Living the Creed: Why the Career Professional’s Creed Matters

-By Sharon Graham, Founder and Chair of Career Professionals of Canada.-

At Career Professionals of Canada, we stand together in our commitment to purposeful kindness, professional excellence, and ethical service. The Career Professional’s Creed is more than just a declaration. It is the living heart of our Code of Professional Conduct, expressed in plain, meaningful language.

It reflects who we are, what we value, and how we choose to show up in the world.

The Career Professional’s Creed

A Declaration of our Code of Professional Conduct in Real-World Language

“I am proud to be part of a helping profession. In all interactions with clients and colleagues, I demonstrate unwavering ethics, integrity, and purposeful kindness. I consistently act with professionalism, practicing only within the boundaries of my qualifications. I seek out opportunities to learn and grow because my clients deserve leading-edge support. I embrace the values of diversity and inclusion, showing respect to all clients as I ensure their unique needs are met and their dignity is maintained. The members of my community of practice are my strongest allies and collaborators. Collectively, we nurture trusting and effective relationships with the individuals we are privileged to serve.”

Why the Creed Exists

The Creed is our promise to uphold high standards in all our professional interactions. It’s grounded in our Statement of Intent, which expresses our vision to build a strong, credible, and ethical community of practice. At the heart of that intent is a belief that we can—and must—model integrity, compassion, and leadership in all we do.

When we embrace living the Creed, we:

• Protect our clients by providing ethical, competent, and inclusive support.
• Uphold our reputation as a trusted profession in the eyes of the public, employers, and industry partners.
• Strengthen each other by fostering a culture of shared learning, respect, and collaboration.
• Elevate the profession by demonstrating a consistent standard of excellence across Canada.

What’s at Stake If We Don’t

If we don’t follow the principles of the Creed, the consequences can be severe:

• Clients may be harmed by receiving inaccurate, outdated, or biased guidance.
• Trust can be broken between professionals, employers, and the public.
• The reputation of our profession can suffer, impacting all members of our community.
• Opportunities for collaboration and growth may be lost, weakening our collective impact.

As practitioners, we each play a role in modelling the future we want to see. Living the Creed ensures that every Canadian seeking career support is met with dignity, professionalism, and genuine care.

Show Your Commitment

We encourage CPC members to display the Creed proudly:

• On your website
• In your office or digital practice space
• In your résumé, bio, or LinkedIn profile
• Within team and client onboarding materials

It’s a clear and powerful way to show others what you stand for.

Learn more about our Code of Professional Conduct and how to embed its values into your work.

Let’s lead with integrity, serve with kindness, and grow together as a carincareerprocanada.ca/about/cpc-code-of-professional-conductg, ethical community of practice.