct information
interviews in the graphic design
field and develop future
employment contacts.

96 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

What are Skills?

Having identified the client’s outcomes, meaningfulness issues, and activities, the Self-Portrait process moves to
identifying skills.
Skills are competencies, knowledge and attitudes that enable clients to effectively carry out their activities. Whereas
activities are usually goal-directed and specific, skills can often apply to various activities and help to achieve a variety
of goals. In other words, skills are generally far more transferable than activities.

How are Skills Determined?

In many ways, identifying skills is the simplest part of completing a self-portrait. Although it’s not difficult, the Skills
column of the Self-Portrait is often the longest column and can take some time to complete.
To identify tools and techniques, select one of the client’s past activities and ask:

• What sorts of competencies did you need to undertake this activity?

• What kind of knowledge did you need to undertake this activity?
• What attitudes did you need to undertake this activity?

Repeat this process for each and every past activity listed on the Self-Portrait. For example, consider asking the client
who has repaired bicycle tires the above questions.
The client’s response may be something like the following: “To repair a bicycle tire, I guess I needed some basic skills
like using combination wrenches and screwdrivers, and I suppose I used some techniques for removing and replacing
tires. On the knowledge side, I had to simply know about different types of tires, tubes, and wheels. As for attitudes, all
I can think of is that you really have to be careful or thorough to repair tires well.”
Pulling out the skills from this narrative, the counsellor would write the following list:

• use combination wrenches

• use screwdrivers
• use tire removal and reinstallation techniques
• understand bicycle tire, tube, and wheel types
• exercise care, thoroughness

Following this procedure for each past activity, you will generate a long list of tools and techniques. After all the past
activities have been explored for underlying tools and techniques, move along with your client to preferred and needed
activities for the following:

• Skills from past activities that are transferable to preferred and needed activities: What skills, knowledge and
attitudes could help the client to achieve the preferred or needed activities?
• Skills that will be needed to carry out preferred and needed activities: What additional skills, knowledge and
attitudes could help the client to achieve the preferred or needed activities?

In the first case, each tool and technique that is transferable to preferred and needed activities can simply be highlighted
with an asterisk or by underlining. In the second case, the client may need to explore further to determine the necessary
tools and techniques. For example, the client interested in creating miniature robots will need to talk to people who do
this and find out what additional skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to undertake this activity.
Highlight the skills the client will need but does not currently possess. Use a different marking system here than the

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 97

one used for transferable tools and techniques. For example, if you’ve underlined transferable tools and techniques, use
a highlighter pen or a different colour of ink to distinguish needed tools and techniques.
Notice the esteem-building power of identifying skills in this way. In a very short period, the career coach can help the
client to identify a host of abilities. Almost invariably, completing this portion of the Self-Portrait increases the client’s
confidence, even when the client has had no work experience or has had socially unacceptable experiences (e.g., theft).
Every activity that the client has undertaken requires skills, attitudes and knowledge. For example, consider a client
whose only successful activity has been break and enter. To break and enter successfully, the client needs the following
tools and techniques:

• organizational skills
• planning skills
• rapport-building skills (to garner the support of a confederate)
• observation skills
• trust-testing skills (to ensure the confederate is trustworthy)
• knowledge of security systems

Even though breaking and entering is not a socially acceptable activity, it requires a variety of skills that can be
transferred to many activities that are socially acceptable. Notice, too, that the career coach can make no judgment of
the client at any time in the Self-Portrait process. The client can freely report any activities without fear of judgment,
recrimination, or external control.
Our client, Phoenix, has identified content for the Skills column in the completed self-portrait in Table 4.7:

98 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

 Table 4.7: Completed Self-Portrait with Information About Past Skills

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

WORK VALUES: PERSONAL: PREFERRED: Organizational:

Artistic creativity. To live in a small town, have a family Working in a team setting. Well-organized and
Exercising competence in my work. and be financially stable. Doing design work—problem- responsible individual
Flexibility and independence, owning WORK-RELATED: solving, aesthetic design, marketing, with excellent work
my own schedule. To work in an established business, and promotion, helping the client to ethics and attitude.
Work with others and value “team” learn the ropes, and then develop my reach their target population. Gives full commitmen
approaches to working together. own business. Working with clients and meeting a and energy to a project
Care for and involvement in the To be self-employed in a graphic or variety of people. and follows through to
community. creative design field. Connecting and networking in the completion.
BELIEFS: Using my communications and community. Patient individual wh
To respect the dignity of each person. creative design abilities in areas that “Making it happen,” helping to get is flexible and knows
I believe that it is time for women to will make a difference in the world, the product developed, seeing the when to compromise.
change the world and be leaders on a e.g., environmental conservation, finished product, knowing the impact. Dedicated to learning
new frontier. women’s rights. Doing all of this at a pace that feels throughout life using
INTERESTS: EDUCATIONAL: balanced. (I want a balanced social, self-directed learning.
Enjoyment of art. PAST: family and work life.) Have developed man
Writing newsletters, articles and 1-year Architectural Technology PAST: abilities through
press releases. Program at College Winning high school team sports mentoring.
Helping people. High school accounting course playoffs. Design / Written
Prefer environments where I can Basic counselling strategies; Completing sketches for family and Communication:
control the interruptions and focus on Desktop publishing, and graphic friends. Create internal vision
my tasks. design Promoting a concert, which of final product and the
BARRIERS/DISLIKES: FUTURE: resulted in a community group set about to produce th
Dislike sales, the competitive aspect, Considering college for graphic repaying debt. results.
quota expectations and the potentially design programs. Acting as a team leader during the Experienced in
aggressive side of a role in sales. Summer Tech program. creative design (e.g.,
Speaking in front of large groups in a NEEDED: flyers) and events
lecture or theatre setting. To prepare a polished portfolio for promotion.
Problems dealing with employment application to colleges and for future Polished written
insurance. employment interviews. communication skills.
To develop a personal contact list. Creative flair and use
To conduct information interviews of words—wordsmithin
in the graphic design field and develop Interpersonal:
future employment contacts. Communication,
networking and
negotiation skills.
Maintained positive
team relations with sta
volunteers and Board o
Directors.

4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait | 99

Back to Phoenix’s story

Polishing the Self-Portrait

The finished Self-Portrait can take any form that works for your client. Make the Self-Portrait as large or as small as the
client desires. Use whatever format fits — experiment with different shapes and colours. Remember that the portrait
is always a work in progress. The point is not to obtain an exhaustive description of the client; rather, it is to gather
sufficient information to mobilize the client. It’s a snapshot of now, and hopefully, the client will leave with the ability to
embellish the Self-Portrait as desired over time.
The Self-Portrait can be considered complete when the client has sufficient information to make the next few career
development moves. Always, however, encourage the client to revisit and re-examine the Self-Portrait after taking
action steps. When exploration activities, training, education, volunteer experience, or work experience have been
completed, encourage the client to review the portrait to see if he or she wants to add or change anything based on the
new experiences.
When the client is ready to make some moves, help the client organize the information in the Self-Portrait in a way
that makes sense for the client. Have the client do this to increase a personal sense of control over the Self-Portrait.
Organizing the Self-Portrait entails making it readable, categorizing groups of items, and prioritizing items within each
column. The goal is to make the Self-Portrait as meaningful as possible for the client, not the facilitator! Cleaning it
up may entail changing the format completely (e.g., some clients reorganize the information into concentric circles).
Whatever works for the client is the best way to go. The Self-Portrait process comes to an end once this stage is
completed.

100 | 4.2: Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

4.3: Ways to Use the Self-Portrait

Credit: Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

This section looks at ways to use the Self-Portrait technique in the next steps with your client.

Reviewing the Self-Portrait for Assets

Having developed a Self-Portrait, the next step is to review the Self-Portrait as a portfolio of assets. Many clients are not
particularly aware of the many assets they possess in terms of skill, knowledge, attitudes, and experience. They often
take these for granted and don’t see their potential value in their careers. Simply reviewing the Self-Portrait with the
client can be a valuable esteem-building exercise.
Review the Self-Portrait to reinforce the connections between the client’s activities and the knowledge and skills they
possess.

• First, look at each past activity to help the client understand the various tasks that they can undertake.
• Review the skills and knowledge required to carry out each activity.
• Help your client looks for activities that address values and interests to ensure that the client spots activities that
may have enduring meaning.

4.3: Ways to Use the Self-Portrait | 101

 • Have the client rank values and interests in order of importance. This is an essential step toward establishing
values and interests that are sources of both long-term and short-term meaningfulness.
• Review the client’s goals and help the client rank these, distinguishing between long-term goals and short-term
goals. The long-term goals will be identified in the Outcomes section of the portrait, as well as in the Preferred and
Needed components of the Activities section. While the client works toward both sets of goals, it’s important to
help the client address immediate needs.

