The career development and advancement materials I use come from a program called, The Life Purpose Process © created by Fern Gorin, M.A.. Developed in 1984, this process has now been used with over 12,000 individuals. These simple yet powerful exercises are designed for short-term, results-oriented career coaching by establishing focus, commitment, and motivation.
During this process we gather key information about you. It is similar to gathering the pieces of a puzzle, which are the things you love to do, your unique talents, the skills you want to utilize, etc. Once we have all the essential components, we can begin to design your own unique career.
A lot of people try to identify the big picture, the career, first. They determine what jobs or job titles are available, and then try to fit into them. Instead, this process lets you from the inside outward to see what type of work is right for you and where you can best express your unique gifts. There are usually 4 parts to the process:
1. Self Exploration: I ask a series of questions to help you discover what your interests, skills, and personal work values are along with other components of your ideal career. You'll start to recognize some personal patterns that have existed throughout your life as well as your current career needs. During this step, you also have the opportunity to take professional vocational assessments.
2. Options: Together, we design career options. During this phase I’ll challenge you to consider a wide range of possibilities. In the end, people usually choose 3 to 5 options to carefully research.
3. Research: At this phase you research the options both online and off. You meet with successful people or organizations associated with these careers and determine which one would be right for you. You’ll also be able to create a distinct vision for yourself that will allow you to be naturally drawn towards a decision.
4. Action Plan: This involves the nuts and bolts of getting a job or making a change. It often includes creating a list of potential employers, examining the labor market, creating marketing letters/resumes, pursuing additional training, etc.
Additional career development exercises can be used to:
- overcome basic fears or blocks to success,
- provide practice of business skills, such as interviewing with confidence
- develop new tactics, accountability and support through ongoing coaching
Example: Basic Model of Integration
“An ideal career consists of all the elements essential to a person's happiness and fulfilment. The model of integration is a model that integrates everything that a person loves to do,” Fern Gorin, M.A..