Personal career guidance now just a phone call

Personal career guidance now just a phone call away

Career Services extends its phone guidance service to meet growing demand

Career Services is launching a new service this week targeting young people and redundant workers giving them free access to personal careers guidance from a career specialist over the telephone.

Julie Thomas, Product and Services Manager for Career Services, says the new phone guidance service is a valuable complement to the organisation’s existing career planning services.

“The aim of the phone guidance service is to make accessing our services as easy and personalised as possible for people making important decisions about their future employment, training and study options,” says Ms Thomas.

“While our free phone advice line, website and face-to-face career guidance services provide careers information, tools and support for all ages, in light of the current economic environment, phone guidance will be especially relevant to young people and redundant workers who are establishing – or re-establishing – their futures.”

Ms Thomas says that the service will also be especially useful for job seekers in geographical or socially remote locations, or those with physical disabilities or health issues that mean they can’t easily access usual career guidance services.

“The phone guidance service will be very user friendly in that clients can choose the environment where they want the call to take place, what they focus on during the call and where they want to leave the conversation. Because it’s all done via phone, there will be no need for them to travel or arrange parking or childcare to access these career guidance services.”

Career Services originally piloted the in-depth career guidance phone service over an eight-month period in 2007 and 2008.

“An independent external evaluation survey found that 87 per cent of participants in the pilot considered the information and advice offered through the phone guidance service had made a difference to how they were feeling, or what they were doing in their life, training, job or career,” says Ms Thomas.

“Some clients were not sure what they wanted to do, some had an idea and needed help to make it happen, and some just wanted to talk through their plans with a career professional.”

Ms Thomas says the new service aligns with the Government’s priorities of ensuring that “every citizen has the skills to enable them to reach their full potential and contribute to the economy and society.”

“Our aim is always to develop the ‘career literacy’ of those who access our resources – to build their knowledge and skills to manage their career throughout their life. The new phone guidance service will take this one step further in providing truly personal guidance for an individual’s career goals,” says Ms Thomas.

“The calls are intended to be solution-focused. Our consultants will assist in developing your awareness of what career planning involves; understanding yourself, identifying what opportunities in the labour market suit you best, and setting clear goals and taking action. You can also opt-in for a follow-up call to check on your progress.”

The new phone guidance service is available now, provided by 18 career consultants working from Career Services’ offices across the country .

For more information about how to access Career Services’ phone guidance service, visit www.careers.govt.nz/talk_it_over or phone 0800 222 733 to talk to us about your needs.

ENDS