Career Professionals of Canada News Feed
By Skye Berry-Burke. Back in 2008, I was searching for professional development opportunities. I wanted to learn new techniques to help clients gain confidence in themselves and their abilities so that they could re-enter the workforce. Professional Development Defined Wikipedia defines professional development as “learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative stage. There are a variety of approaches to professional development, including consultation, coaching, communities of practice, lesson study, mentoring,…
By Lise Stransky. Career service entrepreneurs have many things to consider when setting up their business. In addition to market research and brand management, they need to determine what to sell, how to sell, and how to deliver the services. How well you structure your service contract with your client can make or break your business. Why are contracts with clients important? In the first year of my business, I did not ask my clients to sign a contract. Some would ask me if they needed one, and I was always surprised…
By Karine Touloumjian. Successful businesses brand their products and services. We hear about this marketing strategy often; however, we don’t always know where to start when trying to conceive brand identity for our career service. According to the BusinessDictionary.com, branding is defined as “The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers’ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.” So what does this mean in actionable terms?…
By Skye Berry. Anyone who follows my work knows that I love to add a splash of creativity in my resume design services. So when my CPC Mastermind Group presented me with an opportunity to examine creativity and play within career services, I took it! Creativity, overall, has gained increasing value around the world. According to Mary Ann Hollingsworth, the creativity process in counselling includes encouraging clients to: Think differently or newly about important issues. Temporarily set emotions and fears aside when feeling stuck. Remove barriers to decision making or…
By Kerry Bell. As an independent career service provider, I rely on referrals. Every career service needs a strong network, especially those who work in small business. Business partners, colleagues, and friends send potential clients to me. Often, these are qualified prospects, but sometimes they are not. I recently received a referral from a friend of mine. The client and I went back and forth for some time. She booked a session with me and then cancelled. I sent her a text to re-schedule her appointment and never heard back…
By Lori Jazvac. When starting out, setting up your own career consulting or resume writing business can prove to be quite a challenge. As an entrepreneur, I provide services to clients through my virtual resume writing and career consulting practice. I would like to share with you some tips I have found useful in setting up my own business: Assess your background to determine your marketable skills, knowledge, and abilities. Identify your Unique Value Proposition. What skills demonstrate your strengths and which ones do you need to improve upon? What sets you apart from other…