Careers Advice and Mentoring
Why is it important to complete an initial assessment when you first see your clients?
It is important to complete an initial assessment with clients, as you get to know each other and build a rapport. You also establish a starting point and what is important to the client. You can also see what ‘obstacles’ the client is facing and help them to overcome them. The most important aspect of the initial assessment is to discover a client’s aims and ambitions and how you can help them
How will diagnostic assessing support you to identify the career-related outcomes for your client?
Diagnostic assessing help establish a starting point. It also helps discover what type of learner a client is. For example, are they a Visual learner (YouTube, PowerPoint and Canva); and Audio learner (podcasts, audiobooks, music); Kinaesthetic learner (learning through movement, doing tasks) or are they a Retrospective learner; (learning through reading and reflecting on what they have already learnt? Typically, you are all a mixture of at least two, if not three, learning styles. The best results often come from understanding this approach and matching tasks and support to the client, in order to maximise goals and progress.
What is a goal and why is it important to establish your client’s goals?
A goal is a series of targets that when written down can be broken down and achieved with commitment, action, and consistency.
Which decision-making tools do you use when supporting your client when agreeing to an action plan?
My preferred decision-making tools are either Rodgers person fit assessment (Create relationship, Establish aims, Gather information, Identify direction/goals, Give information to client, Summarise progress and Clarify goals for next meeting.
Why is it important to identify both long-term and short-term goals?
It is important to have both long-term and short-term goals as long term goals are the ‘bigger picture and take longer to come together. Having short-term goals are often easier to achieve and make us feel like you are getting towards our longer-term aim and therefore motivates us to continue consistently showing up and acting on our goals
What is SMART targeting?
SMART Targeting is: –
S – When thinking of a goal be Specific. You want to achieve what? By when? For example, how many sales by when?
M – When thinking of your goal/target, how Measurable is it? How will you know when you have achieved it?
A – Is your target Achievable? What action is required by whom, how and when?
R – How realistic is your target? Do you have enough time/resources available to you?
T – What is the Timeframe? A timeframe is what you want to have achieved by when?
How does this support you in including your client in planning their career-related goals?
This supports my client/s having a clear, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goal/s on paper to work towards. A plan being visible and worked towards every day makes it far more likely to be achieved. As a result of this your career related goals will be achieved much quicker and more effectively.
What is an action plan?
An action plan is a written method of goals and targets which you work on every day in order to succeed.
Explain what should be included in an action plan
There are many ways to write and action plan, but the things that should be included are:
What is your goal/s?
Why are they so important to you?
How are these goals going to be achieved?
Who is on your team to support you? Who is responsible for What tasks/actions?
Where is the action taking place? For example, online, face-to-face or both?
How do you include the client in agreeing on an action plan?
When a client is included in action plan from the beginning; they have ownership of the plan and as a result are far more likely to agree to it and stick to the actions. Before agreeing to anything both the client and the careers adviser should read the document and check if both parties agree to the plan. If not, things should be changed read again and then signed if everyone is happy. This process should continue until an agreement is reached on both sides and then the document can be signed
What other methods do you use to agree on career guidance options with your client?
A verbal agreement can be used or a text message. Something in writing is always better.
What other ways do you include your clients in the planning of career guidance and development options?
You could develop a group contract with a school or a business or a pictorial contract where young people can add to adapt and sign off.
Why is it important to follow the steps discussed in this task to ensure clients have clearly defined outcomes?
It is important to follow the steps discussed in your action plan so that you can clearly track the progress being made towards a bigger plan. Being able to visualise the progress you are making seem to make it happen faster!
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