Keep in mind that the responsibility for continually modifying and updating the Self-Portrait must be transferred fully
from you to the client. Keeping this in mind, review the rationale used to complete each part of the Self-Portrait with
your client so that they can update the profile.
When working with people, one of the critical features of reviewing the Self-Portrait is the process of evaluating skill
and knowledge levels. Clients may be prone to underestimating or overestimating their skills, attitudes, and knowledge.
Further, it may be difficult for you to directly assess many of the client’s alleged competencies. Consequently, clients
need their own evaluation strategies and they need to learn how to accurately assess themselves. You can take the
following steps to help clients develop these skills:

• Have clients identify specific examples where they have used their skills effectively. (For example, you can play the
role of an employer asking your client to provide an example of their using a skill well.)
• Ask clients to talk with or observe people they know who have the same skills and compare them with their own.
• Ask clients questions about the limits of their skills (For example: How much? How fast? Under what conditions?)

While none of these will guarantee an accurate assessment of competence, undertaking the above steps will help clients
further clarify their skill and knowledge assets.

Reviewing the Self-Portrait for Gaps

The next step in reviewing the Self-Portrait with the client is to analyze activity, skill, or knowledge gaps. At this stage,
the review process moves from “what is” to “what needs to be.” This helps the client begin to develop a sense of what to
do next. To help the client identify gaps, do the following:

• Highlight the preferred activities that the client is not yet capable of performing. In the case of the client who
wants to create miniature robots, begin by highlighting the skills and knowledge that the client needs, e.g.,
creating miniature robots requires knowledge of electronic circuitry. Knowledge of electronic circuitry would,
therefore, be added to the Self-Portrait as a needed item under Skills.
• Continue this process with all the client’s preferred activities.
• Create homework assignments for your client to gather this information. For example, the client who wants to
create miniature robots may need to research this activity either by reading about it or by talking to individuals
who do this work.

Once the individual’s skill and knowledge gaps have been identified, it is time to begin action planning to find ways
toward filling the gap.

Using the Self-Portrait for Action Planning

Most clients will have both immediate (contextual) needs and enduring needs, each one affecting the other. It is

102 | 4.3: Ways to Use the Self-Portrait

important to address immediate needs first to help mobilize the client and reinforce commitment to the career-building
process. However, immediate needs should be put in the context of the bigger picture, keeping the enduring needs in
mind at all times.
Enduring needs are guiding elements in action planning. It is important to clarify them at the start of the action
planning process and review them throughout the process. Enduring needs are those needs that will always be
important to the client. For example, security may be identified as an enduring need by a client. It may take on different
forms and vary in priority, but it will always be critical for this particular client. Security, challenge, honesty, freedom,
continual growth, hard work, and a happy family life are all examples of enduring needs.

4.3: Ways to Use the Self-Portrait | 103

4.4: Using the Self-Portrait in a Group Setting

Credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

When one-on-one sessions with clients aren’t possible, it is also feasible to develop the Self-Portrait in a group setting.
While the portrait, serves as a storehouse of information, it also provides an excellent structure for group activities.
In other words, each column in the Self-Portrait can provide the basis for career-building activities, facilitating the
participants’ development of their own individual portraits.
For example, the Meaningfulness column can be used as the basis for several group activities or group sessions. Spend
time discussing such things as values, interests, beliefs, and barriers, and their relevance to personal understanding and
career building. To facilitate exploration and understanding of personal values, you could use activities and ideas, such
as:

• Value card sorts

• Value checklists
• A collage containing the material things, people, events, and symbols, that individuals find meaningful

Each of the categories within the column can have as few or as many activities as time allows, keeping in mind the
group’s needs. Interests, beliefs, and values can be explored in many creative ways. As the activities are implemented
and personal information is gathered, the portrait can be developed by the client, either alone or with guidance from a
facilitator. The same holds true for all the columns. Visioning exercises can be used to help individuals look at goals.

104 | 4.4: Using the Self-Portrait in a Group Setting

 In addition to group activities, the facilitator can coach and prompt individuals as they add information to the portrait.
Individuals may need some help organizing and storing information. At the end of a value activity, you may want to lead
the individuals to think about their findings in relation to the Self-Portrait by saying, “Now that you’ve looked at some of
the things you find meaningful in life, and listed some of these values, try to think about which ones are most important
to you. Which values do you think are more work-related? Are any very strong for you? Take out your Self-Portrait
sheets and add the values to the Meaningfulness column.”
Another way to develop the Self-Portrait in a group is to lead participants through a series of group interviews. You
can structure these interviews in the same way as you would individual interviews. Similar questioning techniques can
be used to help individuals identify and organize the necessary information.
In this way, group members will already have some insight into themselves and an understanding of the various
categories. If the group is particularly capable, you could distribute interview questions to the clients for each of the
categories listed in the columns and then ask them to interview each other in pairs. Each partner asks questions and
jots down information pertaining to the other.
Demonstrating the process in front of the group ahead of time would be helpful.
The Self-Portrait format may need to be tailored or altered to better meet the needs of the group, as well as to include
all the information you may want to compile for each individual. This may mean expanding a section, delving more
thoroughly into some areas, stating some things more specifically or focusing on areas of particular significance. For
example, you may want to include a column or category in the Activities section where specific school and coursework
credits are listed. Modify the Self-Portrait to meet your and your client’s needs.
Developing the Self-Portrait in groups can be very useful and effective. Often, participants benefit from group
interaction and from sharing their portraits with others. Don’t be afraid to use your creativity to adapt the Self-Portrait
to meet the needs of the group.

4.4: Using the Self-Portrait in a Group Setting | 105

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

What is a Self-Portrait?

• The Self-Portrait is a flexible tool for navigating career transitions that provides clients with the
confidence and clarity needed to pursue new career prospects, highlighting the importance of
understanding one’s skills, interests, and goals.

Steps in Creating a Self-Portrait

• The Self-Portrait method allows clients to organize their experiences and aspirations without being
confined to specific job titles, enabling a broader and more dynamic approach to career planning.
• This tool allows clients to create a comprehensive profile that evolves with them by focusing on
meaningfulness, outcomes, activities, and skills, fostering continual self-discovery and development.
• Facilitators must remember that the Self-Portrait is a tool, not a solution, that can help clients
articulate their unique narratives and aspirations.

Ways to Use the Self-Portrait

• Analyze the Self-Portrait with your clients to identify assets and gaps in skill and knowledge.
• Once assets and gaps are identified, use the Self-Portrait with your clients to build and action plan to
fulfill both immediate and enduring needs.

Using the Self-Portrait in a Group Setting

• The Self-Portrait should be tailored to meet the client’s needs through individual or group settings and
should always prioritize the client’s perspective and goals.
• In a group setting participants benefit from group interaction and from sharing their portraits with
others.

106 | Chapter Review

 Practice and Reflection Questions

Creating Self-Portraits—Practice

To help you learn the process of Creating Self Portraits, you are to work with a student learning partner to
practice the method. This requires self-reflection and authenticity to be effective. Remember to prepare in
advance to act as both client and counsellor.

Please download the blank Self-Portrait sheet to complete this activity. Review the following guidelines
before you begin the process of creating a Self-Portrait with your learning partner.

Learning Partner Practice Guidelines

Counsellor Goals

• Develop rapport
• Ask the essential questions
• Ensure you understand what the person is saying
• Record the information in the client’s words
• Focus on the client

Client Goals

• Be yourself; this is a “real play,” not a “role play.”

• Allow yourself to experience the process for you fully!

Reflection Question

When you have completed the process of creating a Self-portrait with your learning partner, write an
analysis stating the thoughts and feelings that you experienced using the process both as a client and a
counsellor. (A minimum of 200 words is required for this answer.)

• What did you like/dislike about it?

• What did you learn about yourself from this process?
• What would you like to develop in yourself to increase your effectiveness?

Chapter Review | 107

 • How would you modify this method?

108 | Chapter Review

Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits
and Examples of Self-Portraits

Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

The appendix provides a summary of the steps to follow when working with a client. It ends with examples of two Self-
Portraits for clients from dissimilar backgrounds with different values and aspirations.

Guidelines for Creating a Self-Portrait

The General Steps to Creating a Self-Portrait

• Prepare the client for the Self-Portrait by doing some preliminary work, e.g., develop your relationship with them,
clarify your roles, set guidelines, and explain the process.
• Facilitate the emergence of outcomes and explore meaningfulness.
• Draw out specific activities that the client wants to undertake to reach each outcome.

Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits | 109
 • Identify the skills and knowledge (tools and techniques) the client needs to undertake the above activities
successfully.
• Format and organize the Self-Portrait to ensure that it appears in a form suitable for the client.

Determine Meaningfulness and Outcomes

Start with the first question. If difficulties arise, go on to one of the following question variations. If resistance or stress
occurs, go on to another section altogether, returning to this section later in the process. Here are some prompts that
you can use to help the client determine meaningfulness and outcomes:

• In the best of all worlds, what do you want to get out of your life?
• Let’s say you’re 70 years old and have lived your life exactly as you wanted. Everything has gone your way. I’m 85
now, and I bump into you again. I ask you to tell me about your life. What would you say?
• Just sit back and relax for a moment… as you feel yourself beginning to relax, I want you to start thinking about
doing something you enjoy. Just for this moment, remove any barriers or restrictions, and say to yourself, “If I
could be doing anything, anywhere, what would it be?” I’ll give you some time to get that picture in your mind…
now, describe to me what you are doing.

