Win the right to communicate

As career professionals we are entitled to think that we possess a panacea for future decision making. At our fingertips; current labour market information, tools for self assessment and a yellow brick road to gaining fundamental skills for work. Why then might we ask, are our clients not beating a path to our doorstep? Why aren't students and parents alike clamouring to bask in our knowledge?

The truth is that what we are offering, however vital we believe it to be is only ever sought out in times of dire need. Like check-ups with a GP are avoided at all cost and health warnings on cigarettes are ignored. The sensible advice and guidance we offer that can enable clear and considered decision making is often only considered necessary the day before UCAS deadline day, or after the unrealistic aims that a client has set themselves are not realised.

So let us consider this from another perspective. We are the product, our clients the market place.

To paraphrase Seth Godin - traditional attempts to garner consumer support are a waste of time. Let us instead win the right to communicate by giving them something they want. Once this relationship is created we then have an open and constant dialogue available to allow us to dispense our pearls of wisdom to the masses.

Perhaps we can offer competitions and prizes, celebrity speakers, a useful service. Whatever it may be that starts the conversation, once it begins we can sustain it with useful and relevant gains that will benefit our clients. Think (I hate to say it) outside the box (or perhaps creatively within it), With the correct marketing we can change from woolly footwear to Ugg Boots, a music player to an ipod.

Inspired by this article.

National Career Guidance Show

I attended the second of this two day conference at the Emirates Stadium in North London. With a range of organisations hawking their wares and a plethora of speakers in the seminar areas upstairs, the event was a great success. Aside of course from the ludicrous catering costs which saw my colleague somewhat confusedly hand over in excess of £10 for a small tub of wedges, a wrap and some instant coffee.

A great opportunity for networking and information gathering, the one key message I came away with and the real reason for my fledgling attempts at a blog is quite a simple one. Social networking and web logging are uniquely powerful tools in propagating and improving CEIAG.

Having just tentatively dipped my toe into this online pool I have discovered that there is in fact a torrent of information, tools, support and ideas available for us all. In fact even glancing now at my new twitter account I have seen a post from someone attending the ICT in CEIAG conference where they state that “Quality Choice & Aspiration says we need to reach young people with soc[ial] networking: why won’t senior management in IAG allow it?”.

The case for social networking for careers professionals was eloquently put forward by Tristram Hooley http://adventuresincareerdevelopment.posterous.com/ at the show. I can safely say I am a convert.