Graduate Attribute 01
Articulate and implement their personal theory of practice and its evidence base, including what it means to be a dual professional as both a tertiary educator and an expert practitioner in the workplace.
As a Dual Professional my personal theory of practice draws on bodies of knowledge and practice from the two fields that have formed the bulk of my career journey over the past 25 years: Career Practice and Education. The key concepts, views and theories that inform my educational practice are articulated in the Teaching Philosophy section of this portfolio.
My practice as a Career Development professional is guided by my personal Model of Practice which is principally informed and influenced by the work of Donald Super (1996), Norman Amundson (1998), Douglas Hall (1996), John Krumboltz (2009) and Heather Carpenter (2010). The key concepts, theories and models presented by these authors include, respectively: developmental (age and stage) theory; the Active Engagement model; Protean career; planned happenstance and the 20th century careers. In addition, my career practice also draws upon person-centred counselling (Carl Rogers), narrative, social constructivist, coaching/mentoring and solution-focused approaches.
I have found that the components of my educational and careers practice models support, complement and cross-fertilise each other. Some examples of this are:
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Active Engagement career practice and Experiential Learning - both require the client/learner to take an active role, to learn by doing and to be personally engaged in and committed to their development.
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Self knowledge - career development clients and learners alike make the best progress when they are aware of their strengths, limitations, values, learning styles and more.
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Reflective Practice - as an educator and as a career practitioner, I can best serve my clients/learners by reflecting upon my practice and by learning continually from experience.
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Career development and learning are very similar and, at times, one and the same thing. When a career client develops more knowledge about his/her abilities, this is learning. When a learner acquires new skills and knowledge and qualifications, this is career development. In many circumstances, the two are interchangeable. I find myself at times teaching my career clients and career counselling my students.
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Person centred practice - the best practice in both career development and education has the client/learner at the centre of the equation.