If any of the sections in the columns under meaningfulness or outcomes are not complete, or if there are difficulties
answering any sections, you can use the following questions:

• Values: Why are your outcomes so important to you? For example, why is “nursing so important?
• Beliefs: What sorts of beliefs are leading you toward your goals?
• Interests: You mentioned several things you enjoy doing. Are there any that you really get a kick out of?
• Barriers: Is anything preventing you from reaching the outcomes you told me about?
• Work-Related Outcomes: I know you don’t know exactly what you want to in the “health sector, but do you have
any ideas regarding how you would like to be involved?
• Educational: We’ll talk more about this later, but do you have any educational or training goals?

If you have time, it is helpful to elicit the values for all relevant life roles and have the individual prioritize them as soon
as they are elicited.

Determine Activities (Preferred, Past, and Needed)

Preferred: “In the best of all worlds, what would you like to be doing on a day-to-day basis? How would you ideally like
to reach your goals?
Past: Review accomplishments and other enjoyable activities. It’s easier to begin with accomplishments that an
individual feels particularly proud about.
Needed: Review career development needs (e.g., research, resume development, etc.).

Determine Skills and Knowledge

Review activities and ask:

110 | Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits
 • What sorts of skills did you need to undertake this activity?
• What kinds of knowledge did you need to undertake this activity?
• What attitudes did you need to undertake this activity?

Prioritize the Portrait

• Review and prioritize meaning, outcomes, activities and skills sections.

Examples of Completed Self-Portraits

Example: A Self-Portrait Created Within a Short Duration

Arden was a single parent who was laid off without notice. They had recently moved to a new community and urgently
needed to find full-time employment. This portrait was completed during the first meeting. Arden was referred to a Job
Finding Club. They found a full-time sales role by the end of the three-week club.

Table 4A.1: Example of a Self-Portrait Created Within a Short Duration

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

PERSONAL:
VALUES:
To have a stable home that I own,
My children are #1 in my life.
preferably a ranch style house.
I value the home environment
To send my children to college. PREFERRED:
and the “good” life.
To live comfortably and be able to
I prefer to have autonomy
afford to buy the things I like. I enjoy applying make-up, hairstyling, and
and independence in my work.
To own two horses. doing facials and manicures. I have good self-managem
BELIEFS:
WORK-RELATED: Designing clothes, sewing from can work independently
Children come first in my life.
My childhood dream was modelling templates, sketching women’s fashions and where I have autonomy.
I believe in myself and have a
and acting. making costumes for children.
strong self-image and am self-
I love fashion and clothes designing. I am a picky and fussy clothes buyer and I have a commitment to q
confident.
Work that involves some form of enjoy the process of shopping and meeting I am a self-initiator and
INTERESTS:
glamour and attention is attractive to people. I am very mechanically
To travel and sightsee.
me. I have a friendly manner with others. can do most home repair
Expanding my horizons.
I have considered going into I enjoy both machine operations and I enjoy working with pe
Reading, growing and
business for myself. people. I like to have my indep
learning.
My aim is to balance my time NEEDED:
Spending time with my
between working outside and working To get out and network with people in my
children.
within the house. new community.
BARRIERS:
EDUCATIONAL: To get support to find a good job.
The challenge of contacting
I have my high school diploma.
many people.
I prefer to learn by reading and
Knowing the right people.
doing, rather than by sitting in a
Financial constraints.
classroom.

Example: A Self-Portrait of a Mid-Career Professional

Quinn was a 40-year-old professional nurse and nurse educator. Due to an amalgamation, their role was terminated,
and they were laid off. Quinn actively participated in a career transition process, and their portrait is an example of the

Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits | 111
level of detail that can be gathered through this approach. You will see a pattern of teaching throughout the profile.
Quinn ultimately decided to become a secondary school teacher.

Table 4A.2: Example of a Self-Portrait of a Mid-Career Professional

MEANING OUTCOMES ACTIVITIES SKILLS

PREFERRED: SELF-MANAGEMENT
VALUES: SKILLS:
Associated with some I am responsible,
Financial security and group — anchor. conscientious, and thorough
tenure. I have my own role or as exemplified by my
Service and dedication. niche. willingness to work overtime
Autonomy and To work hard at a for my employer.
independence — having my challenging position (but I am a creative person with
own niche. not 18 hours per day) and an artistic flair and yet very
GENERAL OUTCOMES:
Quality of care and have time for my organized in my approach.
service. personal interests and TRANSFERABLE SKILLS:
My outcomes are intertwined
Additional: Family hobbies. I have proven teaching
between work and personal self, I do
relations. Working with a mix of skills gained during 8 years of
not separate these out. As a general
Egalitarianism and ages (womb to tomb). teaching at a reputable
outcome I would like to think that I
humanitarianism. Helping others through school through many
would make some sort of impact on the
A non-judgemental health and teaching. curriculum changes and
community — environment, e.g. “Quinn
approach that Doing something that yielding good results.
created X”. This would be accomplished
demonstrates concern for makes the people who
more by what I modelled than anything I am an empathetic listener
the person as a human participate better
else. It relates to How I am and Who I and perceptive with regards
being. (readers, writers, able to
am as a person. to people’s needs and
BELIEFS: take their own blood
PERSONAL: feelings; this has been born
Belief in egalitarianism pressure, etc.).
To develop an intimate and personal out in my work with patients,
and that the ‘rules’ apply to Creating my own daily
relationship with options for the students and parents.
each person, I don’t like the agenda rather than
development of my own family. I am creative and enjoy
“squeaky wheel gets the having it imposed.
To be secure enough so that in visual and performing arts
grease” attitude. PAST:
retirement all I have to do is paint, sew, such as my experiences in
I don’t like to take risks. Taught students at the
visit and drive around. public speaking.
Change is only relevant if RNA school.
WORK-RELATED: I can write, plan, organize
it leads to an increase in Educated patients in
That others will say upon my and articulate ideas as
quality of service. the hospital.
retirement: “Yes, Quinn was a really demonstrated in my
I have a strong career Developed many new
great teacher!” proposals, curriculum, and
orientation. curriculum changes.
I like to see tangible success public speaking activities.
INTERESTS: Produced choir
outcomes from my work. TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Teaching and training productions for 8 years.
Receiving positive feedback from People: Counselling
others. Narrated historical play
patients and students, e.g. thank you students, teaching,
Variety in the workplace. at church.
notes. supervising clinical practise,
Get a big bang out of Many good sewing and
Completing a project and getting all leading change, motivating
groups like choir, historical craft projects.
the details in place. others, modelling behaviour,
play, teams of nurses and in Organized 5-year class
EDUCATIONAL: co-operating with agency
general the camaraderie of reunion.
PAST: and staff.
others. Acted as tutorial
Master of Science in Nursing Data: Record keeping,
Prefer to do academic assistant with good
Bachelor of Science in Nursing scheduling, balancing
work individually. feedback.
PLANNED: budgets.
A sarcastic sense of Narrated infant bath
Bachelor of Education Performing Arts Sector:
humour. video that is still in use.
Piano, voice, video and film
I love art. NEEDED:
projector.
BARRIERS: Extensive research into
Sometimes I let what roles that involve both Healthcare Sector: Health
others say and think teaching and health equipment (needles,
influence me and stop me through a process of syringes), ostomy equipment.
from doing what I really informational Ideas: Problem solving
want; I am not a risk taker. interviewing. —alternative solutions,
devising new curriculum.

112 | Appendix 4A: Guidelines for Creating Self-Portraits and Examples of Self-Portraits
PART V
CHAPTER 5: THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION

Chapter 5: The Process of Preparation | 113

114 | Chapter 5: The Process of Preparation
River’s Story: Turning Dreams into Reality

Credit: Photo by Ali Kazal from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

River had always harboured a lifelong love of the outdoors. Growing up, they spent countless hours exploring forests,
fishing in tranquil streams, and dreaming of a future deeply connected to nature. However, life had not always been easy
for them.
Referred to an employment agency by the Social Services department, River was a single 24-year-old receiving general
welfare assistance. Their life had been a series of ups and downs, marked by periods of reliance on welfare for the past
two years. During this uncertain time, River participated in a series of employment counselling sessions, each lasting
an hour. These sessions were a turning point for River, as they represented the first time someone genuinely asked
them what River wanted to do with their life. Previously, River had always been told to “just get a job” without anyone
considering their passions or dreams.
A key motivating factor emerged through these sessions: River’s dream of running a northern outfitting lodge. This
vision ignited a spark within River, fueling their desire to pursue a career aligned with their love for the outdoors. River
envisioned a future where they could be self-employed, running their own business. River dreamed of owning a large
business enterprise that offered one-stop shopping for outdoor enthusiasts. Their enterprise would include fishing,
fishing ponds, motels, and outfitting gear and supplies.
However, River knew that there was much to learn to turn this dream into reality. River needed to understand the
intricacies of running a business, so they began by researching who provided outdoor services in the region. River

River’s Story: Turning Dreams into Reality | 115

recognized the importance of developing a mentor relationship with an expert and set out to find one. River also took
the initiative to interview local fishermen to understand their needs and preferences.
To build job-seeking skills, River attended a Job Find Club. This step proved to be invaluable. Through the club,
River secured work with an outfitting company, gaining firsthand experience in the field they were passionate about.
Moreover, River found an outdoor guide who became a mentor, meeting with them every Saturday. This mentorship
provided River with practical knowledge and guidance, further solidifying the path toward achieving their dream.
Motivated by their goal, River accomplished many milestones. River’s dedication and hard work transformed their life,
setting them on a path to eventually realizing their vision of owning a successful outfitting lodge. Through persistence,
learning, and the support of mentors, River was well on their way to turning a passion for the outdoors into a thriving
business.

