Online Career Services

Bryan Baker
Director, Career Services
Tyler Junior College

Introduction

What are the fundamentals for building a career services website?  First, you will want a site that will work for both your online and traditional students. Second, the services you provide will be influenced by your institution’s mission statement as well as the population that you plan to serve. Finally, the actual services that you offer will form the framework of your website.

In this chapter our discussion regarding the services offered will be divided into two categories – career counseling and career planning.  Career counseling implies a relationship that deals with the deeper issues underlying career choice.  Career counseling might include an investigation of a student’s life and career goals, perhaps including a discussion of career assessment results. A student and counselor might explore the issues regarding educational requirements for various careers and the student’s ability to overcome the related hurdles. Career planning is more specific, involving the activities that occur after assessments, research and education have taken place. Focusing on the process of actually seeking a position, career planning involves resume development and review, searching employment resources, networking and other issues that are related to securing employment.

Building Guidelines

The first step in developing an online career services center is to identify your guidelines relating to such activities. One of the first places to look is the National Career Development Association (NCDA). The NCDA has helped to develop guidelines for offering career planning and career counseling services online. Their site offers a wealth of information, including Internet resources for career planning, guidelines on use of the Internet in career counseling,  as well as electronic forums to discuss issues related to career services and vocational counseling. A review of their information is a good first step in planning your own website.

Basic Skills for the Career Services Professional

The basic skills and knowledge specific to counseling and guidance will not change in the online arena, including the main fundamental that we must be able to form a helping relationship with the clients/students. This is accomplished through good facilitator skills and the building of a relationship that is founded on trust. Ethical standards must be maintained as outlined by the NCDA as well as the American Counseling Association (ACA).

It is also important to understand that a career counseling professional should have specific skills and knowledge that a general counselor may not possess. The specific skills and competencies outlined by the National Career Development Association serve as guidelines for career professionals and help the general counselor develop the skills to serve in the role of a career professional. It should be understood that these competencies are intended to set the minimum standards for those training for careers as Career Counseling Professionals at or above the Master’s degree level of education. For others it should serve as guidelines for continued training.

There are eleven areas that the NCDA has recognized as necessary skill areas for those working in the area of Career Counseling. They are: Career Development Theory, Individual and Group Counseling Skills, Individual/Group Assessment, Information/Resources, Program Promotion/Management and Implementation, Consultation/Coaching and Performance Improvement, Diverse Populations, Supervision, Ethical/Legal Issues, Research/Evaluation, and Technology. Out of these eleven areas the NCDA has recognized Program Promotion/Management, Consulting/Coaching and Performance Improvement, Supervision, Research/Evaluation, and Technology as skill sets that must be met in order to be recognized as a member at the Master Career Counselor level.

In summary a career service professional must be very knowledgeable of the decision-making process, career development theory and other supportive counseling theories as well as program development, implementation and evaluation. The person given charge of developing a career services website should be thoroughly trained in the field of career counseling and vocational guidance. In addition they will need to be computer literate and somewhat techno savvy.

What skills and knowledge must a career services professional possess to work in the online environment? Gaining a student’s trust using Internet resources will require a new set of skills that some career counseling/career services professionals are not as familiar with. In order to use the Internet as a career services tool, career services counselors and other professionals must be familiar with and comfortable using technology.

Career Services Recipient

In developing a Career Services website there are some items that need to be taken into consideration. One is the population that you hope to serve. Second is the mission statement of the organization or college. Both of these will influence the services that you will offer online. The population and mission statement are interrelated and will influence the services that clients are searching your website for. One of the fundamentals to offering services online are you must be committed to helping and serving people. This involves an understanding that people learn differently and choose different types of media to receive the services that we make available in our offices.

In the past, many Career Center offices were called Career Planning and Placement Services. Such centers often times focused only on the career development component leaving clients with career counseling issues little or no help. Some Career Services websites focus their process only on career planning while others focus primarily on career counseling. In order to have a full-service career center the website should contain elements of both.

