Canadian Journal of Career Development

Cultural Infusions and Shifting Sands

2022-06-01T06:10:57-07:00

Indigenous young adults experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment, which are exacerbated by systemic factors such as poverty and oppression (Britten & Borgen, 2010). Despite these challenges, many Indigenous young adults do well in their educational and employment pursuits (Bougie et al., 2013). This study explored what helped and hindered the career decision-making of 18 Indigenous young adults in Canada who see themselves as doing well in this regard. Using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique (ECIT), a qualitative research method which focuses on helping and hindering factors (Butterfield et al., 2009), 13 categories were identified: (a) Family/Relationships & commitments, (b) Setting goals/Taking initiative/Focusing on interests, (c) Support from community/mentors, (d) A healthy way (physical, mental, social), (e) Finding meaning/motivation & contributing, (f) Networking & who you know, (g) Systemic/External factors (institution, job-market, sexism, racism, interpersonal aspects), (h) Financial situation, (i) Knowledge/Information/Certainty, (j) Experience (work/life), (k) Educational opportunities/Training & specialized education, (l) Indigenous background/Cultural factors, and (m) Courage & self-worth (vs. fear/doubt in self/others). These categories highlighted the systemic, interpersonal, and experiential processes in career decision-making for Indigenous young people in Canada. Implications for career counselling practice and future research are also discussed.

Career Counselling for Cancer Survivors Returning to Work

2022-06-07T05:58:09-07:00

Cancer impacts workability significantly more than other physical and psychiatric disorders. Accommodations are often required upon returning to work after treatment, and cancer survivors may experience discrimination during this process. This article discusses key career challenges cancer survivors face and presents relevant career counselling theories to assist clients in navigating them. Constructivist career counselling models and happenstance theory offer strategies to help survivors make meaning out of unexpected events, explore new possibilities for returning to work, and gain skills for coping with future challenges in the workforce.

Moving From Moral Distress to Moral Resilience Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

2022-07-19T05:46:55-07:00

Moral distress (MD) is a problematic experience for healthcare workers, with career engagement implications including burnout, job turnover, and career turnover. Instances of MD have been increasing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, threatening greater problems for the healthcare system. Although a range of interventions have been explored, no evidence-based treatment has been identified. Because of how embedded ethical decision-making is in the healthcare field, it is unlikely that MD will be eradicated; however, it is suggested that MD can be learned from and transformed into moral resilience. Evidence indicates that healthcare workers could benefit from mindfulness-based and emotion regulation skills, alongside values-based and action strategies, to support the development of moral resilience. This article proposes the applicability of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and its six core skills—acceptance, cognitive defusion, mindfulness, self-as-context, values, and commitment—to the work of career practitioners as a means of developing moral resilience skills among healthcare workers and supporting career sustainability.

Addressing Compassion Fatigue Using Career Engagement and the Hope-Centered Model for Career Development

2022-08-10T05:02:57-07:00

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted a toll on healthcare workers, who have been required to work during times of great challenge and scarcity, as well as risk to themselves, whilst continuing to provide care for others. This desire to alleviate the suffering of others puts healthcare workers at increased risk of compassion fatigue, a traumatic stress response that can develop from supporting others through emotional suffering and trying to alleviate that pain. Increased risk to this large population poses a challenge to career practitioners, who will need effective ways of supporting these workers in healing. This paper discusses conceptualizing compassion fatigue through a career engagement lens, and proposes the uses of the Hope-Centered Model of Career Development as a means of supporting reengagement. Through the reinstallation of hope, feeling of agency and achievement again become possible.

Career Counselling Considerations for Mothers Returning to Work

2022-08-10T11:06:09-07:00

Women transitioning back to work from motherhood face complex challenges, including changes in their self-concept, priorities, self-confidence, and career-related beliefs. To effectively support mothers contemplating workforce reentry, career counsellors must understand the unique interplay between their clients’ home, community, and previous work lives and its impact on their career development. This article integrates relevant concepts from the career development theories of Super, Krumboltz, and Social Cognitive Career Theory with current literature to inform career counselling interventions aimed at optimizing the reentry experiences of mothers returning to work.

An Overview of Work-Life Wellness for Teleworking Couples

2022-09-15T06:57:53-07:00

A sizeable number of employees throughout Canada are continuing to telework following the COVID-19 pandemic. Couples who telework may experience tension between their work and personal life. Telework may have both positive and negative impacts on work-life wellness depending on employee circumstances. For example, teleworking women with children may be expected to prioritize their home and family over their work. Even though COVID-related restrictions have eased in Canada, allowing for more freedom around home and work arrangements, it is plausible to expect a long-term shift towards an increased number of employees working from home more often, with associated changes in family dynamics as both partners adjust to this "new normal." In response to the complex relationship between teleworking and work-life wellness in the context of couples, the first author has proposed a study to research work-life wellness for teleworking couples, addressing the research question, "how do teleworking couples construct and cultivate work-life wellness together?". It is anticipated that this study will foster understanding of work-life wellness in teleworking couples, and inform policies, counselling techniques, and future research.