A Career Counseling Framework for Incoming and New Career Professionals

Editor's Notes

• #2: Jessie welcomes everyone to the presentation and announces the title. BRIEF INTRO’s: (stay on this slide!)Jessie introduces presentation, her title…my co presenter is joining us via internet and I’ll let her introduce herself.Hello, my name is Kaitlin, sorry I couldn't be there, I am a Career Counselor and the Social Media Coordinator for our Career Center.Goes back to Jessie to introduce Stephanie as a ‘COLLEAGUE’ and Stephanie says a few things about herself.
• #3: JC:Overview of today’s presentationPresentation styleThe word student is interchangeable with clients and other populations you may work with in this room
• #4: Intro’s continued:Goes back to Jessie first then KaitlinJC -to give you a little more background about us I have - years of experience -education -why we like the 4 circles: work with interns and new career counseling professionalsKLGroup Sharing- raise of handsNotice- different education paths lead to career counselingThis framework works no matter your background
• #5: KL Located Downtown Denver along with two other colleges. Share the Auraria Campus with the Community College or Denver and Metropolitan State University making us one of a few tri institutional campuses in the US. Uniquely located in downtown Denver, giving our students, faculty and staff access to Denver’s thriving downtown including businesses, culture and public transportation. Providing unparalleled internship, career and networking opportunities. Our student population is diverse in age, culture, socioeconomic status and more. Commuter student population primarily, so our students don’t tend to live on campus and are likely to have some work experience already. As of Fall 2012 CU Denver had a total of 14,271 students; which breaks down to 68% undergraduate, 32% graduate, 8% international. 34% of our undergraduates are students of color and 36% of our undergraduates are first-generation to college. Of our 81,000 alumni, 74% remain in CO contributing to our states highly educated workforce. JCStatistics (i.e. how many students we saw last year)Focus on in-person interactions, also connect with students through website and social media, the #’s exclude presentations3 Staff seeing appts: 2 FT Professional, 1 PT Graduate StudentAssess Appts: 423Search Appts: 484Knock Appts: 85QTs: 644TOTAL: 1636CRM comments supporting four circlesCustomer Relationship Management System (CRM Results)Satisfaction rating of appts combining very satisfied and satisfied: fluctuates betwe4en 93-99% CRM Comments about 4 circles technique: what are two things you learned from you appt with your career advisor (NEXT SLIDE)
• #6: JC-“I learned I should do what you love. This found through interpret blending/overlay of interests, skills, values, and personality to figure out what I love to do.”-“I learned that a successful career comes from a mixture of interest, skills, values, and personality. I learned that choosing a career should fit what I want out of life.”We want to help students figure out who they are before choosing a major or deciding on a career direction.PAUSEPrep audience for upcoming slide***** go back to your very first career counseling appointment with a student with a student. How did you feel?
• #7: JCHave you ever felt like this in an appointment? Now knowing where to go?Not knowing what to do next? Or questioning, how can I really help this person?
• #8: *****click for animation (points come in while KL is talking)KL: This questioning of yourself and feelings of anxiety or being lost in an appointment are common when counseling especially during your first year. I can empathize strongly with needing a framework to guide my work with uncertain students, especially as a new career counselor last year. (example)The 4 circles technique looks at the whole student and really challenges them to know themselvesBy providing aframework that helps you help the student assess their personality, interests, skills and values and then challenging them to put the pieces together by identifying the overlap between these different aspects of who they are, with your guidance and support of course! The overlap which we also refer to as themes and patterns can be used to help the student brainstorm careers and majors that represent their unique career identity. When you make career choices around these overlapping themes, you will have a better chance of career success. ​With that in mind we, as counselors, need to stay in the exploratory phase with our students for as long as they need us too because it’s pertinent that they understand themselves to make satisfying career decisions throughout their life. The 4 circles activity represents a snapshot of where a student is in that particular moment and builds the foundation for them to continue to think of themselves in a bigger picture way throughout their lives. The 4 circles technique provides opportunities for both the student and counselor Builds confidencePuts you and student at easeFocuses on their dialogue - Relieves pressure on student and counselor to have answers- Provides opportunities to focus the conversation around your studentsneed to explore themselves as it relates to career developmentAs a career counselor entering my second year, I know that working with undecided populations has its challenges(Career Counselors Role) The most important thing to remember is that you are not a problem solver in your role and the four circles technique is an excellent way to support both the counselor and client in exploring options, rather than solving problems. To reiterate, you don’t have to know the answers, your job is to funnel the students story, ask challenging questions, paraphrase, and reflect their words. You aren’t telling the student anything, but instead providing opportunities for them to recognize themes and patterns that can lead to more direction and self awareness.
