1.5: The Five Career-Helping Processes

How can you structure a conversation with clients to guide them through a career change? How do you start this session?

This section outlines a holistic approach to getting started with a client and guiding them through a career change. Kris Magnuson (1992, 1995) developed this method, which includes five career-helping processes:

1. Initiation
2. Exploration
3. Decision-making
4. Preparation
5. Implementation

1. Initiation

Initiation is the process of meeting with the client and finding a shared space in which to proceed with the career development process. It involves creating an empathic relationship with your client. Initiation refers to what takes place in your very first meeting with your client. It also refers to what happens in the first moments you meet that same individual in future sessions. The key to understanding effectiveness in helping conversations is to create a rapport with the individual. There must be a strong relationship, a working alliance. By creating this relationship, you can then engage in an effective process. A vital component of this initiation process is ensuring that the client understands the benefits of the process and how it will help them move forward.

2. Exploration

Exploration takes the process of initiation deeper, providing greater insight. It is the process of exploring strengths, talents, interests, values, or beliefs. It allows a creative process where we help individuals explore their world and the opportunities available. From here, the individual can explore potential career opportunities available to them in the world.

3. Decision-Making

Decision-making is a vital part of the overall process. This is because decision-making is core to the overall process. The whole process is in essence a decision-making process. The CDP is facilitating an approach to help clients discern who they are and what opportunities are available. Gathering or organizing the information, we’re establishing criteria for setting goals. We’re implementing action plans.  Everything we do in our encounter with the client involves a career decision-making process.

4. Preparation

Preparation is a process that allows individuals to prepare themselves to be ready to build the skills they need to move forward with their choices. Examples of preparation could be work search skills, such as developing a resume or LinkedIn profile. It could involve interview preparation skills. It may also include things like accessing transportation or childcare in preparation for work.

5. Implementation

Implementation is where we take all the outcomes of the process and act on them. The key is setting up a support system to help individuals advance their careers. Identify supports they have in their community network that will allow them to move forward. This is also a transition place where the individual may end their relationship with the CDP while they embed the career development process within their communities.

Intentionality

In conclusion, each of these processes is necessary to help facilitate a career transition. These processes are not linear sequences. They are more about the intentionality of your work. When I worked with Haven, we cycled back and forth through these processes. Overall, this approach will help the CDP to focus their conversation with their clients and enhance their career opportunities.

Attribution: The “Five Critical Career Counselling Processes” is a model developed by Kris Magnusson. This material is adapted with permission from the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. Contact the Life-Role Development Group Ltd. for more information: www.life-role.com.