116 | River’s Story: Turning Dreams into Reality

Introduction
Embarking on a career journey is a multifaceted endeavour that goes beyond merely identifying one’s aspirations. While
understanding what one wants to achieve is crucial, the path to reaching those goals can be complex and challenging.
Over the years, through my career counselling sessions, I’ve found that individuals frequently grapple with the question,
“How do I get from here to there?” This query underscores the need for a structured approach to career development.
This chapter is designed to serve as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to transform their long-term career
visions into practical, actionable plans. At the heart of this process is the concept of goal specification. It’s not enough
to have a broad idea of where you want to go; you need to articulate your goals with precision. This means setting clear,
specific objectives that can guide your efforts and provide a roadmap for your journey.
One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through the SMART goal framework. SMART goals are Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By writing goals that meet these criteria, you ensure that your
aspirations are not just dreams but tangible targets you can work toward.
Breaking down long-term goals into short-term, manageable steps is another critical strategy. This approach allows
you to make steady progress and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of your ambitions. Each small step brings
you closer to your ultimate objective, making the journey more manageable and less daunting.
Additionally, practical learning experiences play a vital role in career development. Engaging in internships, volunteer
work, or part-time jobs related to your field of interest can provide invaluable insights and skills directly applicable to
your career goals. These experiences enhance your resume and build confidence and competence in your chosen field.
Finally, navigating career transitions requires a set of diverse skills. Adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning
are essential as you move from one phase of your career to another. Developing these transition skills ensures you can
handle changes and challenges gracefully and emerge stronger on the other side.
Transforming long-term career visions into actionable plans involves a combination of clear goal specification,
practical learning experiences, and the development of transition skills. By following the steps outlined in this chapter,
career counsellors can help clients chart a course from where they are to where they want to be with confidence and
clarity.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to

1. Understand the five steps in Magnusson’s process of preparation.

2. Describe the process of formulating clear goal statements and action plans.

Introduction | 117
5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation

Credit: Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

In the opening story, we read about River, a 24-year-old with a deep love for the outdoors whose life was marked by
periods of welfare dependency. River began attending employment counselling sessions, which became a turning point
in their life. These sessions helped River identify their passion for running a northern outfitting lodge, igniting a desire
to turn this dream into reality.
To achieve their goal, River embarked on a comprehensive learning process. They researched local outdoor service
providers, developed mentor relationships, interviewed local fishermen, and attended a Job Find Club. River secured
work with an outfitting company through these efforts and gained valuable experience. River’s dedication and hard
work, supported by mentors, set them on a path toward owning a successful outfitting lodge.
Embarking on a career journey requires more than just identifying aspirations. It involves a structured approach to
career development, transforming long-term visions into practical plans. This chapter serves as a guide, emphasizing
the importance of goal specification, practical learning experiences, and developing transition skills.
Magnusson (1992) identified five elements in the process of preparation:

1. Goal specification
2. Identification of the action steps needed to reach goals
3. Contingency planning to deal with challenges
4. Seeking commitment to goal attainment
5. Developing career access skills

Goal Specification

In the process of Exploration, the career coach worked with clients to identify a vision (dream), long-term goals, and

118 | 5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation

needed activities. During the career coach’s preparatory work with clients, it’s important to review the client’s long-term
goals. These long-term goals then need to be divided into short-term goals with a series of action steps that enable goal
attainment.
Short-term goals are concerned with the immediate actions that will be taken to reach a longer-term goal. If a
client has a longer-term goal, e.g., to become a Marine Engine Mechanic, a short-term goal could be to complete
a pre-employment college program and seek employment in the marine engine trades. If the person wants to open
their own business, the short-term goal may include enrolling in an entrepreneurship program and exploring business
opportunities. The development of short-term goals is essential to help the client understand how the goal or immediate
action fits into their longer-term goal. This helps to build commitment to take action to move forward.

Identification of the Action Steps Needed to Reach Goals

In the process of exploration, career coaches work with clients to identify “Needed Activities.” These are the critical
actions that need to take place before the career transition can occur. These needed activities can be turned into
short-term goals. Each goal will have action steps that can be implemented. Examples of needed activities that can be
developed into goal statements are:

• Conduct informational interviews in fields like public relations, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and social
work.
• Explore work roles in youth care and identify the required educational pathways.
• Join Toastmasters to improve public speaking skills.
• Register for training subsidies and search for part-time banking/bookkeeping jobs.
• Research and develop a __________ business.

Contingency Planning to Deal With Challenges

There may be obstacles that block the way to goal achievement. An important consideration is to think about goals that
one has already achieved in their life. Was there a time in your life when a task or goal appeared unreachable, but you
achieved it? What personal resources or capabilities have you developed or relied upon to attain your goals?
Physical, conditional, or psychological obstacles can block goals. These obstacles must be overcome to reach the goal.
Each type of obstacle can be a real barrier to goal achievement. It makes no difference whether the barrier is tangible
or psychological. It is still real. It is therefore important to:

• Identify the obstacle that prevents the achievement of the goal.

• Plan a way to overcome the obstacle.

Physical Obstacles

Physical obstacles typically create access problems. For example, you may need to create a quiet space in your home to
study. The course you need to take could be offered in another city and involve commuting to access it.
To overcome these barriers, you will need to look creatively at what you can do to remove them. In the example

5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation | 119

about studying, it could involve changing the physical layout of your home. It may also involve something larger, such as
considering distance education courses or virtual classes.

Conditional Obstacles

Conditional obstacles may involve issues where current conditions exist that can impede your progress toward your
goal. For example, you may have visitors coming to your home or renovations being made that will affect your use of
space. You may need to consider alternatives such as studying at the public library or other similar spaces.

Psychological Obstacles

Psychological obstacles are those that exist within one’s mind. They can be self-confidence issues that block
advancement toward the goal. One must believe that the goal can be achieved. If there is doubt about the possibility of
achieving the goal, a psychological barrier is created.
Psychological obstacles are no less intimidating than the more tangible barriers. They are sometimes more difficult to
overcome because they create misconceptions.

Seeking Commitment for Goal Attainment

One part of the goal-setting and action-planning process is to seek commitment from clients. Typically, at this stage of
the process, ensuring commitment is not difficult as the client has been responsible for developing the plan based on
things that are important to them. They’re typically excited to move forward and implement the plan.
Sometimes, individuals have difficulty believing they can implement the plan; they may have a negative self-concept
or have been victimized by challenging barriers for so long that they may not be confident that a change is possible. This
type of resistance is generally expressed as “that would be great, but… .” However, in my experience, most individuals
who have been exposed to a complete career exploration process are so excited by the potential of their plan that they
are willing to take risks and try new things.
The process of guiding the individual through their career exploration typically generates helpful outcomes. The first
is that the client has increased self-confidence and confidence in their ability to make changes and go after new goals.
There is the perception that they have more capability, care more about themselves, believe more in themselves, and
see their environment as one in which they can affect change.
Although the client may be very committed to developing and implementing the plan, it’s also helpful to formalize
that commitment period. This can be done by simply writing a contract and identifying the key goals and action plan. A
signature from both the client and the career coach can help to make sure that there is commitment and that there is
support to go forward.

Developing Career Access Skills

To realize goals and develop an effective action plan, the client must develop the necessary skills for implementation.

120 | 5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation

These are called career access skills because they open the doors to the client’s future. When career transitions fail, it’s
because clients do not have the necessary transition skills to make the change.
There are two types of assessment needed at this point. The first is which skills are needed to affect the transition
being planned. The second is an assessment of the client’s current level of functioning with respect to those skills.
Typically, at this point, the coach has been able to assess these needs from the process of initiation and exploration.
The types of skills that will be needed to reflect the change will vary from client to client. Examples of common
transition skills are job search skills, job maintenance skills, academic skills, financial planning skills, social interaction
and personal skills, and social adjustment skills.

Job Search Skills

Job search skills are perhaps the most common form of career access skill required by clients. Once an individual has
identified the role they seek, what is the best way to gain access to that role? The typical job search access skills that
individuals need to learn include networking, identification of accomplishments statements, creation of resumes, cover
letters, and LinkedIn profiles, and how to conduct oneself during employment interviews. These skills are critical for
clients to make an effective transition.

Job Maintenance Skills

Clients who have limited or no work experience or may be unfamiliar with the attitudes and behaviours required to
maintain employment may require extra support to ensure that they can succeed in their new jobs. People are rarely
dismissed from their jobs for their lack of technical skills. The primary reason for a person to be dismissed is the lack
of the interpersonal skills required by the job. Examples of these critical skills are communicating with coworkers,
following instructions, receiving feedback or criticism, punctuality, and demonstrating initiative.

Academic/Study Skills

The pursuit of further education is a common goal in individual career plans. Developing the skills to ensure success
in an academic environment may be necessary. To succeed in education, clients may need to develop skills in time
management, study techniques, and balancing competing priorities. Developing these skills before entering an
educational program eases the transition.

