[Sareena Hopkins]

It is such a unique privilege to be invited into someone’s story – very few professionals get this gift. A significant milestone in my own career was – as is so often the case – a moment of serendipity. I was just finishing up my first year of university (studying economics) and saw a flyer at my church from a non-profit in town that was seeking volunteers. At the time, this non-profit was the only service in Ottawa for persons who were unhoused and, the next day, I went in to offer to volunteer. I could not have been more naive or unprepared…but instead of offering me a volunteer position, they offered me a job for the summer. That experience completely changed my trajectory and shaped who I am and what I believe about life, people, and hope. I switched my major at university and worked at that non-profit all the way through school. There was a very high percentage of folks coming to the Centre who had undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and working in community-based mental health became the focus of the fist phase of my career. Over time, I saw how powerful it was for those living with mental illness to have a sense of career future, to feel the pride and connection that can come through learning or working. That’s when I discovered career development and its critical contribution to health, quality of life, and wellbeing. So, for 30 years now, I’ve been joyfully working with the most spectacular team at CCDF and magnificent community of peers across the career development sector. What’s next? That story is for another time and another prompt. 😊

[Emily Worthen]

I think the word serendipity lands in my top 5 favourite words list. When taking the time to reflect, even just on the day, I always find beautiful serendipitous moments to be grateful for. I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am you were interested in that volunteer job and went to explore it, leading you down the path that brought you to the field of career development and CCDF. Look at what you’ve done, and what you continue to do to help people, from all walks of life, gain meaningful career development that bolsters multiple areas of their health and overall well-being. I think a fair number of CDPs, myself included, have serendipitous moments in their own careers that are because of you, @Sareena , and the incredible work you’ve done with so many fabulous CDPs to build momentum for this field.

[JP Michel]

You’re right Emily – we are very lucky to get to do what we do.

• How did you find the field of career development: I met two great career coaches who mentored me. Maureen McCaan and Wayne Pagani.
• Who has helped you along the way: Hundreds of people!
• Where would like to go next in your career and why: I want to help parents guide their teens in the process of career exploration.
• What has your training/educational path looked like and how has it
  influenced your career story: MSc in Organizational Psychology. I spent 7 years in human resources consulting before joining the career development space. This helped shaped several of my points of view about the workplace.
• What was a pivotal moment in your career journey that redirected
  you in a way that you could not have foreseen: On a whim, I went to Denver for the National Career Development Association conference. I’ve been almost every year since!

[Emily Worthen]

I can completely relate to your answer to the second prompt being “hundreds of people”! I feel so blessed to work in a field filled with the most genuine, inspiring and kind people who are so willing quick to support and celebrate one another.

I have to admit… I am excited about where you’d like to go next in your career @JP.Michel !! “I want to help parents guide their teens in the process of career exploration” – yes, yes, yes! A million times yes. It’s work you are already doing so beautifully, the impact you’ll have as you continue on is pretty monumental!

[Ginette Brown]

A great exercise to illustrate that career paths aren’t linear!

• How did you find the field of career development and what made you
  want to work as a CDP? I took the CDP program at Conestoga in 2000, worked in the field for a few years then went to school for HR, where I worked for 15+ years
• Who has helped you along the way? Women in business who live the value “women supporting women”
• Where would like to go next in your career and why? Use my career development and HR experience to work within organizations, providing career coaching to enhance workforce planning and the employee value prop.
• What has your training/educational path looked like and how has it
  influenced your career story? BA, Human Resources Management diploma, Career Development Professional diploma (twice!). Training focused on what I need to learn, am currently taking a course on NLP to better help my clients work past self-limiting beliefs and unlock their full potential
• What was a pivotal moment in your career journey that redirected
  you in a way that you could not have foreseen? I was restructured from my HR role, and I went back to school for Career Development so I can best use my skills that were under-utilized in the past

[Emily Worthen]

@Ginette14 I love the HR and Career Development combo. Having the experience and education on both sides of the table makes you an absolute powerhouse of knowledge about managing relationships between employees and employers and so, so much more. It’s amazing how those unforeseen, pivotal, moments can take you in a direction you never anticipated. I’m selfishly glad it brought you back into the Career Development sphere

😄

[Ginette Brown]

Thank you, Emily, I’m loving the work!

[Heather Powell]

What an awesome posting idea! I have never been one for storytelling, but I am digging this.

