Tag: Career Development Specialist

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Mental Health In Career Development – Guidance for Career Development Practitioners

Understanding the Fundamentals of Mental Health in Career Development
Learn why it’s important as a Career Development Practitioner to understand the fundamentals of Mental Health and how you can meaningfully support your clients

In early 2017, one proposed as a then sitting member of the CDAA NSW Committee a webinar entitled Mental Health in Career Development.

Drawing on ones’ experiences and qualifications as a nationally registered Counsellor, as well as conducting extensive research with individuals with diagnosed mental health conditions in ones’ local region, together with research from various journals and articles one developed a comprehensive and meaningful webinar outlining: –

  • Mental Health in the Career Development Industry – A need to understand the fundamentals
  • What is a Mental Health Disorder or Illness
  • Top 3 Mental health Conditions in Australia including definitions, statistics, risk factors, signs and symptoms
  • Role of Stress
  • Our role as Career Development Practitioners – Best Practice
  • Impact of Mental Health Conditions on an individuals’ career – what to look out for
  • Tips and strategies from individuals with Mental Health Conditions
  • Mental Health Signs and symptoms forms for adults and minors
  • Resources and Referral Information

As a Career Development Practitioner, it is not our job to diagnose a client with a mental health condition, that is the role of the clients’ doctor, specialists and/or mental health practitioners.  However, as Career Development Practitioners we do have a duty of care to all clients to ensure that no additional harm is done to our clients whilst they are utilising our services; and to ensure that we act ethically with respect to the administration of psychometric instrumentation.

Thus, it is ones’ opinion that it is important for all individuals in the Career Development industry to understand the fundamentals of Mental Health in order to effectively facilitate our clients, identify signs and symptoms of Mental Health Conditions, to know when and how to refer clients to ensure due diligence is carried out and that career strategies engaged are effective, meaningful and ethical in accordance with the needs of the client, industry guidelines and regulations.

In fact, one would go so far as to state that tertiary providers should incorporate fundamental Mental Health modules into their Career Development courses to ensure that all graduating practitioners have a basic understanding prior to entering the workforce or commencing their own private practice.

Well Katherine, that’s a very interesting perspective but it doesn’t affect me or my organisation!

Well, one is here to challenge you and to say Think Again!

The Medical Journal of Australia (Aug 09), Mindframes and the Black Dog Institute identifies the Top 3 Mental Health Conditions in Australia to be:- Continue reading “Mental Health In Career Development – Guidance for Career Development Practitioners”

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Counselling Careers – Employment Opportunities and Trends

Earlier this year, one was approached by the Australia Counselling Association (ACA) to produce a range of employment related data for new and existing Counsellors focusing on Counselling trends and employment opportunities.

At the time one spent over 40 hours researching and compiling national employment trend and labour market statistics to produce responses to 15 questions and of ones own accord designed and presented a PowerPoint presentation to complement the QnA. The three slides in this PowerPoint presentation are outlined below for your reference:-

  • Employment Opportunities by AQF Level
  • Remuneration Scales by AQF Level
  • Where are the Jobs?
Counsellling Employment Opportunities by AQF Level
Employment Opportunities by AQF Level – Find out what direct and alternative employment, job, opportunities are available with your Australian qualification – Copyright – Blu Ripples Career Counselling and Consulting Services 2018
Counselling Remuneration Scales by AQF Level
Remuneration Scales by AQF Level – How much can I make in Counselling industry – find out from Diploma through to Doctorate level qualifications – Copyright – Blu Ripples Career Counselling and Consulting Services 2018
Where are the Jobs - Counselling Careers
Where are the Jobs – A quick reference guide to finding Counselling roles in the Australian Labour Market; Copyright – Blu Ripples Career Counselling and Consulting Services 2018

Together with responses to 15 written questions which would form the basis of a webinar-video interview where one was interviewed by the ACA Liaison Officer.

Whilst the above video interview and documentation was produced and received positive feedback from the ACA Liaison Officer one was recently told, that the ACA would not be using this research and data as they were now focusing on individuals seeking to establish private practice.

Given the vast amount of time, research and work that went into this project one perceives this to be a waste not to share this information with individuals seeking to explore a Career in Counselling and/or for new and existing Counsellors whom seek to establish their professional baselines and identify potential employment and growth opportunities within the counselling industry.