The college student of today is very different from those of the past. Many have a fast paced and busy life style. Some are the sole parent in a single parent family. Others are returning adult students that are retraining for a better job and income or to find a new career after suffering from the ever so common effects of downsizing. These individuals have a set of needs that make traditional career services difficult for them to access. Many are enrolled in classes via the Internet. Others may have to travel long distances and work full time. These are the non-traditional students. They are the ones who may be able to benefit from online services. It is important for the career services professional to visit with them and determine which ones may be good candidates for these types of services.

One of the benefits of providing career services online to non-traditional students is the ability to access the services at their convenience. This allows them the flexibility that they need to work around their busy schedules. Another advantage of the Internet is the ability to provide services when the client/student is ready to receive the services. This means outside the normal operating hours of most offices. Many of the services that can be offered online are services that the client could complete on their own with some follow-up support from a career professional.

There are several things to consider when determining who would be a good candidate for receiving services online. One important consideration is what level of comfort does the individual have for working on a computer. Does the individual have access to a computer and does it have the capability to access the Internet and utilize Internet technology in a timely manner. Some people do not have access to high-speed Internet that might be required to utilize certain programs or services. Most clients would probably be frustrated to find information that they needed and wanted only to find that they could not access the information because of computer or connectivity problems. The counselor must have a good understanding of the needs of the client. They must be familiar with the online resources that they direct the client to. The career professional must also be responsible in making contact with the client to make sure that they are continuing to make progress towards their career goals. If the individual is in a different geographic region the career professional must be able to refer the client to someone that can provide services if the counselor deems that the client is not making progress towards their stated goals.

Process

Once you have determined the clientele that will be utilizing your services you can decide what services you need to offer online. Most Career Services offices should choose to offer a full range of services. The newly revised National Career Development Guidelines can help to serve as a model for the services that you plan to offer online. A copy of the Guidelines can be downloaded from America’s Career Resource Network.

In order to offer a full range of career development services both career planning and career counseling services need to be offered. This can be structured under three different domains, as set forth in the National Career Development Guidelines; they are Personal and Social Development, Educational Achievement and Lifelong Learning, and Career Management.

Assessment

Services offered under the domain of Personal and Social Development would include personality assessments, interest inventories, and aptitude tests as well as work value assessments. There are many well known and validated inventories that are available for a fee. There are also some that are available online free of charge. It is important to have a variety of assessments available for your clients/students as they might find that some may be more helpful and enjoyable than others. It is important that the individual find the assessments enjoyable and not arduous. We need to keep in mind that self-discovery should have an element of fun to it.

Some of the more popular programs that contain assessments are Choices, Discover, and SIGI Plus. These programs are now available in a web-based format. They also contain several databases so that the main role is not simply self-assessment. They allow the individual to research many different careers and colleges that offer majors that would lead to specific career outcomes. A list of some excellent resources is available online at NCDA’s website. Many of these resources are based on the work of Dr. John Holland.

Once assessments have been completed it is imperative that they be interpreted by a qualified career professional. Some assessments may have been validated for self-help. Even when using such assessments the career professional has a responsibility to be in contact with the client to insure that he/she has an accurate understanding of the results.

Exploration

After a person has completed a variety of assessment instruments and reviewed the results with a career professional the next step is to do exploration based on the results of the assessments. This is one step in the career counseling process that is well suited to the Internet. There are numerous websites that are dedicated to providing career information. One of the advantages of the Internet for career exploration is that the information is typically very current. Information on the Internet is easily updated. The information can be easily accessed from any computer that has Internet access. Another important consideration is that when you compare the cost of written materials versus online, as well as timeliness and accessibility, online resources make a lot more sense.

It is important however, to have some type of system to evaluate the career information websites and programs that your website utilizes. The Association of Computer-based Systems for Career Information (ACSCI) is an organization that has developed standards that can help you to do this evaluation. Many people submitting RFP’s will use the guidelines to reference the evaluation standards they will use. These guidelines are voluntary and any organization completing the evaluation can post on their website or program the level of the standard that they meet. There are a total of four levels of standard. They are: Core Standards, Component Standards, Integration Standards and the highest level is Comprehensive System Standards. Learn more about ACSCI from their website.

