Career Development Skills

There are many competencies which you need in order to plan for and respond to changes in the labour market.

Your education and training plans should also flow out of the career development strategies you use to support your plan for your future life/work. Educational opportunities are costly, and few can afford to use post-secondary education as a means of exploring career options. You will find your training more rewarding if you have made decisions based on a process which includes life/work building competencies.

When planning your career, you should be aware of the following three competencies:

1. Personal Management Competencies
2. Learning and Work Exploration
3. Life/Work Building

You should also be aware of the kinds of skills that you can develop within each one. These competencies are a summary of information presented in the Blueprint for Life/Work Designs.

The Canadian Blueprint started with the results of research and development undertaken for the U.S. National Career Development Guidelines. The Blueprint for Life/Work Designs is available through the National Life/Work Centre, Memramcook Institute.

It offers:

• A national framework for career development competencies
• A four-level developmental process with indicators at each level
• A foundation on which career practitioners can build programs
• A set of guidelines for the establishment and evaluation of career programs

It also includes a collection of appendices which include Sample Forms, Links to other Skills Frameworks, Portfolio Uses and Resources, and Career Resources.

The Blueprint document is available from the website above or it can be ordered by calling toll-free at 1-888-533-5683.

Building a positive feeling about yourself. This competency includes knowing your interests, strengths, personal qualities, skills, likes and dislikes, values, beliefs and attitudes. It also includes understanding how they contribute to the achievement of your goals and career decisions.

You should be able to adopt behaviours and attitudes that project a positive image of who you are, and talk with confidence about your skills, abilities, and interests and how they relate to your life/work decisions.

Interacting positively and effectively with others. Building positive relationships includes showing an ability to resolve conflicts, be open to the diversity of cultures and lifestyles, be willing to help others, and work effectively with and for others. This competency also includes expressing ideas, feelings and reactions in an appropriate manner so that you have positive relationships in your life and work.

Changing and growing throughout your life. You will discover that change and growth affect your mental and physical health. You should be aware of how stress affects your ability to communicate and work effectively, and develop strategies that help you deal with the stresses in your life.

Participating in lifelong learning that is supportive of your life/work goals. Lifelong learning is a concept that you can embrace so that you have a positive attitude to changes that come your way. You will need to explore the kinds of skills, knowledge and attitudes required in various work sectors that interest you. Know your own strengths and the areas where you need to improve. By knowing what you need to improve upon, you can learn what you need to help you meet your goals. Competency in lifelong learning includes being able to investigate community resources and identify appropriate educational opportunities.

Locating and effectively using life/work information. When you are skilled in this competency you will be able to research various work roles and industry sectors and discover how your particular interests, skills and knowledge relate to these work alternatives. You will be able to explore a variety of sources of work-related information, such as the Internet, television, newspapers and networks of people. You will be able to use LMI in the ways outlined previously to assist you in your life/work decisions.

Understanding the relationship between work and society or the economy. It is important to understand how work contributes to people's lifestyles and to the economy. Knowledge about the kind of contributions workers make to their communities, as well as the concept of the "global economy" and current trends is helpful in understanding where your life/work decisions ft into society. When you are aware of these concepts you will be able to more clearly understand why certain work and learning opportunities are currently available.

Securing/creating and maintaining work. Having the personal qualities that employers are looking for will help you be successful in obtaining work or in creating your own work opportunities. A set of transferable employability skills, attitudes and behaviours that you should be able to demonstrate are outlined in the occupation-specific skills section. In addition, you should be able to use the strategies of planning, networking and researching to help you find and keep satisfying and meaningful work.

Making decisions which enhance your life/work. When you are aware of decision-making and problem solving processes and how you can apply these strategies to your life/work plans, you will be able to see how your decisions affect you and others. You will become aware of how your personal beliefs and interests contribute to the decisions you make for your life/work.

Maintaining Balanced Life and Work Roles. Everyone has a variety of roles in life that are intertwined with family, work and leisure activities. Everyone also goes through several stages in life. Knowing how these various roles and stages affect the attainment of future goals and desired lifestyle is important. Being able to balance work, family and leisure activities requires strategies which can be learned and practiced.

Understanding the changing nature of life/work roles. Roles for men and women are changing in both life and work settings. When you investigate non-traditional life/work scenarios, be sure to examine gender bias and stereotyping, and become clear on the roles you want to play in your life/work. When you do this, you will engage in fulfilling life/work experiences.

Understanding, engaging in and managing one's own life/work building process. You need to understand the concepts of: change is constant, learning is an ongoing process, following your heart, goal setting, and creating strong relationships. In addition, you should begin to consider that every decision you make is a life/work decision, and that you can make short-term plans that will move you towards your preferred future.