PRACTICAL TOOLS

Identifying own strenghts and competences

Phase 2 of the guidance process:

The second phase is about identifying own strengths and competences, both personal and job related. It also provides an opportunity for reflecting on which competences one would like to improve.

Introduction and raising awareness

Phase 1 of the guidance process:

The first phase is about introducing and raising awareness. It focuses on finding motivation for continuing development through expoloring one's situation and working with personal factors.

Worklife guidance focuses on assisting the individual in managing the development of his/her career, covering both work and life aspects (career guidance). It is about assisting individuals identifying their strengths, working towards defined aims and providing motivation and support during that development.

The International Association of Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) has identified the following aims of guidance:

The aims of educational and vocational guidance are to assist adults and students in making their personal decisions about learning and work. This is achieved by helping people to:

understand and appreciate their skills and abilities
relate effectively with others
explore career alternatives
develop appropriate plans for educational and career management
promote better vocational qualifications at all levels
contribute to equal access for girls and women in education and work
integrate successfully in society and the labour market

ways to work with groups and individuals

Practical tools

IAEVG has also developed a competences profile for counsellors including the following core competences (see more details on www.iaevg.net):

ethical behavior and professional conduct;
advocacy and leadership in advancing clients learning, career development and personal concerns:
awareness and appreciation of client cultural differences;
awareness of their own capacity and limitations;
ability to design; implement and evaluate guidance and counselling programs;
familiarity with information on educationa, training, employment trends, labour market and social issues; and
communicate effectively with colleagues

Our careers are personal matters and worklife guidance deals with personal issues linked to work and life. Trust, confidentiality and ethics are therefore fundemental factors in the guidance delivered.

In the context of worklife guidance the aim is to provide an opportunity for the individual to explore how he/she can enhance his/her value and well being in the workplace. The providers of guidance services work closely with the employer towards identifying and developing competences of employees aiming at increasing satisfaction at work through matching of skills and tasks within the company. That in return can increase quality of the services and(or products delivered.

This chapter is divided into 3 phases, each focusing on different steps of the guidance process. When aiming at efficient results of competence development in the workplace, the whole process is organized and conducted. Each exercise can however also be used in various contexts at work. The exercises presented here should be seen as examples that can be adjusted to different situations.