We recently looked at how the human resource (HR) practitioner can help new employees avoid ‘reality shock’ that, according to Dessler G, “occurs at the initial career entry when a new employee’s high expectations confront the reality of a boring, unchallenging job”. We look this week at how career counsellors can aid in this effort.

CAREER development specialists in educational institutions and private practitioners should develop, implement and deliver programmes focused on helping new employees to cope with the changes and expectations for entry to today’s workplace.

Some of these programmes include mentorship, world of work seminars, internships and work experience, summer and part-time employment as well as individual career counselling.

Mentorship Programmes

Career Development Specialists and other educators, recognising the value of experiential learning, have sought to develop mentorship programmes for their prospective graduates.

Mentors are usually comfortable with themselves and their career achievements and are willing to share their experience of the world of work. They help prospective graduates focus on career planning and their needs regarding adjustment to the world of work.

They achieve this by having mentorees involved in their summer and part-time employment programmes and by inviting them to business and social events.

World of work seminars

Career development specialists focus on world of work issues through a series of seminars. Prospective graduates are assisted in areas such as planning and organising a job search and knowing the expectations employers will have of new entrants to the world of work.

These expectations include the required skills and competencies for the job to be performed, the organisation’s culture and expectations to help them meet their overall goals.

In the world of work seminars, representatives of the organisations who have responsibility for recruiting and selecting new employees are asked to impart their expectations to the prospective graduates. It helps to build relationships between prospective employers and prospective graduates.

Confidence is thus built and the realities of the workplace are shared. Recruiters also learn the concerns, skills and competencies as well as the expectations of the people who will join them in the world of work.

Work experience

Summer and part-time work experience programmes are developed and implemented by career development specialists. These experiences are focused on helping students to experience the world of work before their official entry.

Students get the chance to see the physical environment and test their skills and competencies, even as they are brought up to speed on the organisation’s culture. They also develop workplace disciplines, interact with supervisors and managers as well as lower level staff members.

They put into practice much of what they learn in the classroom and take back to the classroom knowledge gained from their work experiences.

Volunteer and co-curricular programmes

Students must be encouraged to volunteer their services and participate in co-curricular programmes to gain needed work experience.

Structured volunteer programmes such as the Jamaica Values and Attitudes (JAMVAT) initiative – managed by the National Youth Services (NYS) in collaboration with career personnel in tertiary institutions – must be encouraged.

Under JAMVAT, students volunteer in a chosen area to verify their choice of career, network and build skills, work-related values and attitudes. All this, while earning to help in the payment of their tuition fees.

Individual career counselling

This is vital and must focus on the individual’s needs. Career counsellors must therefore develop creative ways to reach their students. Working with faculty by way of a referral system is a good way to reach students. Peer advising and referral through this programme is another effective strategy.

Building bridges

Career development specialists should build alliances with prospective employers and agencies such as the Statistical Institute (STATIN), the Ministry of Labour and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). This will put them in a position to inform education planners and career educators of the realities of the world of work.

The demand areas for HR must be obtained. With this knowledge, more realistic programmes, academic and co-curricular will be developed and delivered. These alliances will also see HR practitioners working with career development specialists and education planners to develop and deliver relevant programmes.

Merrit Henry is career counsellor and students services manager at the Placement and Career Services Unit of UWI, Mona. She may be contacted at merrit.henry@uwimona.edu.jm.