Page 1 - euroguidance-insight-newsletter-2014-spring

In this issue:
May 2014

Interview with Phil Jarvis: • As professionals in career

“Effective networking is required to harmonize counselling, we should be
philosopher: A Czech sem-
the efforts of a whole community” inar links two disciplines in

Phil Jarvis is Director of Global Partnerships at Career Cruising an innovative way
where he supports communities, states and countries imple-
menting “whole-community” career and workforce develop- • ‘Diagnosis’ of competences
ment solutions. Career Cruising is Canada’s premier provider is an essential tool: Cross
of career exploration and planning resources used in over 75% Border Seminar in Warsaw,
of Canada’s secondary and post-secondary schools, libraries
and employment support centres, and in over 50,000 sites Poland
across the United States and around the world. As the author
of CHOICES in the late 1970’s, Phil was an early pioneer of com- • Show the way! –
puter-based career exploration and planning. He also co-au-
thored Canada’s Blueprint for Life/Work Designs, co-created European networks for
The Real Game Series, and has trained thousands of educators youth employment
and workforce development personnel across North America
and beyond. Programs that he authored or co-authored have
helped several million students and adults in 15 countries tran- • University Contact Point
sition from school or unemployment to success.”

What, from your point of view, are the benefits of unimagined doors of opportunity. And our last question, how did network-
networking for career guidance practitioners and or- In your paper you had at the conference in Bu- ing help you to be where you are now?
ganisations providing career counselling services? dapest in March 2000, you mentioned that “ca- Every success in my life, and some mistakes, were
I understand that career guidance practitioners reer and life choices, in an age of unprecedented the result of networking. That’s how I met the love
with heavy caseloads have little time to develop technological and economical change, with glob- of my life and was blessed with my family. On the
networks beyond their own organisation. At the al competition for both markets and productive professional side, in every project I have lead in the
same time, I believe it takes a community working capacity, presents greater challenges than ever past 30 years, career development leaders from
harmoniously to help its citizens discover their best before. Freedom of choice is limited by one´s every province and territory in Canada have been
possible career paths and employment opportu- knowledge of contemporary and emerging life/ involved. I truly believe that by bringing the best
nities. When the whole community collaborates, work alternatives, thus good information is es- people from across the country together to collab-
everyone benefits. Career guidance too often takes sential.” We have now moved even further, near- orate on project, instead of competing or working
place behind closed doors, invisible to much of the ly everybody is or can be on the net 24 hours a in a fragmented fashion, results “beyond the sum of
community. We need community planners, cham- day. New technologies provide us a new dimen- the parts” are produced. Indeed, the results in many
bers of commerce, workforce and economic devel- sion of networking, so how do you think career cases were so positive that other countries chose to
opment specialist, business leaders, parent groups, guidance should or could benefit from this boom? join the partnership. For example, 12 countries are
community agencies, service clubs, legislators and Since I made that presentation in Budapest, web- now part of The Real Game international partner-
policy-makers all understanding the vital role of, based applications for all ages, accessed through ship. I attribute my professional successes to net-
and enthusiastically supporting, career counselling mobile devices connected to global knowledge working with and engaging people smarter than me.
services for students and adults. Effective network- databases, have become ubiquitous. This includes
ing is required to harmonise the efforts of a whole guidance and career development applications. The interview was conducted by Len-
community. Here’s an example of a whole-com- Students and adult career seekers can now access ka Bekova and Stefan Grajcar, Euroguid-
munity collaboration in Rock County, Wisconsin. more comprehensive and accurate information ance Slovakia, and first published in the
How is networking advantageous for people than ever on learning, career, and lifestyle oppor- 2013/2 issue of the e-journal Career Guid-
trying to manage their careers? tunities. They can build and maintain comprehen-
“It’s not what you know but who you know.” This sive ePortfolios, and identify and explore more ance in Theory and Practice (in Slovak lan-
expression is popular in my world. Most people learning, career and employment opportunities guage www.saaic.sk/casopiskp.html), the
are where they are now not through deliberate than ever, anywhere in the world, using a hand- key topic of which was NETWORKING.
long-term research and strategic planning, but held device. What they can’t access is better infor-
through serendipity, happenstance, and chance mation about their authentic self and life purpose,
meetings. Good networking skills are an impor- and their story, past, present and future. Thus,
tant tool in a career manager’s toolkit. One never despite the technology, personal career coun-
knows when a chance encounter will open selling services may be more needed than ever.