• #9: JCexplains circles one by one. Highlighting that the counselor is inviting the client to do this activity and: -Takes the pressure off-Focusing on what you do knowBrainstorming and not worrying about having an answer Personality: Positive onlyInterests: what motivates you? Cooking example: different example of what is it about cooking?Skills: DON’T talk about SQValuesHighlight similarities, give example: overlap interests: soccer- teamwork, competition, working together skills: working together, leadership, teams
• #10: JCexplains circles one by one. Highlighting that the counselor is inviting the client to do this activity and: -Takes the pressure off-Focusing on what you do knowBrainstorming and not worrying about having an answer Personality: Positive onlyInterests: what motivates you? Cooking example: different example of what is it about cooking?Skills: DON’T talk about SQValuesHighlight similarities, give example: overlap interests: soccer- teamwork, competition, working together skills: working together, leadership, teams
• #11: JCexplains circles one by one. Highlighting that the counselor is inviting the client to do this activity and: -Takes the pressure off-Focusing on what you do knowBrainstorming and not worrying about having an answer Personality: Positive onlyInterests: what motivates you? Cooking example: different example of what is it about cooking?Skills: DON’T talk about SQValuesHighlight similarities, give example: overlap interests: soccer- teamwork, competition, working together skills: working together, leadership, teams
• #12: JCexplains circles one by one. Highlighting that the counselor is inviting the client to do this activity and: -Takes the pressure off-Focusing on what you do knowBrainstorming and not worrying about having an answer Personality: Positive onlyInterests: what motivates you? Cooking example: different example of what is it about cooking?Skills: DON’T talk about SQValuesHighlight similarities, give example: overlap interests: soccer- teamwork, competition, working together skills: working together, leadership, teams
• #13: JCexplains circles one by one. Highlighting that the counselor is inviting the client to do this activity and: -Takes the pressure off-Focusing on what you do knowBrainstorming and not worrying about having an answer Personality: Positive onlyInterests: what motivates you? Cooking example: different example of what is it about cooking?Skills: DON’T talk about SQValuesHighlight similarities, give example: overlap interests: soccer- teamwork, competition, working together skills: working together, leadership, teams
• #14: KAITLIN: Ask questions & show curiosity about who they are. Dig deeper…such as what do you like about cooking, gather more info while also keeping the student focused on circlesIF they define a skill as communication, ask them how that looks for them or to give an example of a time they used communication recently. If your client doesn’t know, that’s okay, don’t freak out. Help reframe the conversation by asking them what others know about them. Leading into the “I don’t know client” who may say I don’t know to any and all of these questions.
• #16: JC: what brings you in today?Audience participation: PAUSE- what did you hear that indicates that this 4 circles technique will work?VALUES- what is freedom to you? =autonomyOnce done w/ 4 circles:- PAUSE: audience participationwhat are you noticing as overlap?
• #17: Now ask KL what she notices as overlap.If you have time at the end of the appt: have student brainstormWhat careers/majors do you see where you could get helping, people, and learning?This is where you brainstorm
• #18: Total 15 minutes:7 minutes in groups8 minutes sharing with entire audience
• #19: JCTie it all together! Summarizing and concludingWe talked about a 4 circles framework to be used in appointments when you’re feeling stuck.Want this to be useful and tangible when you go back to your work environmentProviding a handout with a framework of questionsAlong with your handout, your getting a card where you can give us your expertise! We would love to hear your top three questions, leave in the middle of the table. We can compile all the questions and email to anyone that’s interested*SHARE HANDOUT
• #20: KL