Career Professionals of Canada News Feed

New Work-Life Coaching Program: A Transformative Experience

January 15, 2021 |

I recently had the experience of providing input to the curriculum that was designed by Career Professionals of Canada for their new Work-Life Coaching Program. As part of this initiative, I helped develop The Canadian Work-Life Strategist eGuide, a 200-plus page study guide along with the Certified Work-Life Strategist (CWS) designation. I was also fortunate enough to be a student participant in the pilot Work-Life Coaching course. I don’t really know how to describe the experience because it was unlike anything I’ve gone through before. What I do know that…

Supporting Clients in Achieving Their Goals

January 8, 2021 |

As each new year begins, our clients think about their goals and what they would like to achieve. They start out being optimistic and hopeful that they can achieve the success that they seek. Many of them have good intentions of getting a new job, changing careers, starting a business, improving their financial situation, volunteering more, or continuing their education, but as the weeks and months progress many will abandon their goals. Our clients look to us to support them in achieving their short-term and long-term career goals. As career professionals,…

The Power of Metaphor in Career Journeys

November 20, 2020 |

CERIC, the Canadian charitable organization dedicated to advancing education and research in career counselling and development, helps us to make sense of career development through the lens of a canoe metaphor. In their Guiding Principles of Career Development, CERIC explains how the canoe represents our career, stating: “We use it on our journey, we stock it with the tools we need, and we proactively steer it to our destination; sometimes we face rapids, and as conditions change, so might our course.” Personally, I’ve discovered that powerful revelations — “aha moments”…

Doing What We Do Best: Supporting Clients Through a Time of Uncertainty

November 13, 2020 |

The last seven months have presented an unprecedented period of uncertainty and disruption for all of us. As I work to support undergraduate students and recent alumni in their career development and job search, I have been amazed by the resilience demonstrated by many of these young people. Not everyone has found success during these times. Some have experienced rescinded job offers, while others have questioned their career direction. However, I have found that by employing some proven tactics while coaching students on navigating the job market in these unsettling…

Hidden Disabilities: Should Our Clients Dare to Declare?

October 23, 2020 |

Living with a hidden disability is challenging enough, but when we try to hide it from our workplace we only end up suffering in silence. October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), a good time to start some conversations and share our personal stories of living and working with hidden disabilities. Don’t “DIS” Our “ABILITY” The question often comes up with our clients about if and when they should self-declare a disability to an employer. Everyone’s circumstance is different but, at the core, we all share the same internal experience.…

Are You a Voice of Inspiration for Your Clients?

October 16, 2020 |

I was browsing through some good reads when I came across Voices of Inspiration: Real Life Wisdom for Living Your Best Life by Marlon Smith. The book is the third volume in the Success By Choice, Inc. series and was an Amazon #1 bestseller when it was published in 2015. What drew me to this book were the amazing stories of turnarounds and transformations experienced by people from around the world. The strategies used to overcome obstacles were truly inspired and inspiring. Serve as a Supportive Change Advocate for Your Clients…