Open Learning News and Updates

A Guide to Career Coaching for Instructors

We are pleased to announce a new open educational resource (OER) Career Coaching Techniques: A Guide for Instructors, explicitly designed to guide learners through the world of career development and all aspects of different stages of career coaching. 

Created by Rob Straby from the School of Business, this OER takes learners through the essential steps of career coaching - from initiating client relationships to making informed recommendations about career pathways. It covers some of the top models and techniques many well-known professionals use. 

Reflecting on what inspired Straby to create this resource, he shares how he would have benefitted from a textbook like this years ago. "In my own career, I struggled early on to bring the skills, knowledge, and applications of my work together.

"I was fortunate enough to learn from Dave Redekopp and Kris Magnussen - their work helped me integrate everything I had learned into a coherent whole."

"Over the years, I have applied their work in my career practice with individuals and to teach career development professionals. This has led to multiple innovations. 

"I reached the point where I needed to create materials that integrated their original work with experience gleaned from decades of client practice, which is why I decided to write this book." 

One of the features of this OER is that it presents the career Self-Portrait process. This model helps career coaches and clients analyze various roles to better understand their career aspirations. 

While Kris Magnusson and Dave Redelopp initially developed this model, Straby presents his personal experiences as a career counsellor using the career Self-Portrait. 

The early chapters focus more on how to create relationships with clients and assess their career needs, while subsequent chapters focus on decision-making. Additionally, the OER has action learning logs, reflection questions, and practice activities at the end of each chapter, which help the reader reflect on what they have learned. 

Straby also emphasizes the importance of making this resource open and accessible to everyone. "Early in my career, I had mentors and teachers who gave me resources to help me learn. I have always believed in abundance and valued open sharing of resources.

"We must do what we can to make post-secondary education accessible for students. Creating an OER for this work was the best way!" 

This resource provides theory, practical insights and experience, and activities and techniques career coaching professionals use. We invite you to incorporate this valuable OER into your curriculum.