An ad for an Employee Career Consultant in a leading corporation drew over 300 applicants two years ago. Expertise in career counseling with an adult population is only one of the competencies that this job demands. If corporate career development is an area you might be interested in moving into, what can you do to be the best prepared and qualified candidate?
Understand the current state of corporate career development
The 1990's saw exciting growth of corporate career development programs, where employers sought to attract, develop, and retain top talent by providing support for their employees. Initially programs were piloted in a headquarters location, with a physical facility, workshops, and a professional staff. Often the process included employees completing a variety of self-assessments, putting together proposals for modifying their current responsibilities or investigating potential jobs within the company, initiating career discussions with their managers, and writing a career action plan.
Toward the end of the decade, programs began to change in response to a demand for delivering services at all company locations, including international offices, 24/7. There was a shift toward web-based resources and telephone or web-based consulting to increase the outreach in a cost-effective manner.
With the advent of the economic downturn in 2000, more changes occurred. Some corporations maintained or increased their career planning support, strengthening their commitment to employees. Others eliminated the programs already in place along with thousands of their employees, trying to weather the tough business climate. However, many individuals came to realize that they needed to develop employability and career planning skills.
Employees will look to their employer to provide that support. While dollars are tight, employers will not have the resources for the well-funded programs and staff of several years ago. As the economy improves and the job market loosens up, companies must ensure that they provide incentives for their best employees to stay. Employers may find that they turn once again to career professionals to provide those services.
Those career counselors who have read the books and professional journals that describe corporate career development programs will be well grounded in their understanding of this evolution.
Understand what the position entails
Read job descriptions frequently and thoroughly. Though individual positions will vary, click here for a sample composite job description which outlines the range of responsibilities for a Corporate Career Consultant.
Become familiar with the business world and Human Resource issues, terms, and trends.
Human Resource terms such as talent retention strategies, 360-degree feedback, performance management systems, and competency development are often unfamiliar to those from other settings. Equally as foreign are business terms such as B2B marketing, run rates, earnings per share, and supply chain management.
If you intend to work within a new culture, you usually need to learn the new language and become fluent in it. Customs are also different in this new land. Career counselors will benefit by immersing themselves in learning about corporations and Human Resources. If you are doing some of the following activities, you are on the right track.
a) Scan the lead stories in these top newspapers, magazines, or websites to learn and to keep current:
b) Join a local Human Resources professional organization, or at least attend a few meetings or events. This is an easy way to meet key people and enlist their assistance in helping you understand HR and the business environment.
c) Take an "Introduction to Business" course at a local community college, or at least read the textbook or view videotapes. An excellent example would be Business by Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor, (Houghton Mifflin). A class will not only increase your content knowledge, but it can also expose you to your fellow students' experiences in the business world.
d) Use other people with business experience as mentors. As you read, ask them questions to help you understand practical everyday applications. You may find that asking them about terminology you do not understand or requesting examples will accelerate your learning. Especially helpful are career professionals who have already had experience working in corporate career development.
e) For business terminology, the Washington Post Business Glossary www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/specials/glossary/index.html is a good resource.
f) Learn from the websites of consulting companies who offer corporate career development services, such as:
g) Identify companies you would like to work for, and do some research on the internet to gather information about them. This is also a good way to find a name of someone who might become a contact for you. Many people find it invaluable to conduct informational interviews with Human Resources staff regarding career development challenges such as employee retention.
h) Many times offering to do a "Lunch and Learn" program on a career-related topic is a great way to become known to the staff and begin developing a reputation as a professional resource.
While Learning, Build Relationships
Most of the applicants for a position advertised in Fall, 2000, were Human Resources Generalists seeking to shift their job responsibilities from "fighting fires" with employee discipline situations toward working with employee development. The competition was keen, since they already had both experience in a corporate environment as well as Human Resources experience. Expect this to continue when the economy improves and corporate career development starts to heat up again.
The opportunity right now is for career counselors to begin to build relationships with management and Human Resources staff. Once they are viewed as recognized professional resources and knowledgeable about the HR challenges in organizations, career counselors will be in a more competitive position to be considered for contract, part-time or full-time work with the company.
In honor of NCDA's 100th anniversary, Career Convergence is publishing articles of historical significance. This article and bio was reprinted from our debut issue in 2003.
Paula Kosin is Marketing Manager for Career Vision, the division of The Ball Foundation well-known for its aptitude-based career planning services. Paula's career includes 17 years in corporate training and career development and five years as an independent career consultant. Paula holds a Master's degree and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She is co-author of the award-winning parent's guide, "Getting Started: Talking with Your Child About Career Choices", and a frequent speaker and media resource on career issues. She may be reached at 630-469-6270 or via email.
Elaine Crowley, M.Ed. on Tuesday 07/02/2013 at 11:36 AM
Great resource.
Damona Sain on Tuesday 07/02/2013 at 02:19 PM
Clearly written, Paula, with great resources. I would just add that the corporate environment is usually high pressure. Goals & expectations are very different from the NFP world. For Career Counselors coming from a higher ed environment, there is a wide gulf between that and the for-profit culture. Any workplace that refers to its employees as "human capital" seems to view people less individually and more as cogs in the profit-driven wheel.
Damona Sain on Tuesday 07/02/2013 at 02:19 PM
Clearly written, Paula, with great resources. I would just add that the corporate environment is usually high pressure. Goals & expectations are very different from the NFP world. For Career Counselors coming from a higher ed environment, there is a wide gulf between that and the for-profit culture. Any workplace that refers to its employees as "human capital" seems to view people less individually and more as cogs in the profit-driven wheel.
Paula Kosin on Tuesday 07/02/2013 at 04:00 PM
Thank you all for your comments. And now, 10 years after this article was written, here is some great news: "One of the most popular incentives offered to retain and recruit workers is career coaching and development, which to some employees is worth even more than money." From a 6/2/13 article "As the economy improves, businesses now working hard to retain talent" http://www.freep.com/article/20130602/BUSINESS06/306020069/employee-retention-turnover
Kiana Wilson on Wednesday 07/10/2013 at 11:34 PM
Paula,
This article was right on time! Thanks for providing this valuable information. My background is on the corporate side and many resources that I come across are based on k-12 or higher ed which helps but does not provide the depth of information that I am seeking. I was thoroughly impressed with your article and found relief in knowing that there is a market for the services that I am seeking to provide. Are there specific books that you can suggest for further development in this area? I am having a hard time finding books related to corporate career development. Thanks in advance and please share any other resources that you may have.
Shemeka Brathwaite, MSEd on Monday 07/01/2013 at 11:37 PM
Very great and resourceful article!