Sites that are included on the NCDA website under Internet Resources meet these standards. The ACSCI guidelines evaluate career information websites and programs based on different elements such as: accuracy of information, how current the information is, developmental appropriateness for the target population, as well as several other factors.

One group of resources that many people do not consider is professional associations. They are a source that typically has current and relevant information that is an inside source. Many of these types of sites have career information specifically for students. Exploring these sites gives the reader information and knowledge that helps them to discuss career concerns with professionals who are employed in the field.

Things that need to be considered within the domain of research are topics such as job descriptions, career ladder, job outlook, labor market information, informational interviews, job shadowing and internships. As the client/student does more exploration the level of commitment towards an occupation will begin to increase or decrease.

The tools that you can place on your website to help with exploration can be materials that you have developed yourself. They may be activities that are a part of a career development software program, some of which have previously been mentioned. Many of these types of programs offer a full range of career services that include career exploration components, as well as activities that are crucial to career development and planning. Some links that students may find helpful would be from state employment or workforce offices, the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Occupational Outlook Handbook to name a few.

Job shadowing is also an important part of the career exploration process. There are many websites and programs that are available with video clips that allow a small window of opportunity to job shadow. Sometimes students need help in linking up with an individual to job shadow. One good way to help with this is to have a list of alumni that are willing to mentor students. Some of this activity can be via email. Once a relationship is built students can arrange to do some job shadowing. It is important however, that you do not exhaust your resources by bombarding them with students.

Decision Making

As a person moves through the first steps of self-knowledge and personal development and on to exploration and research they reach a point when a decision must be made about their future direction. This is when the client/student will call on the previous research that they have conducted to help them in making a decision. There are many different models that a person can use to help them make a decision. As a career professional you may already have a decision making model that you have developed or one that you have used in the past that you feel has worked well with clients/students.

Many models start with the concept that the individual needs to have a vision for their life that includes objectives for their career and their personal life. Regardless of the methodology, the client/student needs to have a realization that they need to make a decision. In order to do this they will utilize information they have learned about themselves from personality, interest and values assessments. Utilizing this information they can develop a list of occupational possibilities. The next step would be to do a comparative evaluation based on the research materials that they have gathered. The evaluation should take into consideration labor market information, such as expected salary or earning potential, future employment outlook, the individual’s ability to complete the necessary education, and the person’s aptitude and desire to work in the chosen field.

Career Planning

So far the elements that have been discussed lie primarily in the realm of career counseling. In order to provide a broader range of services this discussion will discuss elements that I will term career planning. These elements are typically specific topics that have the goal of helping the client/student obtain employment. Some things that you can address on your website in this category would be job search strategies. In this part you can help provide your client with resources that will help them in the job search process. They will also learn how to find new prospecting sources.

One part of career planning would include resume and letter writing. This will obviously include techniques and examples of resumes. Other important types of correspondence include prospecting letters, cover letters, thank you letters and acceptance letters.

Networking is another important skill that students need to master. They need to understand that most jobs that are available are not advertised and exist in the hidden market. Through networking they can discover these opportunities and they may find that they have an advocate on the inside. It is important that the student understand that employers want to hire someone that is a known quantity. If someone on the inside knows you, they can testify as to your abilities and how you would fit in the office.

Interview Preparation

It is not enough that a student have a good resume and is actively networking; they must be prepared for the interview. This is a vital part of the services that you offer online. Interviewees must understand what type of information the interviewer wants to know.  They need to understand that the employer wants to know that he or she will be a good “fit” and that they can do the job. The student needs to be prepared by doing research about the company they are interviewing with prior to the interview. This lets the interviewer know that they have done their “homework” and it prepares them to ask intelligent question. They should also be prepared to answer specific questions.

Students should also be familiar with e-recruiting and electronic resumes. Many companies are utilizing software to recruit and process applicants. Students need to feel comfortable applying online and filling out employee profiles. Many companies use this method as a precursor to hiring for future openings in the organization.

