Career Development Professional’s Survival Guide

Jules Benton has over 35 years’ experience working as a careers guidance professional, trainer and consultant. She specialises in careers guidance for individuals who are disabled, have learning support needs or experience other barriers to inclusion. Chris Targett is a dynamic and innovative careers adviser who received the CDI’s ‘UK Careers Adviser of the Year’ Award in 2021. His background in art and philosophy informs his creative approach, supporting young people, schools and colleagues across the guidance community.

• A big hello Alphabet soup - an abundance of abbreviations or acronyms Beginnings - things to consider when starting in a new role, a different setting or a new job Body Doubling - a technique where you work alongside another person, either physically or virtually, to enhance focus and motivation Continuous Professional Development - occupational and educational knowledge Communication - The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place ~George Bernard Shaw Complaints – don’t panic! Listen and learn Curiosity - Indulge your own curiosity by finding out how others workDecisions – what affects decision making Designing your day - some of the ways you can structure a day’s careers interactions Difficult Conversations - Careers work doesn’t really matter or isn’t important; You must do shorter career sessions; You need to fill up our 6th Form/College; There’s no point in “inclusive approaches”; You can’t have a room; Clients who say “I don’t know”  Disabled? – you have rights Disclosure and Barring – what the different kinds of checks are, and who needs them Emails – top tips for helping to ensure that emails don’t clog up your life Equality and equity – what they mean and why they matter Ethics - Ethical use of different social media and technology platforms; Unethical Practice; Agendafication Everyone has a right to Career Guidance – just saying! Find your Tribe – why we need our own circles of support Future gazing – what will happen next in the Careers Sphere? Going places – things to remember the first time you go to a setting Have a go! – how Chris and Jules got over their own anxieties and learnt to embrace things outside their comfort zones  Humour – when is a joke not a joke? Information sharing – what should we share, and how? Just One Thing – why doing ‘just one thing’ can be so powerful Kindness - ways of being, which we can consider to improve our lot Learning Styles – are they a myth? Looking after the planet – musings on sustainable practice Magic – why Terry Pratchett could have been writing about us Mistakes – what we’ve learnt from ours No such thing as a silly question – a bit about different kinds of questions and how they can be used Opportunities - activities which promote the development of self-awareness; various ways of researching opportunities Personalising Action Plans – what is the purpose of our action plans? Philosophy – a romp through some thinkers Play – why is it important? Quick or slow – how to slow down … or stop Realism – mental capacity and ‘unwise’ choices Reflection – how and why to reflect on your work Refreshments – the art and etiquette of food and drink Sick and Tired - is a change as good as a rest? Staying Safe – a few thoughts on how and why this is so important Social Media – for business, for/with clients, for ourselves and for CPD Transitions - techniques which support our clients to ‘move’ Unconditional Positive Regard – what to do when accepting and respecting others as they are gets hard Visibility - why should we make ourselves ‘seen’ What should I wear? – some personal musings on dress codes and appearance X-rated - Sometimes clients talk about inappropriate things! YET – the power of yet and growth mindset Zero Tolerance? - if a client is unaware they are doing something wrong [and it is not harmful, or an immediate threat] should we adopt a policy of zero-tolerance? Zenith - ‘the time at which something is most powerful or successful’ – what we might call Impact! Zone - ‘a region or area set off as distinct from surrounding or adjoining parts’.

“This book fills a much-needed gap in the tapestry of support that all new entrants to the profession need ... [and for] experienced professionals, it offers a helpful reminder of how to tackle a multitude of professional dilemmas ... As such, I have no hesitation in recommending it.” Dr Oliver Jenkin PGCE RCDP, NICEC Fellow. CDI Senior Professional Development and Standards Manager, and Editor of the CDI’s magazine, Career Matters