Setting clear goals and identifying SMART action steps has long been held as a key component of careers work, but the principles around client ownership are often eroded in the face of targets and impact measurement criteria. The career conversation is in danger of being driven by action planning requirements with the needs of clients being overlooked, in particular the needs of those who are neurodiverse, who may find goal setting and SMART action planning a challenge. In this article we revisit the origins of goal setting and action planning, the rationale for the process, the needs faced by diverse clients and how we can be creative in our approach. The thoughts reflect a conversation with Jules Benton who has extensive experience in the SEND area and working with diverse clients. She currently works for Ansbury Guidance.

The tools of Neuroscience Our understanding of how the brain works has greatly increased over recent years due to advancements in brain imaging technology such as MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging) which can track changes in brain structure and function. Videos can now be taken to monitor the brain activity when people are engaged in […]

Games such as Minecraft can make excellent analogies for communicating the nature of career and career management to young people (and adult gaming enthusiasts!). The traditional concept of career as a ladder may exist for a few but many face a more complex future, awash with choices and unpredictable twists and turns. The one-off decision […]

This link will take you to video excerpts from a workshop delivered by Liane Hambly in Dublin 2015 exploring how  face-to-face guidance skills can be transferred to other media. The audience are Guidance Counsellors who primarily work with adults. video on telephone guidance NCGE In addition to this topic the NCGE site has an interesting […]

October will see the launch of Career Navigator, a resource which uses the metaphor of the road and resources required for the journey to enable individuals and groups to understand the nature of a modern career (rarely a straight, predictable path, more like crazy paving!).

As Career advisers/ coaches we often set goals by asking a client where they want to be and to visualise that place. Asking them to physically stand in that place, to be there, feel it, can increase the power of visualisation.