Another important part of preparing for an interview is making sure that the student knows how to dress appropriately. The student most realize that dress for work and dress for college are typically not considered the same by most employers. You can post information on your website that you have developed or there are many links available to direct clients to regarding this subject.

A final consideration for program content would be to provide students with information to educate and prepare them to make career decisions that will benefit them in the future. Students need to realize that the world of work and the economy is constantly changing along with technology. They need to learn to be flexible and continue their education and training through seminars, organizations and coursework.

Technology

Internet technology has given people the opportunity to provide learning experiences using many varied modalities. Technology is the platform that you will use to develop your website and provide the services. The Internet must be viewed as a tool that can be used to provide services to a greater number of people.

Below is a list of commonly used modalities in providing online career services. Some are used in higher quality sites and demonstrate an excellent use of the technology. Some may be ones that you are familiar with and may have used in other realms.

Streaming Audio & Video

There are two types of streaming audio and video. One form is asynchronous and the other is synchronous. These are both good modalities to provide information to individuals that visit your website. The synchronous format is in real time and thus allows viewers the opportunity to be active participants. They can respond and ask questions via email or phone. Some problems that are encountered with this modality tend to be as a result of connection speeds. These types of media require that the recipient have high speed Internet connections.

A variation of the streaming audio and video is the addition of a presentation via a software application like PowerPoint. This addition is good because the student can download a copy of the presentation. This can be done prior to the presentation and it allows the student to make notes as they follow along. The student could download afterwards and use the information for later study.

Chat Rooms

Chat rooms are a good platform for students to meet with a career professional online and ask questions on any subject related to career development. This setting is similar to a group counseling setting. It gives students the opportunity to talk about career issues that they may have concerns about. It gives them the opportunity to chat about and process many decisions and career experiences. It also allows them to talk about internships and co-ops that they might have found to be a great learning experience. This is also a good mode because many students are already very familiar with chat rooms and may feel comfortable within these venues.

Bulletin Boards

Bulletin Boards are a great place for students to go and post career questions. A career guidance professional can monitor the site and post answers to client’s/student’s questions. Career information, labor market information and other questions can be addressed by dividing such topics into smaller forum settings. You can have professionals with different career backgrounds address different topics from week to week. This gives students an opportunity to ask questions of professionals who are working in a field that they are interested in. It is important to make note that there must be some guidelines regarding postings to bulletin boards.

Blogs

Blogs are another relatively new Internet platform. In many ways they are like an individual’s personal website yet it is more like a diary. This can be a good way for students to discuss and read about fellow student’s successes and struggles. It can also be a source of encouragement.

eBooks

The eBooks are relatively new and offer several possibilities. You can purchase eBooks, download and read them. Some people may want to print the book out if it is not too long. Talk with your librarian. In some cases the library may have access to several copies of a particular book that is e-based. In these situations the student can “Check Out” a book and maintain access to it for a set number of days. Check with your librarian for more specific information about eBooks.

Concluding Thoughts

In this chapter we have looked at issues and steps you can take to develop your own website. We have discussed the National Career Development Guidelines and the three domains that form their structure, Personal and Social Development, Educational Achievement and Lifelong Learning as well as Career Management. If you follow this format you will have the foundations of a useful and helpful website.

It is important to remember that there are many helpful websites that you can find through Internet searches. It is important to know what is on these sites, how they are related and how they can help the client or student meet their goals.

It is important to review the institution's mission statement and make sure that your website reflects its goals. In most cases you will probably find that this will drive the types of services that students will be searching for. You will also find that budgets will influence the type of technology you can afford. Even if you have an extremely limited budget there are some programs that are web-based that will help you to provide the services that your students need.

Best Practices

http://www.yorku.ca/careers/cyberguide/index.html

http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/index.asp

Resources

American Counseling Association, http://www.counseling.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

America’s Career Resource Network, http://www.acrnetwork.org/default.aspx

Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov

National Career Development Association (NCDA), http://www.ncda.org/index.html.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm

The Association of Computer-based Systems for Career Information,  http://www.acsci.org