• How did you find the field of career development and what made you
  want to work as a CDP? I met with a Career Advisor during the first year of my undergraduate degree. I thought I wanted to be a teacher (mostly cause everyone in my life told me I should be) and I said, well what about your job? She recommended that I look at some summer positions within Employment Ontario and that is when I got my first job as a Summer Job Service Advisor with the Summer Job Search Program in 2002! I realized how much I enjoyed helping students find a job that helped them gain skills and allowed them to feel successful! From there, I continue to pursue different positions within the Employment Ontario and post-secondary network.
• Who has helped you along the way? Many, many people. A lot of them are members of this community. I have had so many role models and mentors, and some probably don’t even know that they have been! This includes fellow Career Advisors, Managers, Teachers (from George Brown, shout out to Gillian and Gayle) and people that I have met through the CDPC/CEDC community. I have learned more about working with people, problem-solving and thinking out of the box in this field than I ever could have imagined.
• Where would like to go next in your career and why? This is a good question. I think I want to examine the role privilege and resource access have in career development and educational obtainment. I think we have some way to go as Career Development Professionals in acknowledging how much effect privilege and resource access have and how unequal it truly is. I think I wanted to explore this further with the possibility of engaging in a Ph.D or perhaps another opportunity.
• What has your training/educational path looked like and how has it
  influenced your career story? Working in the field for several years before going back to school in 2009 for my Career and Work Counsellor Diploma from George Brown College mapped my time into two categories, pre-diploma and post-diploma advising. The experience I got from George Brown was quite impactful and since it was a diploma that I was working on part-time, it took me over four years to complete. During that time, I had the privilege of applying what I was learning to my everyday work and I believe that was a real gift. Obtaining my Master’s allowed me to bridge my passion for equity in both career obtainment and education.

[Emily Worthen]

@Heather ! We stumbled upon the career development field the same way… during our undergraduate degree! I know i said something similar already on this thread, but it is worth saying again… the connection, kindness, intellect, support and generosity shared between peers and colleagues in our field is so special. Reading about how people feel so supported by those who have helped them along the way is reinforcing that.

I love the area you’d like to look into moving forward… there is so much to unearth there and there is so much work to be done.

[Samina Nayla]

Thanks Emily to give me the opportunity to reply.

Just prior to COVID, I used to be a volunteer and an on-call teacher in various schools at TDSB and was eager for a change, something new. I sensed that I was meant for something more. Seeking guidance, I reached out to a career counsellor who directed me to the Career Development Practitioner program at George Brown College. Getting admission into the program was seamless in 2021, thanks to my MA in English Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics from King’s College, UK. I wholeheartedly got involved in the program & finished it 2023. My instructors, Gillian, Philip, Diane, and Sonny inspired me to learn Counselling as if it were a source of hope for individuals.

Counselling, I discovered, goes beyond teaching. Listening to clients’ stories, preparing them for their careers, and simultaneously gearing myself up for more challenges have became the essence of my journey. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of working with people, refined my problem-solving skills, and learned to think outside the box in this field, surpassing my initial expectations.

Though I am very new in this field, it’s worth reiterating that the connections, kindness, understanding, care, and generosity shared among teachers, peers and colleagues in our field are truly remarkable. Reading about the profound support people receive from those who have guided them along the way reinforces the significance of this sense of solidarity.

I am passionate to know more & explore further. There’s so much to uncover, and there’s substantial work to be done in this field.

[Emily Worthen]

I love hearing stories about CDPs determining they wanted to work in career development because they had positive experiences receiving career development support! That’s how I stumbled into the field as well. I’m struck by the skills, life experience and self-awareness you bring as a CDP; what a gift it must be for your clients to work with you! I love your reflection: “Counselling goes beyond teaching.” There is so much truth in that!

[Elayne Greeley]

Finding myself working in career development could be titled ‘Take Notice’. In 2008 I was working as a Community Outreach Officer for an artist-run centre and been a full-time artist and community educator for 15 years. I loved the work but contracts were short and gigs precarious and I had two little people at home. On a regular day at the art gallery, the director mentioned that right next door the Community Youth Arts Program @Murphy Centre was looking for a new program coordinator. That was the pivot. For 35 weeks I was parachuted into the career and employment world which was so very different than the cultural sector that I knew so well. A year later I took my community development skills to the Community Employment Collaboration and that was 15 years ago. My story kind of makes sense now, but it felt strange and weird when it was happening. A degree in fine art at 23 and then a degree in community learning at 50, makes up my wacky formal education. I wonder where my career story will go next – likely another 15 years of learning and creativity if I take notice. It feels good.</div>

My 2024 career shoutouts go to:

👏@Seannaq for helping me frame out the 15-year pattern; 👏@lisataylor for introducing me to foundation, middle and legacy career concepts; 👏 @annika for showing me that you can choose to work with people you 💛, and l💛 the people you work with; and 👏 @Julia.Bloomquist for a warm and unwavering nature.

[Emily Worthen]

@Elayne.Greeley !! Career shoutouts could be another discussion in itself, I love that you extended your story to mention those who have had a significant impact on it recently. It is remarkable how often our stories are uncertain with pivots, twists and turns that leave us feeling all kinds of different ways in the moment, but when we look back later it somehow all makes sense. Each step is a puzzle piece; we never truly get the whole picture because there are always more pieces to discover. I cannot wait to see how the puzzle continues to unfold as time goes on!