Career ContinuumTM

Career Exploration

Young adults are often asked “What career do you want to follow?”.  For people who do not have a clear vocation this can be an almost impossible question to answer.  The range of career options today are fluid, dynamic and confusing.  It is often said that the jobs that young adults will do when they enter the workplace have not yet been invented.  Using well known careers psychometrics, I work with young adults to help them navigate their way through this confusion so that they make more informed decisions.

If the decision is to progress  to tertiary education, I help students decide which subjects they should  consider at  A level, IB, or Leaving Cert  in light of tertiary education or career choices using a career based psychometric as a guide to discussion and exploration.

Leaving School

For some students, the idea of continuing on to tertiary education is not at all what they want.  Instead they want to start work immediately and often in their haste they do not get off the best start possible.  Bad career decisions are made.  Whilst these are by no means damaging in the long term, time spent discussing and exploring appropriate career paths is usually a sound investment.

Working with school leavers, we explore together career ideas using personality and career based psychometrics, create a self marketing plan to approach the job market as effectively a possible.  This includes creating a meaningful CV – not just a list of part time jobs and exams.  We then develop and practice interview skills.

Graduates

You have completed your degree – congratulations!  Three years or so of hard work and perhaps you think “Why did I study this particular subject?”  Or perhaps the enthusiasm you had when you started has lessened as you have matured and your views and attitudes to work have evolved.

I work with graduates to help them explore and identify appropriate career paths, to articulate in a CV and an interview what they bring
to the job market and prospective employers, and how to approach the job market – which is very competitive – in the most effective
way possible.

Early Career

Three years or so into your career?  Asking yourself some fundamental questions about whether or not this career or job is what you
really want?  Don’t know how to change direction?

Very often early career choices do not develop the way we want. I work with young adults to help them address these sorts of
concerns and by offering objective, evidence and experientially based guidance to help my clients make informed career choices
whether this be changing direction, discussing their concerns with their line manager/employer or staying in their chosen career
but with a different organisation.

Career Management

"If security no longer comes from being employed, it must come from being employable" Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Everyone, at some stage in their careers, will have to take responsibility for their career management. CML helps clients in this process.

CML guides clients through a structured Personal Stock Take that includes the use of external feedback processes.

Having completed the Personal Stock Take, clients are able to identify realistic career objectives and create action plans to achieve these.

“Know Yourself… Manage your Career”

Management Development

CML works with corporate clients to help them to identify and develop future managers and leaders through leadership skills analysis and executive leadership programmes.

We then create new programmes or tailor existing in house programmes where appropriate and work with the identified group either on a one to one or group basis.

Management Training

We work with individuals and groups of managers to help them learn about management skills and techniques and then coach them in the development of these disciplines.

This support is planned and delivered over a period of time and includes regular review and feedback sessions. These enable the client to monitor progress and make any changes that become necessary. By using an executive coach, clients benefit from an interested but objective source of support.

Team Work

We work with teams at all organisational levels on general and specific issues to help them develop into high performing units and experience the positive aspects of working in teams.

Whilst we are not huge fans of running around woods “crossing piranha infested rivers”, we work with teams on issues relevant and ‘real’ to them. Through providing them with feedback and encouragement, we facilitate effective team working.

Succession Planning Services

We assist organisations by helping managers identify succession planning paths and then help them as individuals to chart their own
future career management plans.

Individuals Out of Orbit

Many people find that at some stage in their careers they lose direction, become restless or lack motivation. CML helps clients in this position to re-focus and re-energise themselves for their own and their employer's benefit.

Supported by their CML coach, clients undertake an in depth personal review of their skills, strengths and weaknesses, Values and Needs and their overall attitudes to themselves, their careers and the situation in which they find themselves. We then help each client to create and implement a realistic and achievable action plan.

Hitting the Glass Ceiling

We coach clients to address their particular situation and then create and implement plans to overcome their glass ceiling.

Career Plateauing

We have many years' experience of working with clients who feel that although they have the potential, they have reached a block in their career path. We work together to create a development plan that addresses the block and re-energises their career.

Difficult Relationships

In all organisations, irrespective of size, there are situations where individual behaviours can hinder personal or organisational success.

CML helps the individuals involved to understand and resolve the causes of the dysfunction through the use of coaching, counselling, if appropriate, and mediation if necessary.

Psychological Well-Being

CML trains managers to identify and deal with stress on a first line basis. Where invited, we work with individuals to help them resolve their situations through stress management.

We also design and facilitate stress management workshops for groups.

Leadership - In Business

CML works in partnership with CEOs and senior managers to help them build and lead successful businesses

“Know Yourself… Lead your business”

Leadership - In Education

CML uses its corporate leadership experience in its work with School Leaders. Today’s schools require of School Leaders many of the disciplines found within business. The coaching provided by us takes these disciplines into the education sector.

“Know Yourself… Lead your school”

Mentoring Skills

CML provides training in mentoring skills which enable individuals to help others constructively. Training is typically half day one-to-one, small group or online courses.

Illness and Careers

During my work with young adults, I meet clients who have been diagnosed with a serious illness which can have a significant impact on them – self confidence, anxiety, depression and self esteem issues are examples.

Using my counselling and psychological background, I work with my clients to help them regain control over their lives and help them develop the confidence to approach the job market and their careers as confidently as possible.

I also work with older clients who have experienced or are experiencing illness and by using my counselling and psychology skillset, help them to address their concerns and move forward in their careers in a way of their choosing.

Redundancy

CML works with individuals and groups of people who are facing the challenges of re-deploying within their organisation. As with our Career Management work, we help clients to identify their personal 'assets' and challenge them to think differently about themselves and their careers.

We then help them create action plans which will lead to career transition success.

Technical Expert Vs Management (Emotional Intelligence)

Frequently, individuals are promoted into management positions because of their success in a technical role. For many, this change can be difficult because it requires an additional skill based on the softer skills of empathy,  self awareness and communication. We work with clients to help them develop their softer skill set  and coach them in their new roles.

Pre-Retirement and Third
Age Careers

Despite increased life expectancy, many people are faced with early retirement which can be voluntary or not. CML works with people in this position to help them identify and build the next stage of their careers.

Retirement

I wish to ban the word ‘retirement’.  It has many negative connotations and doesn’t seem to reflect the fact that man people are leaving ‘formal’ employment such as salaried jobs earlier than the statutory age of ‘retirement’

Many clients I work with are in their late 50s or early 60s and either through choice or not, are leaving their jobs and the security and structure that they have grown used to.  I work with them to help explore, plan and engage in ‘active retirement’ through, for example, developing a portfolio career.