Financial Planning Skills

An integral component of any career transition plan is the financial planning period. Individuals must learn how to tie
resources together and work within budget constraints. Financial planning skills will support clients on their career
transition path.

5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation | 121

Social Interaction and Personal Skills

There is an essential core of social and personal skills that an individual must possess to be successful in their
careers. Individuals entering the workforce may need to develop basic hygiene skills or develop their interpersonal
communication skills. Additional personal skills involve the ability to cope with anger, learning to be more assertive,
learning to manage stress and anxiety, or overcoming substance abuse. Career coaches need to ensure that the current
transition plan for the client addresses these issues before or during the transition.

Social Adjustment Skills

Career transitions may involve adapting to new environments. Individuals may move to take on a new job, or they
may move to enter into a post-secondary educational program. These transitions involve adaptation skills. Clients need
to learn how to adapt and thrive in new environments. On-boarding systems need to be provided by employers and
educational organizations to facilitate successful entry into the job and the workplace. Advance planning can assist
clients in ensuring this transition takes place more easily.
It is important to note that the types of needs identified here are not necessarily ones that the career coach would
focus on while working with the client. The career coach may not possess the expertise to handle some of these areas.
Therefore, they should be making a referral to an external source. This is the point in the career coaching process where
the coach’s awareness of community resources is key. Referrals to supporting organizations and professionals can be an
important component of a true transition plan.

122 | 5.1: The Five Steps in the Process of Preparation

5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans

Credit: Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

Setting and achieving career goals is a fundamental aspect of professional development. Writing out goals serves as a
crucial first step in this process. When individuals articulate their goals clearly, it provides a tangible target to strive for,
helping to focus efforts and resources effectively. Written goals act as a roadmap, offering direction and clarity, making
it easier to track progress and stay motivated.
Furthermore, creating action plans is essential for translating these written goals into reality. Action plans break down
long-term objectives into manageable steps, outlining specific tasks and timelines to achieve each goal. This approach
clarifies the path forward and helps identify potential challenges and resources needed along the way. By mapping out
the steps, individuals can systematically work toward their career aspirations, ensuring that each milestone achieved
brings them closer to their ultimate objectives.

Writing Goal Statements

Writing a well-defined goal is the foundation for goal achievement. Using the “SMART” method ensures all the essential
elements of well-defined goals are included in each goal statement. The SMART goal statement is:

5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans | 123

 • S: Specific
• M: Measurable and Meaningful
• A: Action-oriented and Achievable
• R: Realistic and Responsible
• T: Timed and Toward What You Want

Let us take a closer look at the necessary components of a SMART goal.

Specific

A specific goal is a detailed, particular or focused goal. A goal is specific when everyone knows exactly what will be
achieved and accomplished. A simple goal is easier to understand and involves spelling out the details of the goal in
simple terms.
For example, “Get better grades in my course” is simple but vague. “Study my course assignments for one hour each
weekday” is more specific and simpler.
Imagine your goal as specifically as you can. Ask: Who, where, what, when, how… specifically!

Measurable and Meaningful

Measurable goals are quantifiable and provide the evidence to show you that you have achieved your goal. A measurable
goal provides a means of comparison that indicates when the goal is reached.
For example, words like “better” or “faster” are not quantifiable. “Improve my course grades by 10%” provides a clear
measure for a goal.
Goals need to be meaningful to you! How does having the goal fit with who you are and who you want to become? Is
the goal in alignment with your values? Ask yourself: “Is this goal an expression of who I really want to be?”
For example, achieving 80% in your course may provide you with a sense of pride and value in the things you are
learning.

Action-oriented and Achievable

Action-oriented goals indicate an activity or performance. You are doing something that produces results. Action verbs
describe the type of activity that you are performing. Examples of action verbs are listed in Table 5.1:

124 | 5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans

 Table 5.1: Examples of Action Verbs.

Verb (A–E) Verb (F–O) Verb (P–Z)

Activate Forecast Purchase

Add Formulate Provide

Answer Gain Produce

Appraise Implement Prioritize

Authorize Improve Plan

Change Increase Quantify

Correct Invest Qualify

Create Investigate Research

Classify Learn Review

Complete Leverage Revise

Determine Make Restrict

Document Monitor Reduce

Develop Match Select

Define Negotiate Secure

Expand Organize Support

Evaluate Obtain Transform

Establish Operate Volunteer

Achievable goals are self-maintained; the achievement of the goal is up to you alone. Many aspects of life are dependent
upon other aspects. Your goal should speak to things that you have control over.
If it is part of a larger team’s goal strategies, then the other members of your team need to have goals that support
the overall strategy. However, you need to be able to execute your goal. It is essential that you can say, “I can do it!” Ask
yourself: “What will I do to reach this goal?”

Realistic and Responsible

Realistic goals are practical and possible. Realistic goals are a balance between what is hard and what is easy to achieve.
They require a “stretch” that reaches beyond what is easily achieved and establishes a more challenging goal. That little
bit extra in performance makes people progress and improve. “Stretching” creates the necessary balance between the
effort required to achieve the goal and the probability of success.
For example, do you have the learning resources to increase your grade by 10%? You may require access to tutoring
or additional resources. What will be required for you to reach this goal?
Responsible goals ask us to check the consequences of achieving our goals relative to our lives and relationships. This
is best accomplished by setting goals in all areas of your life at the same time! Consider your overall life goals and your
long-term career and personal goals. Be sure to consider what you want to achieve regarding work, learning, family,
relationships, health, etc.

5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans | 125

 For example, your learning goal to improve your course grade by 10% needs to be in harmony with your work, family
and health values and goals. Otherwise, your goals in one or more of these areas may need to be sacrificed in order for
you to achieve your learning goal.
Ask yourself: “Who (what) else does this goal affect?”

Timed and Toward What You Want

Timed goals mean that they are scheduled. There is a finite duration to your effort, a deadline. People generally put off
doing things if no deadline is set because human nature always finds something else to do along the way.
For example, “by the end of June” is more specific than “toward the end of June.” However, the most precise statement
is on June 30.
“Toward what you want” is the final consideration in designing a goal. The human psyche will pursue internal mental
images, whether negative or positive. You will have more energy and motivation if you move toward something you want
rather than away from something you don’t. Write down what you want. Ask: “What would I rather have? What do I
want?”

An Example of a SMART Goal

For example, if your personal desire is: “I would like to learn a foreign language so that I can travel to different parts of
the world and experience new cultures.” A possible goal statement would be:

“Learn the French language with sufficient fluency so that I can carry on a complete conversation with a French
teacher by June 30 at a cost of no more than $200.”

Writing a SMART goal is a very important part of the client’s goal achievement as it lays the foundation for goal
development and implementation.

Learn how to set SMART goals by watching this video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=157#oembed-1

Source: MindToolsVideos. (2018, June 18). How to set SMART goals. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/
OXA6gfzFA24?si=tvIo_7cIE64ts96U

126 | 5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans

Identification of the Action Steps Needed to Reach Goals

The final task of the goal-setting process is to create an action plan. The plan details the activities and actions necessary
to accomplish the goal. An action plan organizes your thoughts into steps that you can take to move forward. The
purpose of the action plan is to provide order and organization to the details required to reach each goal. The action
planning worksheets shown here are designed to help you create a road map for goal accomplishment. Employment
coaches often help clients fill out action planning worksheets that give them insights into the immediate steps needed
to achieve their goals.

Examples of Goal Setting and Action Planning Worksheets

River was asked to fill out a goal-setting worksheet during the employment counselling sessions. This exercise was eye-
opening for River. Writing down their goal provided River with a tangible target. The next step was to break the goal
into smaller, manageable tasks using the action-planning worksheets. With the help of their employment coach, River
identified specific steps they needed to take to achieve their dream. River listed tasks such as learning more about
running a business, researching local outfitting services, developing a mentor relationship with an expert, interviewing
fishermen to understand their needs, and acquiring skills in business management.
By mapping out these steps, River could see a clear path forward. The worksheets helped River to prioritize their
actions and set realistic timelines for each task. The goal-setting and action-planning worksheets kept River focused
and motivated throughout this journey. Each completed task brought River one step closer to their dream. The process
also helped them identify potential challenges and find solutions proactively. River’s story is a testament to the power of
clear goal-setting and detailed action planning in achieving one’s aspirations. Let’s assume that River has identified the
following SMART goal:
SMART Goal Statement: I will have had 25 face-to-face career network meetings by July 1.
Tables 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 map out the tasks that River must accomplish to attain their SMART goal.
Major Task #1: Develop a personal brand statement and proof stories (stories demonstrating the client’s capabilities and
strengths by highlighting their accomplishments).

Table 5.2: First Task—Steps and Timelines to Achieve SMART Goals.

Step Description Estimated Time Completion Date Outcome

1. Write stories Identify significant events and write seven stories. 1 hr Apr 5
Done

2. Assess skills and create Share stories, identify skills, and group skills into five groups.
2 hrs Apr 10
five core skill group Name the skill groups.
Done

3. Develop two stories for Follow proof format, write and practice two accomplishment
2 hrs Apr 15
each skill group or proof stories for each area.
In progress

4. Create a personal brand Use stories to create a short brand statement that serves as
1 hr Apr 20
statement a quick introduction to your skills. Practice in the mirror.
In progress

Major Task #2: Update Resume and LinkedIn profile

5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans | 127

 Table 5.3: Second Task—Steps and Timelines to Achieve SMART Goals.

