Futures Model

Build a future worth protecting

Mini Modules - Navigating College Administrations
Mini Modules - Navigating College Administrations

Career

College-aged clients arrive with a wide range of professional experiences; some may have already held multiple jobs, while others might never have collected a paycheck. As an executive functioning coach supporting a client in the job search process, your focus should be on helping the client develop a replicable process for seeking out and securing a new job. You will also likely be providing spot checks and more localized support with regard to professional communication, resume building, and interview preparation. Finally, career-oriented EF work with a college-aged client will also involve career exploration and preparing the client for the next few positions he will hold once the basics are in place. Ideally, the client should walk away with a clear picture of what he wants his future to look like as well as the steps he will need to get there. 

Week 1: Initial Assessment and Values Work

How is the client currently approaching the job search? What are his existing obligations and commitments?

 

  • Client will better understand how his personal goals and values either coincide or contradict the way in which he spends his time
  • Client will consider how to be more efficient with his time and more productive with his daily activities
  • Client will begin to develop a clearer sense of the things that are of greatest importance to him and what pursuits or activities are less meaningful

What information will you need to guide future sessions?

 

  • Explore what sorts of jobs might be interesting to this client based on his interests. Use MI to prompt deeper reflection from the client on how his current course of study matches up with his professed interests
  • Investigate the strategies (if any) the client is currently using in his job search or has used in the past. If the client has not yet started, probe to get a sense of how the client plans or would plan to approach the process.
  • Ask open-ended questions and engage in exercises that promote curiosity around preferences, beliefs, and interests

What can you do in session to emphasize or reinforce key learnings?

 

  • Present the discrepancy between how the client wants to ideally spend time and the actual ways in which the client is allocating time presently. 
  • Gather numerical data and represent visually to highlight disparity in time allocation
Week 2-3 (1.5 hours): Crafting a Resume

Defining Objectives: What will the client walk away from session feeling? What tangible product will he have produced?

 

  • Client will create a resume template to be updated as he obtains more professional experience in the future
  • Client will be able to relate his achievements and accomplishments to date by identifying past work experiences, leadership activities, and volunteering efforts
  • Client will be able to identify attributes he wishes to highlight and feel a greater sense of pride in himself

What experiences or attributes will you spotlight for the client to include in his resume?

  • Consider whether there is any missing information that can be gathered by parents or other 3rd party members that would make the profile more rich or comprehensive
  • Reflect on the workflow and coaching style that the client seems to respond best to while working on the resume
  • Explore the client’s sense of self-worth and accomplishment; does he downplay experiences that may have value for his current search?
  • Prepare a few example resumes to provide a clearer picture of the finished product
  • Create separation between the brainstorming process and the actual writing of the resume to encourage open communication.
Week 3-4 (1.5 hours): Writing a Cover Letter

How will the client tell his story to potential employers?

 

  • Client will experience greater clarity around his personal narrative and sense of ownership over the job process
  • Client will be able to articulate his qualifications and reasons for seeking employment clearly and concisely
  • Client will develop a sense of the story that he will represent to employers in both the job application and the interview process
  • Client will produce an effective cover letter template that can be adapted to different positions the he might apply to in the future

 What do you need to know to help the client craft the best cover letter possible?

 

  • Are there holes in the broader application that need to be addressed as a part of the cover letter component?
  • Does the client have any unique skills or talents that might not be reflected in a traditional resume?
  • Refer to (Causeway Resource) for information on effective cover letters

 What will you do to facilitate the writing process?

 

  • Assist client in drafting a tangible tool that aids in narrative work and interview prep, such as a bank of common interview questions or a rehearsed elevator pitch
  • Ask the client to describe an experience he has had at work or in school verbally, then use notes from the provider or voice recordings to transcribe the anecdote
  • Provide a few different examples of successful cover letters to help the client visualize the end result. Provide compelling reasons why a cover letter is important in differentiating the client from other applicants

 

Week 5: Creating a Job Search Worksheet

 How will the client keep track of his applications and prioritize his time?

