Career Planning Program

For some time there has been an increasing trend for individuals to take greater responsibility for their own personal and professional development. The job market has changed – individuals no longer expect to be engaged in a 'job for life'. Given the shift in market and individual responsibility, there is often a need for the support and advice of a career development professional who can assist in career guidance. Career coaching can support an individual to move forward by identifying developmental needs and creating a strategic action plan for its fulfillment.

This process is usually supported by the New Directions Survey which profiles an individual's personal strengths and preferences, and the McQuaig Survey which offers personal insights into leadership and managerial styles, as well as actionable feedback for personal development. The data is then amalgamated with career clusters that are suited to the individual, based both on personality and desire to work in a particular industry. The New Directions Survey report provides a platform for discussion with AIM's Organisational Psychologist, and culminates in a developmental action plan, which the individual is then coached to meet.

More information on the Career Planning Program:

• The Process
• Program Outcomes
• Organisational Psychologist Profile

The Process

AIM's Career Planning Program is designed to assist individuals to identify desired career and life goals and support the achievement of those goals. It aids individuals in reviewing career progress, career satisfaction, and existing skill sets. The program will assist individuals in making informed and realistic career decisions, and empower them to operate to their highest potential.

Profiling
Two computer based assessments, the McQuaig Survey and New Directions, are used to gain background information to assist an Organisational Psychologist in the Career Feedback Session. The McQuaig Survey is completed online, and the New Directions survey is completed on site at AIM in Spring Hill. Reports are generated from each survey and forwarded to an AIM Organisational Psychologist prior to consultation, providing a structured platform for discussion.

Career Feedback Session
The initial profiling stage is followed by a Career Feedback Session with an AIM Organisational Psychologist who specialises in career development. In this session, participants review and discuss the computer reports generated by the profiling tools.This discussion process helps individuals to consider their strengths and to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a number of options, including skill development, training, establishing a career plan and goal setting.

This session is confidential, takes approximately two hours, and culminates in the development of a working action plan.

Optional Follow-Up Session
A one hour follow-up Career Feedback Session taken within 12 months from the initial service can also be included for the purpose of monitoring progression, and assisting with any further guidance required.

Program Outcomes

The AIM Career Planning Program will help individuals to:

• Analyse individual strengths, preferences, weaknesses and stressors
• Consider a range of career and lifestyle options
• Evaluate and make career decisions
• Develop training, personal advancement and career action plans
• Develop personal career management skills

Please read the profile of our featured Organisational Psychologist below.

Organisational Psychologist Profile

Gary Cox
MAPS, B Bus, Dip Psych, MBA, Registered Psychologist

Gary Cox is the lead consultant for AIM's Graduate and Career Centre. As a psychologist he specialises in career development planning and career transition management.

Gary currently advises on career management programs and provides career assessment, coaching and transition support services to a variety of public and private sector organisations. He has also worked as a specialist career and outplacement consultant for some of the Australia's largest and most respected Human Resources consulting organisations including Ernst and Young, DBM Australia and CORPsych.

Gary adopts a holistic but structured approach to the career review and planning process. The assessment reports from the profiling phase form the platform for this work. The discussion process helps participants to consider their own strengths and style, and to identify and evaluate available career development, learning and lifestyle options.

Gary assists participants to establish detailed career goals and action plans. Years of experience in career management within organisations in the private and public sector have provided Gary with intimate knowledge of human resource process and the needs of various stakeholders to ensure the high quality service and customer satisfaction is achieved.

For more information including pricing please contact the Centre for Career Management on 13 16 48 or email coaching@aimqld.com.au.