Where do career development practitioners work?
Career development practitioners work in a range of settings including: schools, TAFEs, universities, business organisations, government agencies and private practice.
What do career development practitioners do?
Career development practitioners may work with individuals or small groups. Some of the services they provide include:
- Career counselling and guidance
- Career education
- Job placement
- Employment services
- Recruitment
- Career coaching
- Training
- Mentoring
- Resume preparation
- Career planning
- Administering and interpreting vocational tests
- Teaching job hunting strategies
- Coordinating work experience or internships.
When looking for a career development practitioner you should ask about:
- the way they work;
- the assessment tools they use;
- their qualifications and experience;
- specialised skills and knowledge;
- their costs;
- how many sessions might be required;
- if they are a registered professional with The Australian Centre for Career Education (ACCE) or;
- if they are registered with the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA), which is the national peak industry body for career practitioners in Australia.
Either as a personal exercise, or in preparation for meeting with a career practitioner consider the following questions:
- What is important to you?
- What do you value?
- What do you want outside of work?
- What are your special talents and skills?
- What type of work roles interest you?
- Which employers and organisations need what?
- Which employers and organisations need what you can offer?
Most practitioners charge a fee per session, however some use a sliding scale which means they offer lesser fees to people on lower incomes. Some also offer a 'package' with a number of sessions which may include a specific set of activities.
How do I locate a Career Practitioner?
You can locate a career practitioner by contacting the ACCE on 9433 8000 during business hours; or contact CICA at: http://www.cica.org.au
