Author – Ron James
Having worked in the world of careers for over 15 years I have witnessed a great deal of change including at least 5 versions of Career Mark. One significant area I have been involved with in recent years has been remote delivery of guidance.
Previously my involvement with phone or email had been to offer some basic advice but essentially to arrange for a face to face appointment to discuss things fully. I now find myself often without this option and it does necessitate something of a different skill set.
There are obvious advantages to remote delivery particularly on the cost front. It removes the need for a physical building and the associated costs, whilst making the service open to clients worldwide. Those with disabilities either physical or mental can find it a much less challenging way to explore their options. It also removes the possible risks associated with one to one working.
There are many challenges however. You need to work harder to establish a rapport and sustain a conversation over the phone when you cannot see reactions and are unable to read body language. Email only guidance is particularly difficult as there is the need to balance providing sufficient detail against writing too much. Meaning you can spend a lot of time and effort on something which then fails to deliver what you intended.
Becoming efficient in this field has necessitated a great deal of adaptation. Listening skills whilst always important have really been stretched as they play such crucial part. Areas of speech such as tone have also increased in importance as this is a key way of conveying your thoughts and reactions. A luxury I have had using this format is that it is possible to record conversations. I believe this has allowed for improved reflection and skills development
If you have not engaged in this form of guidance I would encourage you try it should the opportunity arises as it does provide some unique challenges and rewards both for adviser and client and is open to both adults and young people via the National Careers Service.
Going forwards I see video chat as being an ideal half-way house and is an approach I am keen to experiment with.