THE FAQs
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the career coaching process.
FAQ 1:
What is the key to a successful career coaching experience?
1. Active Engagement
Finding a career that is a good fit is a very active process. It requires the full engagement of the young adult. They must spend time thinking, reflecting and researching, and then bring that information back to share in sessions with Sabrina. This is not a passive process.
2. Parent Communication
Parents play an important role in this process. They know their son or daughter well, and provide valuable insights that can move the work forward. They are encouraged to contact Sabrina to ask questions or get updates about how the work is proceeding.
FAQ 2:
Do you identify the right career for the young adult?
Sabrina works with clients to help them discover the next best step in their career journey. In some situations, this means helping them identify a broader range of possible careers, before narrowing them down through the process of research, information interviews and analysis. In other cases, it means helping them narrow down a broad range of often weakly established interests, before expanding the list of career directions within this narrower field.
FAQ 3:
Do you do resume writing, or help young adults find work?
No, but Sabrina can direct clients to others that specialize in resume writing. She does not directly help young adults find work, but what she can do is:
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Help ensure clients are looking for work that aligns with their interests and strengths
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Prepare them for job interviews with coaching and role playing exercises
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Send alerts to them about job fairs and job opportunities that she is tapped into
FAQ 4:
What about confidentiality?
All discussions and work with clients is kept confidential, and not shared directly with others, without the consent of the young adult. It is important to note that career coaching does not delve into personal issues, and as such, confidentiality concerns generally don’t surface. In the case of younger clients, in particular, Sabrina does recommend they share insights and discuss the coaching process with their parents, particularly when the parents are contributing to the cost of higher education. At the conclusion of the coaching program, clients and parents meet to discuss the findings and to map out next steps and a plan for the future.
FAQ 5:
Aren’t guidance counsellors supposed to provide these services?
Guidance counsellors in high schools do some career counselling with teenagers, and an introduction is also provided in the “Civics and Careers” course in Grade 10. However, guidance counsellors have a wide range of other issues they must deal with, as well as a very large population of students, which limits the time they have available to assist each individual student with these important explorations and decisions. And the breadth of career planning services and facilitation they are equipped and able to provide is much narrower than what is provided by Sabrina, as she specializes exclusively in working with young adults.