 

  • Client will create a spreadsheet to track key job application metrics, like the status of his application materials, any updates on his candidacy, and any important logistics
  • Client will feel more engaged and less overwhelmed based upon having a clear and structured system to store information related to job acquisition process
  • Client will also have action steps about how to input information into the document post-session
  • Client will begin to submit job applications and track his progress, setting a specific target to guide his work between sessions

What do you need to know about this client to effectively advise him throughout his search?

 

  • Familiarize the client with a few references of existing job search trackers to help him identify a format that makes sense. Note the features he prioritizes and compare with your observations of the client’s working style
  • Consider how best to convey to client information around the structure and format of the document to increase ease of use
  • Determine what volume of independent work that is appropriate to assign or expect post-session based on the client’s progress to date

 At this stage, the client should be applying for jobs and beginning to implement a consistent job search routine. Weeks 6-8 will focus on the job search itself and delve deeper into what that process should actually look like. If the client is struggling to identify jobs that interest him or expresses resistance to sending out applications, it may be worth revisiting values-based sessions from earlier on to gauge the source of his challenges. 

Week 6: Job Search - Effective Habits

How will the client develop an effective job search routine?

 

  • Client will gain confidence in his professional communication by learning about formatting, tone, and appropriate language in emails through modeling exercise
  • Client will identify time in his week that he can dedicate to his job search
  • Client will develop a clearer understanding of expectations for ambiguous or unwritten social rules around job search processes such as returning calls, leaving voicemails, and following up on communications

Where is this client at in terms of his communication skills?

 

  • Assess how comfortable the client is speaking on the phone, in person, and via writing to determine his strengths and challenges. Engage the client in practice calls and writing prompts to gauge his baseline aptitude
  • Help the client make connections between his weekly schedule and the ultimate goal that he is working towards



Week 7: Job Search - Interview Preparation

How will this client prepare for interviews, both for the current search and in the future?

 

  • Client will feel more confident in his knowledge of what to expect from an interview, what sorts of questions he is likely to encounter, and what experiences or stories from his life make for good topics to discuss
  • Client will use role playing exercises to develop notes on effective interviewing that can be studied outside of session
  • Client will develop greater organizational command of his personal narrative through practicing his interview approach

What can you learn about this client from his interviewing style?

 

  • Experiment with different mock interview “personas” to determine the sorts of questions and conversation styles that draw out the best responses from this client
  • Consider how the client’s body language, personal appearance, and speaking style may impact his performance
  • Are there questions that the client should be prepared to answer based on any disciplinary, behavioral, or medical issues that he has encountered?
  • Are there questions or styles of interview (case, behavioral, group, etc.) that the client should be prepared for based on his chosen or intended field?

 

  • Conduct 2-3 mock interviews with the client and provide strengths-based feedback after each instance
  • Engage colleagues to offer a mock interview in a semi-novel environment for clients who have yet to book an interview or experience significant stress around the prospect of interviewing
  • Develop a bank of common interview questions and specific anecdotes or experiences that the client can apply to multiple scenarios
Week 8: Job Search - “Life Admin”

 What steps will the client take to develop or clarify a long-term plan?

 

  • Client will begin to think about future possibilities with guidance from his coach, considering how he wants his life to long at different time intervals
  • Client will practice projecting to imagine how his life might look if one pathway is chosen over another by completing the “A and B Path” exercise
  • Client will need to practice “reverse-engineering” to examine the necessary steps in pursuit of a given outcome based on some of the roles he has identified in the +/- exercise
  • Client will develop a quarterly, yearly, and three-year plan. Client will have the opportunity to ask meaningful questions without judgment or stakes as he considers his future



  • Based on previous sessions, how likely is it that you will encounter client pushback to thinking about the medium or long-term future? Arrive with a plan or strategy for “rolling with resistance.”
  • Consider how realistic the client’s plans might be, but stay supportive. Help the client recognize that a sufficiently lofty goal should provoke at least some anxiety
  • Introduce the A and B Path and Reverse-Engineering exercises, positioning the activities as ways of exploring different possibilities and the steps required to get there
  • Ask open-ended questions to prompt the client to consider possibilities not previously examined
Week 9: SDS and Career Brainstorming

How will the client use the SDS to gain greater self-awareness?