Step Description Estimated Time Completion Date Outcome

1. Prepare background Gather all dates for employment and education, edit
2 hrs May 1
info accomplishment statements from stories.

Choose an approach, write a draft for review, get feedback

2. Write a draft resume 4 hrs May 3
and rewrite.

3. Update your LinkedIn Transfer resume info to LinkedIn. Invite the people I know to
3 hrs May 7
profile. become contacts.

Major Task #3: Organize information for my contacts, set dates, and meet people!

Table 5.4: Third Task—Steps and Timelines to Achieve SMART Goals.

Step Description Estimated Time Completion Date

Review Google, Outlook and phone contacts. Pick an app to organize them
1. Pick a system 2 hrs May 9
all.

Review contacts, write notes on how I know them, choose 15 people to start
2. Choose contacts 3 hrs May 11
with, build new contacts from meetings.

3. Write contacts
Write a script, e-mail contacts and ask for a meeting. Records dates, times
2+ hrs June 1
and locations.

4. Meet contacts Prepare questions, ask for leads, meet. 2 hrs June 1

5. Follow-up Write thank you notes. 1 hr June 30

For outcomes, River must specify if they have been completed, cancelled, or brought forward. They must also indicate if
the outcomes are in progress.
Download the Goal Setting and Action Planning Sheet and use it with your students.

128 | 5.2: Establishing Clear Goals and Action Plans

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

5.1: The Five Steps in the Career Preparation Process

1. Goal Specification:

◦ Articulate clear objectives using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Time-bound).
◦ Break down long-term goals into short-term, manageable steps.

2. Identification of Action Steps:

◦ Define critical actions needed for career transitions.

◦ Develop short-term goals and action plans to achieve them.

3. Contingency Planning:

◦ Identify and make a plan to overcome physical, conditional, and psychological obstacles.

4. Seeking Commitment:

◦ Ensure commitment by formalizing plans and securing client buy-in.

5. Developing Career Access Skills:

◦ Assess and develop necessary skills for implementing goals, such as job search, job maintenance,
academic, financial planning, social interaction, and social adjustment skills.

5.2 Establishing Goals and Action Plans:

• Clear goal statements are crucial for goal achievement. The SMART method ensures goals are specific,
measurable, meaningful, action-oriented, achievable, realistic, responsible, and timed. Developing
detailed action plans helps organize the steps needed to reach each goal, providing a roadmap for career
success.

Chapter Review | 129

 Learning Activity and Reflection

Meet with a learning partner from your class. Guide each other in the setting of a goal and action plan.
Identify a career development need and write a SMART Goal for this need. Use the goal-setting and action
planning worksheet to create a detailed action plan to meet the goal.

130 | Chapter Review

References
Magnusson, K. (1992). Career counselling techniques. Life Role Development Group.

References | 131
132 | References
PART VI
CHAPTER 6: DECISION MAKING

Chapter 6: Decision Making | 133

134 | Chapter 6: Decision Making
Robin’s Story: An Emerging Path

Credit: Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Robin stared at the bedroom ceiling, their mind swirling with possibilities. At 17, Robin stood at the crossroads of the
future, unsure of which direction to take. Post-secondary school applications loomed, and everyone kept asking, “What
do you want to do?” Robin felt lost and frustrated!
The truth was, Robin didn’t know. They only had vague ideas. They enjoyed writing but also loved working with
animals. Sometimes, Robin dreamed of travelling the world as a journalist. Other times, they imagined themselves as a
veterinarian.
As the weeks passed, Robin found themselves paying attention to things that resonated. They’d clip articles about
wildlife conservation and save links to travel blogs. When the English teacher praised their essay, it felt significant. When
Robin volunteered at the local animal shelter, they took mental notes of how the staff interacted with the animals.
One day, Robin’s friend Maya suggested that they attend a career fair at the community center. Robin agreed, hoping
it might provide some clarity.
At the fair, Robin gravitated toward booths that aligned with their interests. They collected brochures about
journalism programs and veterinary schools but also gravitated to a booth about environmental science.
“Have you ever considered combining your interests?” the representative asked, noticing Robin’s collection of
materials.
Robin blinked, a new understanding forming in their mind. “You mean, like… writing about animals and nature?”

Robin’s Story: An Emerging Path | 135

 The representative nodded, explaining various career paths that blended environmental science, journalism, and
animal welfare. As Robin listened, they felt a spark of excitement. This new information fit perfectly with their existing
interests, creating a clearer picture of a potential future.
Over the next few months, Robin’s career decision began to emerge. They researched programs in environmental
journalism, joined the school newspaper, and started a blog about local wildlife. Each new experience and piece of
information Robin gathered confirmed their growing interest in this field.
When it came time to fill out applications, Robin gravitated toward schools with strong environmental science and
journalism programs. Robin’s personal essay flowed easily, weaving together their passion for writing, animals, and
nature conservation.
As they hit ‘submit’ on the final application, Robin realized their decision hadn’t been a single moment of clarity but
a gradual process of discovery. Robin’s vague ideas had slowly sharpened into a clear vision, guided by the information
and experiences they’d collected along the way.
Robin knew their path might still evolve, but they felt confident in the direction they were heading. Robin’s decision
had emerged naturally, a result of exploring interests, gathering information, and allowing their understanding of
themselves and their potential career to develop over time.
As they closed the laptop, Robin smiled. The ceiling they’d stared at months ago, full of uncertainty, now seemed like
a canvas of possibility. Their future was taking shape, one small decision at a time.

136 | Robin’s Story: An Emerging Path

Introduction
Navigating career choices can be daunting, filled with twists and turns. This chapter offers strategies to help individuals
make informed decisions about their future careers.
Career decision-making often starts with uncertainty and exploration. As shared in the opening story, Robin’s journey
illustrates this well. At 17, they faced a crossroads with no clear direction. Through experiences and self-reflection, Robin
discovered a passion for environmental journalism, combining their interests in writing, animals, and nature. Robin’s
story underscores the importance of exploring various interests and being open to new opportunities.
In this chapter, we will learn about the different decision-making theories that provide frameworks for understanding
and improving this process.
Scott and Bruce’s Decision-Making Styles Theory identifies five styles: rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, and
spontaneous. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your clients’ styles can empower you to help
your clients adapt and make better decisions.
Tiedeman and O’Hara’s theory for career decision-making views career development as a dynamic, lifelong process.
It divides the process into two phases: anticipation and implementation. This perspective encourages the client to view
each decision as a step in their broader career and life development, integrating new information and experiences as we
progress.
Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model highlights how career decisions develop gradually and stresses the
importance of the initial meaning system that individuals use to interpret new information. This model also emphasizes
the need for creativity in the career planning process.
This chapter will delve into these theories and models, providing practical advice on applying them to real-world
situations. The aim is to help clients make informed, personalized career choices that align with their passions, values,
and aspirations.
Understanding decision-making principles and recognizing the factors influencing career choices helps the career
coach guide clients’ decisions more confidently and clearly.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to

1. Explain the five styles in Scott and Bruce’s Decision-Making Styles Theory.
2. Understand the two phases of Tiedeman and O’Hara’s theory for career decision-making.
3. Describe Magnusson’s Emergent Decision-Making Model.
4. Identify other practical considerations in the decision-making process.

Introduction | 137
6.1: Decision-Making Styles Theory

Credit: Photo by Jens Lelie from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

Scott and Bruce’s Decision-Making Styles Theory says people use different styles when making decisions. Each style has
its strengths and weaknesses. Understanding your clients’ styles can help them adapt and make better decisions.
According to this theory, there are five main styles: rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous (Scott &
Bruce, 1995). Here are the main characteristics of each style:

1. Rational Style:

• Uses logic and structure.

• Gathers detailed information and carefully evaluates options.
• Makes decisions based on thorough analysis, often using lists and facts.

2. Intuitive Style:

• Relies on gut feelings and instincts.

• Makes quick decisions based on a general sense of the situation.
• Trusts intuition and may find it hard to explain their choices.

138 | 6.1: Decision-Making Styles Theory

3. Dependent Style:

• Seeks advice and guidance from others.

• Lacks confidence in their own judgment.
• Consults with others before making decisions.

4. Avoidant Style:

• Postpones or avoids making decisions.

• Procrastinates and delays important choices.
• May shift decision-making responsibility to others.

5. Spontaneous Style:

• Makes quick, impulsive decisions.

• Acts on immediate thoughts or feelings.
• Values speed over careful consideration.

In our opening story, we see that Robin used a rational style to make their decision. They explored the different career
options that allowed them to combine their diverse interests before settling on the schools and programs they wanted
to apply to.
People often use different styles depending on the situation. The pressure of time, the relative importance of
the decision, and personal preferences influence the style used. Understanding these styles is helpful in career
development. Individuals can adapt their decision-making style to suit different situations.
Whether one leans toward a rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, or spontaneous style, understanding one’s
predispositions can help one adapt their approach to different situations. This awareness allows one to leverage their
strengths and address potential weaknesses, ultimately leading to more informed and confident decisions.
Scott and Bruce’s theory highlights that no single style is best for all situations. The effectiveness of a style depends
on the situation, the nature of the decision, and individual skills and experiences. By understanding and using different
styles, people can improve their decision-making.

