Minnesota Career Development Association

August RoundTable – Career Counselor as Change Agent
When:  Thursday, August 19, 2010  Time:  6:00 – 7:30

Facilitator: Bernice Hillukka

Where:  University of Minnesota Law School, Room 471 229 19th Ave South, Minneapolis MN 55455 Directions:  http://www.law.umn.edu/contact/directions.html
Please RSVP to Dina Bergren at dina.bergren@waldenu.edu  no later than Tuesday, August 17^th 2010.  We will be serving food at our meeting, so please RSVP to ensure there is enough for everyone.  Also, if you have any food allergies or preferences, include that in your RSVP.  

Career Counselor as Change Agent   The old employer-employee relationship based on job security, promotion, and entitlement has been replaced with rapid change, continuous learning, and adding value to the organization.  How can we as career counselors help our clients manage change in the workplace and help them succeed in today’s turbulent times?  We will discuss the theory, methods, and tools we can use with our clients to coach, advise, and support them through career transitions.   

William Bridges describes three transitional stages:  closure to the past, neutral zone, and new beginning.  Before sitting down and helping clients with resumes and looking for jobs, we may find that the emotions of change affect their ability to move forward.  As career counselors, our role is to act as change agents who empathize with our clients, understand what stage they are in, and help them move through transitions.  We will discuss the phases of change, our experiences and challenges, and how to help our clients reach their goals and new beginnings.  

Resources to help facilitate the discussion:   Managing Transitions:  Making the Most of Change by William Bridges  http://books.google.com/books?id=_l49ZSAkTE8C&lpg=PP1&dq=managing%20transitions&pg=PA3#v=onepage&q&f=false   “Promoting a Development Culture in Your Organization” by Peggy Simonsen http://james127church.org/documents/Level2/Christian%20Leadership%20Training%20Library/Training_Books/promoting%20a%20development%20culture.doc
“Adults in Career Transition” by Sandra Kerka http://www.vtaide.com/png/ERIC/Career-Transition.htm   Please feel free to bring additional resources and share your experiences with clients in transition!  

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  The Minnesota Career Development Association (MCDA) offers monthly RoundTable meetings that focus on selected career development topics to help us become better practitioners.  RoundTables also serve as a time to network with colleagues working in a variety of sectors.  Note that you do not need to be a MCDA member. We encourage you to spread the word to your non-MCDA member colleagues!