Employment and Labour Market Analysis

Upon reviewing the above you will note the first slide – Employment Opportunities by AQF Level highlights a range of direct and indirect pathways for individuals with either: –

  • Diploma
  • Bachelor
  • Post Graduate
  • Masters; or
  • Doctorate

level qualification.

Whilst ideally most graduates would like to work in the industry as an employee or private practitioner there are no guarantees that this will occur and thus one has included examples of occupations (jobs) with a direct or alternate pathway based on academic learnings and key transferable skills.  For example, a common alternate pathway for counselling and psychology graduate is Human Resources as there are a number of roles that you can apply your skills to including Organisational Development, Learning and Development, Recruitment and Selection just to name a few.  Thus, if you are struggling to find a “Counselling” position utilise this slide and think outside the square a little and consider alternatives.

Finally, with respect to this slide and the Remuneration Scales by AQF Level for those of you who are unsure as to the definition of AQF it refers to the Australian Qualification Framework.  The AQF commences at Level 1 – Certificate 1 and advances systematically to a Level 10 – Doctorate qualification.

For additional information pertaining to AQF Levels please click here

Counselling Questions and Answers – Exploring Counselling as a Profession

For those who would be interested to read the 15 questions one responded to with respect to the ACA’s questions pertaining to employment trends.  Please click on the link below: –

Exploring Counselling as a Profession

Please note additional information was provided in a 30-minute video when the ACA Industry Liaison Officer interviewed Katherine earlier this year, however permission for the ACA to utilise this video has now been withdrawn by the author.

In closing, if you are: –

  • Considering a career in Counselling
  • A new or experienced Counsellor seeking career development guidance; and/or
  • Seeking a specialist Career Counselling or development referral for your client or employee
  • Are seeking employment opportunities, trend and remuneration information in an alternative industry or occupation; and/or
  • Would like a copy of the aforementioned PowerPoint slides e-mailed to you

please do not hesitate to contact the Katherine on 1300 300 557 or alternatively via info@bluripples.com.au

About the Author: – Katherine is the Founder of Blu Ripples a specialist Career Counselling and Consulting practice located in Port Stephens NSW.  Katherine is a nationally registered Career Development Specialist and Counsellor; is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia, Member of the Australian Counselling Association of Australia and Australian Association for Psychological Type. Katherine has worked in private practice since 2003 and prior to that worked in the corporate sector for a period of 12 years predominantly in Human Resources and Administration.

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Career Counselling – Coping with Employment Termination and Redundancy

According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) media release dated 19 April 2018, the national labour force participation rate is at an all time high of 65.7% which means that more individuals aged 15 to 64 years are working now more than ever before.

Whilst the above is good news for our economy there is also the flip side of employment and the world of work.  That is, the need to address underemployment, retrenchments and terminations and the associated impact of same.

In the most recent ABS – Labour Market Statistics Report (July 2014) it was noted that 2 million individuals ceased their job in the 12 months to Feb 2013.  Of those 2 million individuals, 19% or 381,000 were retrenched or made redundant.

Thus, over the course of your career life cycle it is inevitable that at some point in your career you will experience this transitional period.  In fact, many clients have reported that they have experienced this period 2, 3, 4 or more times over the course of their career.

Thus, whilst you may perceive redundancy and/or termination to be taboo, embarrassing, humiliating or a hush hush topic in fact Continue reading “Career Counselling – Coping with Employment Termination and Redundancy”

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Career Development Professionals – Sorting the Chaff from the Wheat

Career Development is a large umbrella or net that draws together a myriad of Career Services occupations and brands them together in one category with the purposes of facilitating and empowering a client in the exploration, development and management of their career over the course of their career life cycle.

WHAT OCCUPATIONS FALL UNDER CAREER DEVELOPMENT ?

There are a multitude of Career Service occupations that fall under the Career Development banner including: –

  • Career Advisor
  • Career Coach
  • Career Consultant
  • Career Counsellor
  • Career Development Expert
  • Career Development Practitioner
  • Career Guidance Officer
  • Career Management Consultant
  • Employment Counsellor
  • Guidance Officer
  • Job Developer
  • Placement Co-ordinator
  • Vocational Counsellor
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor
  • Work Experience Co-ordinator

As illustrated above, there are many occupations that fall under the umbrella of Career Development; which in ones’ opinion can potentially cause clients a great deal of stress trying to determine who is the appropriate service provider for me.

SOURCING CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS

Continue reading “Career Development Professionals – Sorting the Chaff from the Wheat”