Senior career professional about inclusion: I have always challenged inequality as I saw it 

Author: Margit Rammoo, Euroguidance Estonia

On June 11th – 13th Euroguidance Estonia organised a career conference in Tallinn which focused on inclusion. Participants explored how to support the career development of people with fewer opportunities. One of the keynote speakers was Jules Benton. Jules Benton is an experienced career professional, trainer of career practitioners and CEO of Cosmic Cactus. 

During her presentation, Benton talked about a framework for supporting learners with fewer opportunities. She looked at how to identify needs in the context of inclusion and how career guidance should be tailored to meet those needs.  

After the presentation, Benton gave a short interview to the Estonian Agency for Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps. She discussed the beginning of her journey as a career practitioner as well as the developments and challenges in inclusive career guidance. 

Seeking justice from a young age 

Benton says she has always had a strong sense of justice. “I have always challenged inequality as I saw it. Little things – why can't we play basketball when the boys do? Why is someone being picked on just because they are different to you?“ she said. 

“I initially did a law degree – thinking at that point that being a lawyer would be a route to pursuing justice and equality. I didn't find the legal system offered this – in fact it often mitigated against these outcomes” she continued. 

Benton remembers very well how her search for career alternatives led her to meet a young man who helped her find her calling. “Whilst investigating a range of alternative careers I volunteered. Working with one young man who was excluded from school, and at the time illiterate, I learnt from his perspective what exclusion does to people” she said. 

“And together we both took small steps. I spent time with him and his family, we learnt to trust one another, to be honest, to challenge one another. He swallowed his pride and let me teach him to read and write. We went to see the Head teacher at his old school – did a persuasive double act and got him back into school. Finally, I had found a passion I could turn into a career” she continued. 

Benton’s experience led to a situation where she had a passion to work with clients who were facing challenges related to inclusion. Benton also recognised that many of her colleagues did not feel very comfortable working with this target group. “They asked questions, I started to address those questions by delivering training. I just want to share with others what a difference we can make to people's experience of society, work, life” she explained. 

Moving towards a more inclusive society 

Benton said that during her professional life she has seen signs that we are moving towards a more inclusive society. “Our physical environment is slowly becoming more inclusive by design. And some education has become more inclusive” she mentioned. 

According to Benton, it is important to talk about inclusion since people often lack an understanding of the benefits of an inclusive society. People also constantly doubt their own ability to help others. “People are afraid of getting things wrong, not knowing enough, not being able to help. Unless we talk, ask questions, listen, and reflect, we will be stuck with those feelings and therefore be unable to offer support and guidance in an inclusive way” she said, emphasising the importance of informing people about inclusion. 

However, Benton added that career guidance as a profession still has some way to go. “We often take our cue from other professionals, such as medics, teachers, therapists, funders, who frequently work within a medical model of disability” she admitted.  

Regarding the future of inclusive career guidance, Benton hopes that specialists will gain more and more confidence to take the lead. “I would like to see Career Development Professionals take a lead - proactively develop an inclusive social model, challenge exclusion more, be more confident in our own expertise. Don't be afraid to ask, do things differently, make mistakes and learn from them, to listen, give time and space, be kind – to others and yourself. The conference in Tallinn was a great start!” 

Background information

Euroguidance Estonia, the National Resource Centre for Guidance, provides a range of services to guidance professionals in Estonia and across Europe. As a member of the Euroguidance Network, we aim to inspire innovation in lifelong guidance, support the competence development of the European guidance community, encourage internationalisation, and promote the value of learning mobility abroad. 

Euroguidance Estonia operates as part of the Estonian Agency for Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, within the Education and Youth Board – a government agency under the Ministry of Education and Research responsible for implementing Estonia’s education and youth policy. 

The seminar “Inclusive Career Guidance: Supporting Students with Special Needs”, held in Tallinn in June 2025, is part of a long-term collaboration. In 2024, the Erasmus+ National Agencies of Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and Serbia launched the transnational initiative "Enhancing Inclusion Through Guidance." As part of this three-year initiative, a series of international events will be organised to raise awareness of career guidance as a tool for social inclusion and to support the competence development of career practitioners working in the education sector.