6.1: Decision-Making Styles Theory | 139

6.2: Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and
Integration Model

Credit: Photo by Javier Allegue Barros from Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License.

Tiedeman and O’Hara (1963) and Miller-Tiedeman and Tiedeman (1990) attempted to describe the stages involved in the
career decision-making process. They developed a theory for career decision-making, viewing career development as
a continuous process of making distinctions and bringing them together. Their model suggests that career decision-
making happens in two main phases: anticipation and implementation. The career decision-making process can be
viewed as one of differentiation (separating experiences) and integration (structuring experiences into a whole).
The main characteristics of the two phases are as follows:
Anticipation Phase:

1. Exploration: The person investigates various career options and gathers information about possible paths.
2. Crystallization: As they gather more information, preferences start to form, and options become clearer.
3. Choice: The person picks a specific career direction or option.
4. Clarification: The chosen option is further examined and refined.

Implementation Phase:

140 | 6.2: Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and Integration Model

 1. Induction: The person enters the chosen field and starts to learn the basics.
2. Reformation: With experience, the person might seek to change parts of their role or environment.
3. Integration: The person fully assimilates into their career and workplace.

We met Robin while they were in the anticipation phase. They explored different career options. Gradually, these options
crystallized into preferences, which allowed Robin to choose a career path and examine it closely to obtain further
clarity. Once they had selected their course of study, Robin was ready to embark on the implementation phase of the
career decision-making process.
Tiedeman and O’Hara believed that career development is deeply connected to overall life development. Their
theory’s key idea is that differentiation (identifying various career aspects such as values and skills) and integration
(combining these elements into a holistic understanding of self and career) are natural and normal career decision-
making processes.
The model emphasizes that career decision-making is ongoing throughout life. As people get new information and
experiences and face challenges, they might go through the anticipation and implementation phases multiple times.
The decision-making process in this model is seen as both rational and intuitive. While people gather and analyze
information logically, they also rely on personal insights, feelings, and values to guide their choices.
A crucial part of the theory is the view of individuals as active agents in their career development. Rather than seeing
career choice as determined by external factors, this model empowers people to shape their career paths through
ongoing decision-making and adjustment.
The theory also considers the impact of external factors like societal expectations, economic conditions, and
technological changes on career decisions. However, it suggests that individuals can navigate these influences through
conscious decision-making processes.
In practice, this theory suggests that career professionals should help individuals develop decision-making skills, self-
awareness, and the ability to integrate different life aspects into their career choices. It encourages a holistic approach
to career development, considering both personal and professional factors.

First-hand Experience

In my work with clients, I have found that the process of creating self-portraits perfectly aligns with this
decision-making model. Through our meetings, we can differentiate the client’s needs in what Tiedeman and
O’Hara call the anticipation phase. While creating the self-portrait, we identify values, beliefs, interests, visions,
goals, activities, skills, knowledge, etc. This is in essence the process of differentiation that clients naturally
gravitate toward in the anticipation phase.

Then, as they start going out and doing research into the world of work, they begin a process of integration,
which allows them to move all this information into a coherent and holistic framework that helps them to
understand who they are and what career path makes the most sense for them.

Overall, Tiedeman and O’Hara’s theory offers a comprehensive framework for understanding career development as a
dynamic, lifelong process of differentiation and integration closely tied to an individual’s overall personal growth and
cognitive development.

6.2: Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and Integration Model | 141

6.3: Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model

Credit: Photo by Alex Green from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

In my years of career practice with individuals, I have found that the decision-making process happens gradually over
time. As the client learns more about themselves and the opportunities in the world of work, their decision emerges
slowly. In Tiedeman’s and O’Hara’s terms, the client’s decision followed once crystallization occurred.
Magnussen (1992) talks about “emergent decisions,” which is the process where people make sense of their career
choices over time. This decision-making happens whether someone uses logical thinking or goes with their gut feeling.
At first, a person’s career decision is just a vague idea, something hard to define. We’ll call this vague idea a “template.”
As people get new information, they compare it to this template and see if it helps clarify their career picture. If the
information doesn’t help, they either ignore it or save it for later because it doesn’t fit what they have in mind.
When people start thinking about careers, some might have a few of these templates and gather new information for
each one. Others might focus on just one template, ignoring other options. As they explore, people pick and choose
information that fits their idea of what they want. This growing picture feels right to them, and it’s hard to change once
they have it set.
We met Robin when they were uncertain about their career choices. They had several options in their mind. Through a
process of exploration, Robin found a way to integrate these options, and a unique career path crystallized and emerged
for them.
Magnussen maintains that the idea of emergent decisions has important implications for a career intervention.

142 | 6.3: Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model

 First, if clients interpret new information using a specific framework, it’s crucial to understand what they find
meaningful at the start of the career guidance process. This meaning system is their framework. By being mindful of this
system, clients can better navigate the influx of information and experiences, refining their career path as they go. By
the same token, by focusing on this system, career professionals can better assist clients in making sense of their options
and identifying meaningful career paths. Career professionals also need to ensure that the career planning process itself
is meaningful. This way, they can help clients find more options and make sense of new information.
The second key point is that the most effort should be put in at the beginning of the process, focusing on the
client’s meaning system. This requires creativity from the career professional. They need to identify the client’s meaning
system and find ways to respond to it. Using storytelling and self-portraits can help discover these meaning systems.
Focusing on their meaning system with challenging clients, like inmates or homeless youth, helps start the career
discovery process. Once engaged, clients usually adapt their strategies to meet their needs and social expectations. For
mainstream clients, this process is easier but still effective.
Third, the process should be seen as a flexible sequence of steps. Initiation, exploration, and other aspects may happen
simultaneously, varying in intensity and focus. It’s common to shift focus between them, such as moving from initiation
to setting goals.
Lastly, it’s important to distinguish between undecided and indecisive clients. Undecided clients may just need more
information and support with decision-making. Indecisive clients, however, struggle to make decisions no matter how
much information they have and often need formal counselling or therapy. In these cases, referring them to a mental
health professional is best.

6.3: Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model | 143

6.4: Practical Considerations in the Decision-making
Process

Credit: Photo by Julia Volk from Pexels, used under the Pexels License.

Career decision-making is a journey, not a destination. Throughout this chapter, we’ve explored various frameworks
and theories illuminating this process’s complex and dynamic nature. By understanding these concepts, you can guide
individuals in navigating their career paths and making decisions that align with their passions, values, and goals.
One of the key takeaways from this chapter is the importance of self-awareness in career decision-making. Robin’s
story at the beginning highlighted how paying attention to your interests and experiences can lead to greater clarity.
Their gradual realization of a passion for environmental journalism underscores that career decisions often emerge over
time, influenced by personal insights and external opportunities.
As you reflect on the theories and models discussed in this chapter, consider how they apply to your own career
journey and that of your clients. Recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to career decision-making.
Instead, use these frameworks as tools to help clients understand their unique preferences, strengths, and aspirations.
By doing so, they can make more intentional and informed decisions that align with their long-term goals.
It is also important to acknowledge that various external factors, such as societal expectations, economic conditions,
and technological advancements, influence career decision-making. While these factors can present challenges, they

144 | 6.4: Practical Considerations in the Decision-making Process

also offer opportunities for growth and adaptation. By staying informed and proactive, clients can navigate these
influences and make realistic and fulfilling decisions.
Remember that a career path is a journey; each decision is a step toward building a fulfilling and successful future.
Encourage those you serve to embrace the process, stay open to new experiences, and trust that their unique
combination of skills, interests, and values will guide them toward the right career path.

Watch Dave Redekopp’s insightful video on career decision-making to get a sense of how everyday
decisions impact our career choices.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view them
online here: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=180#oembed-1

Source: TEDx Talks. (2015, November 5). Every Decision is a Career Decision |Dave Redekopp|
TEDxWestVancouverED [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/T8NLqDlhwig?si=udAh0ng-yTuZn8gP

6.4: Practical Considerations in the Decision-making Process | 145

Chapter Review

Key Concepts

Scott and Bruce’s Decision-Making Styles Theory

• Scott and Bruce’s Decision-Making Styles Theory provided a valuable framework for recognizing the
different ways by which individuals approach decisions. Whether one leans towards a rational, intuitive,
dependent, avoidant, or spontaneous style, understanding one’s natural tendencies can help one adapt
their approach to different situations. This awareness allows one to leverage their strengths and address
potential weaknesses, ultimately leading to more informed and confident decisions.

Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and Integration Model

• Tiedeman and O’Hara’s Differentiation and Integration Model further emphasized the dynamic and
continuous nature of career development. By breaking down the process into anticipation and
implementation phases, their model illustrates how career decisions are not isolated events but part of an
ongoing journey. The anticipation phase involves exploring options, crystallizing preferences, making
choices, and clarifying them. The implementation phase includes entering the field, reforming one’s role,
and integrating into the career. This theory emphasizes that career decisions are ongoing and evolve with
new information and experiences.

Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model

• Magnussen’s Emergent Decision-Making Model added another layer of understanding by focusing on

how career decisions develop gradually. The concept of emergent decisions highlights the importance of
the initial meaning system you use to interpret new information. By being mindful of this system, clients
can better navigate the influx of information and experiences, refining their career path as they go. This
model also underscores the need for creativity and flexibility in career planning, ensuring you remain
open to new possibilities and adjustments.

Practical Considerations

• Career decision-making is a multifaceted process that requires self-awareness, flexibility, and

continuous learning. Understanding the different theories and models lets you approach career decisions
more confidently and clearly.

146 | Chapter Review

Reflection Activities: Decision-Making Style Assessment

1. This activity aims to understand your natural decision-making style by reflecting on past decisions that
you’ve made. The decisions can be both big and small (e.g., choosing a school project topic or selecting
extracurricular activities).

Instructions:

◦ For each decision, identify which of Scott and Bruce’s five decision-making styles you used:
rational, intuitive, dependent, avoidant, or spontaneous.
◦ Analyze the outcomes of these decisions. Were you satisfied with them? Why or why not?
◦ Consider how your decision-making style might impact your career choices.
◦ Write a short reflection on which decision-making style(s) you tend to use and how you can
leverage or improve them in your career planning.

2. Creating Self-Portraits as a Decision-Making Model

Identify a peer or volunteer client. Guide them through the process of creating a self-portrait. As you
are going through this process, observe how Tiedeman and O’Hara’s model applies to the process you
are guiding them through.

Chapter Review | 147

References
Magnusson, K. (1992). Career counselling techniques. Life Role Development Group.
Miller-Tiedeman, A., and Tiedeman, D. V. (1990). Career decision making: An individualistic perspective. In D. Brown and
L. Brooks (Eds), Career choice and development. (2nd Ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Scott, S. G., & Bruce, R. A. (1995). Decision-making style: The development and assessment of a new measure. Educational
and Psychological Measurement, 55(5), 818-831.
Tiedeman, D. V., & O’Hara, R. P. (1963). Career development: Choice and adjustment. College Entrance Examination Board.

148 | References
Appendix: Resources for Users
This appendix includes links to student aids and resources. While chapter-specific resources have been included in the
relevant chapters, they are also provided here so students can access them easily.

Chapter-specific resources:

Section 3.3: Printable cards for the vocational card sort activity.

Section 4.2: A blank sheet to be used to develop the Self-Portrait with clients.

Section 5.2: A blank sheet to be used for goal-setting activities with clients.

General resources:

Dialogue cards with meanings and correct pronunciation. Students can use these resources for revision.

Values:

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online
here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=188#h5p-5

Transferable skills:

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online
here:
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/careercoaching/?p=188#h5p-6

Appendix: Resources for Users | 149

Glossary
action

The behaviours we engage in through which we seek to impose our will on the world.

action plan

A clear and concrete series of action steps to help clients achieve their goal.

activities

The tasks, moves or processes that the client has undertaken in the past, wants to undertake in the future, or needs
to undertake to achieve their outcomes.

acute trauma

A trauma caused by a singular incident, such as a natural disaster, accident, or acts of violence.

adaptations

The act of changing to fit in.

anticipation phase

The phase of Tiedeman and O'Hara's Differentiation and Integration Model where clients are exploring,
crystallizing, choosing and clarifying their career options.

aptitude assessments

A quantitative assessment used to ascertain a client's abilities and match their strengths to specific careers.

attending behaviour

Verbal statements and non-verbal gestures that encourage the client to continue talking.

avoidant style

A style of career decision-making that is marked by procrastination and attempts to shift decision-making
responsibility to others.

barriers

The things that get in the way of fulfilling values, beliefs, and interests.

beliefs

Ideas or worldviews that guide a person's actions.

brand statement

A statement that serves as a quick introduction to a client's capabilities and style of approach.

150 | Glossary
career access skills

Skills that clients need to transition to new careers.

career metaphors

Figures of speech that provide different perspectives through which to view career progression.

career paths

The ability to set multiple goals and develop multiple pathways to those goals.

chronic trauma

A trauma that is repeated and prolonged, resulting from situations such as domestic violence or abuse.

closed questions

Questions that the client can answer with a yes/no or a specific statement.

collectivistic culture

Societies that prioritize the group over the individual.

complex trauma

A trauma that encompasses multiple events, often of an interpersonal nature.

conditional obstacles

Current conditions that can impede a client's progress toward their goal.

cycles

The identifiable stages through which we pass in life.

decision-making

One of Kris Magnuson's career helping processes, it helps clients discern who they are and what opportunities are
available to them.

dependent style

A style of career decision-making that relies on advice and guidance from others.

differentiation

The process of distinguishing experiences and values from one another as clients explore career options and settle
into their chosen careers.

emotional safety

A feeling that your innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences are, and will be, honoured.

Glossary | 151
empathic relationship

An interpersonal connection characterized by a deep understanding and shared emotional resonance between
individuals.

enduring needs

Guiding elements in action planning that reflect a person's long-term wants.

exploration

One of Kris Magnuson's career helping processes. Exploration takes the process of initiation deeper, providing
greater insight.

fit

The extent to which there is a good match or not with the work we are doing.

helping interview

An interview with a person seeking help and the people providing that help.

historical trauma

A trauma experienced by a specific cultural, racial or ethnic group, often related to significant events that oppressed
a group of people.

implementation phase

The phase of Tiedeman and O'Hara's Differentiation and Integration Model where clients are learning the basics of
their chosen field, reforming part of themselves and assimilating into the workplace and career.

individualistic culture

Societies that prioritize the individual over the group.

inheritance

The predetermined outcomes passed onto us through our historical background and parents.

initiation

One of Kris Magnuson's career helping processes. It is the process of meeting with the client and finding a shared
space in which to proceed with the career development process.

integration

The process of bringing together expertise and experiences as clients explore career options and settle into their
chosen careers.

interest measures

A quantitative assessment used to determine the client's interests by presenting them with scenario-based
questions.

152 | Glossary
interests

The things that a person enjoys.

intuitive style

A style of career decision-making that relies on gut feelings and instincts based on a general sense of the situation.

journey

The way in which we understand our career as a movement through time and space.

meaningfulness

The first column of the Self-Portrait that identifies the client's values, beliefs, interests, and barriers.

measures of values

A quantitative assessment used to determine the client's values and match them to suitable careers.

microaggressions

Deliberate or inadvertent verbal, behavioural, or environmental insults directed toward people belonging to
different ethnicities, genders, or faiths.

microskills

The specific techniques and interventions that are used to interact with clients and help them achieve their goals.

multigenerational trauma

Trauma experienced by one generation that continues to have an effect on the generations that follow.

open questions

Questions that invite the client to respond with additional information.

outcomes

The things an individual wants to achieve or accomplish in life.

paraphrasing

A statement that condenses session content. Typically less than a summary, although it may include relevant
content, affect, and meaning.

physical obstacles

Barriers that typically create physical access problems.

preparation

One of Kris Magnuson's career helping processes, it allows individuals to prepare themselves to be ready to build
the skills they need to move forward with their choices.

Glossary | 153
proof stories

Stories demonstrating the client’s capabilities and strengths by highlighting their accomplishments.

psychological obstacles

Barriers that exist within one’s mind.

qualitative assessment

A process where the career professional asks questions and observes to assist clients in uncovering their potential
career pathways.

quantitative assessments

The use of standardized tests to assess things such as career interests or aptitudes.

rational style

A style of career decision-making that is logical and structured and based on analysis of facts and data.

reality statements

Perceived obstacles that prevent clients from achieving their aspirations

reflecting feelings

A brief statement connecting the client’s emotions to content from the session.

relationships

Interpersonal connections that arise from our interactions with others and through our social networks.

resources

The view that individuals are inputs to serve the corporate purpose.

roles

That which we act out through the theatre of our lives.

scaling questions

Questions that ask clients to rate something on a numerical scale.

self-portrait

A career development process that facilitates self-assessment and career exploration by encouraging individuals to
engage in a comprehensive self-examination process.

skills

Competencies, knowledge and attitudes that enable clients to effectively carry out their activities.

spontaneous style

A style of career decision-making that is marked by quick, impulsive decisions.

154 | Glossary
stories

The narratives about our lives. What we tell ourselves and other people.

storytelling

The act of sharing narratives about ourselves with other people.

summarizing

A statement that reiterates more content than paraphrasing. Typically used at transition/ending points in the
counselling session.

template

In Magnussen's Theory of Emergent Decision, the ideas that a person has about what they want.

transferable

Skills learned in the past that can be applied to new activities in the future.

trauma

An event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally
harmful or threatening and that has lasting adverse effects. on the individual’s functioning and physical, social,
emotional, or spiritual well-being.

trauma-informed approach

A framework for understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of trauma in individuals.

trauma-informed communications

The belief that career development professionals must begin all their communications with an understanding that
anyone may have experienced trauma at some time in their lives and be prepared to support survivors of trauma.

trigger

Something that causes a strong emotional response, often without warning.

values

The things that are fundamentally important to a person and form the foundation of individual actions.

visioning exercises

Processes for helping a client identify something they want in their future.

Glossary | 155