1. Monday, November 16, 2009 Career ManagementCareer Management Courses Now Available! Do you like to take charge of your own self-development and career? Do you want to know how to identify and develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities you need to achieve your career goals? Are you interested in advancing your career with government?Employee survey results continue to tell us that career development is important to employees at all levels of the organization. They want career development supports that are flexible enough to meet their individual development needs and professional goals. In response to this feedback and applying much of what we learned from the Leadership Continuity Program, the Public Service Commission has launched additional support in the area of career management. See below for further details. Take charge of your career! The decision around how we spend our working life is critically important. To manage your work/life effectively, you need to understand who you are, what options you have, and how you can get to where you want to go. You may not be able to control all the circumstances that impact upon your life, but you can influence the direction your life is going; and you can make decisions that are right for you. Managing your career is not a one-time event, it is a continuous cycle of personal development. As goals are reached, new goals are established and development continues in a new direction. There are several steps in this process, as illustrated below. Career Management CycleManaging your career is a process that is very self-driven: it is up to you to determine your career goals and to plan for their achievement. To support employees in managing their careers through each of the steps in this process, the Public Service Commission offers a series of training courses through the Corporate Training Calendar. These courses provide tools and resources which support potential and aspiring leaders at all levels throughout the Government of Nova Scotia to effectively manage their careers and help realize their career goals. The course offerings are designed to support employees at all different stages in the career management process: employees can choose whichever courses they require on an ‘as needed’ basis. The Career Management courses offered focus on each step of the career management cycle and promote career management and advancement through targeted development, as illustrated below. Career Management CoursesTo learn how to effectively manage your career, register online at LearnNet. Additional information on available Career Management courses is provided below. Career Management Courses Available Through Corporate Training CalendarCareer Management Step 1(a): Determine Where You Want To Go The first step in managing your career is knowing yourself, and an important part of this self-insight is knowing where you want to go in your career. Why do you pursue the work and the life you do? What activities are you drawn to? What keeps you engaged and energized? What gives you the greatest satisfactions and wanting to strive for excellence? These questions are at the heart of “knowing yourself.” In this module, you will begin to identify your life interests, personality traits, and values that in turn drive your passions. In this module you will identify the interests, values, and skills you already have and which allow you to contribute productively to your workplace. This will help you to see more clearly which competencies and life interests you want to continue to use in a work setting and those you may want to develop further. This self-reflection will guide you in determining career goals that are a good fit.Career Management Step 1 (b): Understand Your Worktype The first step in managing your career is knowing yourself, and a key piece of this self-insight is understanding your worktype. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI ) is an indispensable tool in understanding your strengths and how to leverage these when planning your career path. This half-day course explores the relationship between personality types and the workplace. It is designed to increase self-understanding and appreciation of personal differences in order to improve one-on-one interactions and career success.Career Management Step 2: Identify Your Strengths and Development Areas Through 360 Degree Feedback The second step in managing your career is identifying your strengths and areas of development. The Hay Group 360º Tool will enable you to receive input from your manager, peers, people you manage, and other colleagues on the leadership competencies deemed critical to the provincial public service. A survey tool is administered online which allows participating individuals and their nominated colleagues to complete feedback in a secure, confidential and user-friendly environment. You will then meet individually with your Human Resources Development Consultant to review and discuss your feedback report. Career Management Step 3: Make a Career Development PlanThe third step in managing your career is creating your own career development plan. Completing the plan will help you make the link between your career goals and the development that will help you move towards the achievement of your goals. Based on your past performance, strengths and career goals, you will prioritize your areas for development. You will then identify what types of opportunities will target your development areas and explore how to access these opportunities. You will also learn about the different available development resources. Career Management Step 4: Resume Writing and Interview SkillsFor many individuals, their career goal involves moving into a new position. Success in getting a job – externally or within government – is largely determined by gaining entry to the interview and then interviewing well. Good resumes are vital to getting an interview and strong interview skills are a must in selling the match between your qualifications and the job requirements. This workshop will provide you with the necessary skills to compete effectively for job opportunities. For Managers: Supporting Others in their Career Management: Basics of CoachingThis course examines effective coaching in the workplace. You’ll explore the different roles a coach may play: the coach as trainer, as mentor, and as counsellor. You’ll examine the criteria and conditions that must exist in order to engage an individual and establish a climate of trust and commitment so that coaching may take place. Build on the skills that you have in the areas of leadership and communication by exploring how to adapt coaching to meet the needs of individuals and manage the process. Career Management SkillsThe term 'Career Management Skills' refers to the skills required to find and secure employment and to proactively develop one's own career. Career Management Skills encompass:self awareness – in relation to interests, abilities, values, constraints opportunity awareness – knowing what career opportunities exist and what is required to pursue them career decision making skills transition learning – including skills required to source jobs, prepare applications and perform in interviews. We have developed a comprehensive suite of Career Management Skill modules for both online and in-person delivery within academic programs. Each module comes complete with learning objectives, lesson plans, and suggestions for where to insert the content in the curriculum. We can work with you to tailor content for specific programs, disciplines or industries.