 

  • Client will have a better understanding of the value of longer term career planning. Client should feel curiosity about the scope of future possibilities that exist for him to examine 
  • Client will understand how to access the SDS, interpret the report, and incorporate into longer-term self-knowledge
  • Client will review the summary report outside of session in advance of his next meeting. Client can complete the +/- activity independently and arrive at the next session with a few top choices in mind.

How will you introduce the SDS to the client and guide him through the assessment process?

 

  • Co-conduct in-depth research on summary report to increase the utility of the document. Provide a client with an overview of the SDS profile and its purpose to increase buy-in
  • Help client better understand likes, dislikes, and preferences to set table for reviewing SDS and clarify longer term career vision
  • Use the client’s initial observations to tailor job or career suggestions in future sessions and ask open-ended questions to understand what might be drawing the client to particular roles
Week 10: Developing a Long Term Vision

 What steps will the client take to develop or clarify a long-term plan?

 

  • Client will begin to think about future possibilities with guidance from his coach, considering how he wants his life to long at different time intervals
  • Client will practice projecting to imagine how his life might look if one pathway is chosen over another by completing the “A and B Path” exercise
  • Client will need to practice “reverse-engineering” to examine the necessary steps in pursuit of a given outcome based on some of the roles he has identified in the +/- exercise
  • Client will develop a quarterly, yearly, and three-year plan. Client will have the opportunity to ask meaningful questions without judgment or stakes as he considers his future
  • Based on previous sessions, how likely is it that you will encounter client pushback to thinking about the medium or long-term future? Arrive with a plan or strategy for “rolling with resistance.”
  • Consider how realistic the client’s plans might be, but stay supportive. Help the client recognize that a sufficiently lofty goal should provoke at least some anxiety
  • Introduce the A and B Path and Reverse-Engineering exercises, positioning the activities as ways of exploring different possibilities and the steps required to get there
  • Ask open-ended questions to prompt the client to consider possibilities not previously examined
Week 11: Action Steps and Walk Out Plan

 What will the client plan on doing in order to bridge the gap between his present and his future?

 

  • Client will begin researching a school, trade, or different job, outlining a pro-con list of his chosen focus for that week
  • Client will engage in a white board session with his coach to map out the duration, cost, location, and rationale for his chosen long-term goal to prepare for feedback from his parents. Client should be able to answer significant personal questions, i.e. cost or duration, that stood as impediments to plan in past 
  • Client will be able to speak to contingency plans (within reason) should issues occur in enacting the identified plan

What should you prepare for the session in order to best support the client

 

  • Conduct research on schools, trade programs, or entry-level roles that align with the client’s goals
  • Prepare a preliminary list of pros and cons for each option within to provide the client with a jumping off point

What will you do in the session to facilitate the client’s brainstorming?

 

  • Clarify the client’s chosen pathway through a full white board session, answering specifics around duration, cost, location that the client may not be able to determine on his own
  • Invite the client to expand on pro con lists, rank different options, and identify specific job titles that he might want to hold in the future
Week 12: Plan Delivery and Wrap-Up

How will the client get ready to present his plan of action to his family?

 

  • Clients should be able to speak to parental reservations around future plan and overcome prospective objections
  • Client should be able to personalize the plan, speaking to why it suits his needs specifically 
  • Client should feel increasing preparedness to speak to parents around the features and benefits of the longer term future plan
  • Client should be able to speak to the rationale behind the plan as well as the long-term vision that is informing his goals

 What information about his audience does this client need to be successful?

 

  • Consider the approach based on your knowledge of the family; what sorts of evidence or approaches are likely to be most persuasive?
  • Is there any information missing in the client’s plan? How can you guide the client towards a more effective pitch?
  • Budget time for rehearsal and refinement to help the client become maximally comfortable in tone and delivery

How will you help the client prepare to present his plan to his family?

 

  • Role play and work to overcome objections related to execution and implementation of plan
  • Develop a takeaway packet and/or summary report to aid in the client’s presentation of his plan

At the conclusion of this module, the client should feel accomplished based on the work he has completed, confident in his vision for the future, and comfortable speaking about his ideas. The module should conclude with a review of the work done and a takeaway packet or folder capturing the written tools and notes developed over the twelve weeks. Consider the summary report and takeaway packets as both resources for the client and references for his family as they continue to support him in accomplishing his goal.