Career professionals play a key role in helping people unlock their future. Career guidance is even more important for historically marginalized communities facing greater barriers in the labour force. Here are resources to help career professionals practise culturally responsive career development.
Allyship terms, tips and tools to support career development work (Careering magazine) [Article]
This article explores the application of a social justice lens to career development work while challenging the status quo as allies and advocates. It provides definitions of terms including cultural awareness, cultural agility and cultural humility. It also gives career practitioners advice such as recognizing the effects of historical trauma and engaging communities.
Breaking Down Barriers to Career Development (Blueprint & Future Skills Centre) [Report]
Historically marginalized groups face heightened barriers to the labour force and career guidance. This paper explores the key barriers that limit access to and restrict the impact of career guidance services. It also looks at promising practices in breaking down barriers. Pages 12, 19, 22 and 28 discuss cultural competence.
Career Development for Diverse Clients: Beyond the Basics (Cognella) [Book]
Individuals from a variety of populations may face unique challenges as they move their careers forward. This book aims to support career development professionals in customizing their approach to helping clients across cultures, conditions and contexts. Section IV focuses on Ethnicity and Culture. Here is a preview of the book.
Gaining Cultural Competence in Career Counselling: Book Review (Career Convergence) [Article]
The reviewer gave glowing feedback on the second edition of Gaining Cultural Competence in Career Counselling. The book intentionally focuses on cross-cultural career counselling. The first part of the book covers foundational skills needed for cross-cultural counselling, while the second part focuses on implementing key competencies.
Inter-cultural competency in employment counselling (Deetken Insight) [Article]
A list of advice to help employment and career professionals understand ways that culture can influence an individual’s attitude toward career development. These tips include understanding what employment, expression of confidence in one’s abilities and asking for help may mean or signify in different cultures.
Systems Theory Framework: A Culturally Responsive Model for Career Guidance (Career Convergence) [Article]
In the context of culturally responsive practice, the Systems Theory Framework (STF) presents a basis for understanding individual social identities to form an individual’s positioning within society as it relates to career development. This article explores the practical applications of STF as a qualitative career assessment in the intake process.
The National Competency Profile for Career Development Professionals (Canadian Career Development Foundation) [Guidance]
The National Profile is a curation of competencies from the Pan-Canadian Competency Framework for Career Development Professionals (Competency Framework) that details and describes effective performance, knowledge, understanding and abilities for career development professionals. The importance of culture is referenced throughout.
The Value of Cultural Intelligence (Career Professionals of Canada) [Article]
This piece offers 10 different points about perceptions on culture, as well as 10 tips for enhancing cultural intelligence. These tips include asking relevant questions to challenge your own stereotypes and assumptions about people in different cultures and listening with empathy and non-judgment.
Additional resources:
- Building Cultural Competency: Resources for Supporting Diverse Clients on Uncharted Paths (Asia Pacific Career Development Association 2021 Conference) [Presentation slides]
- Dispelling 10 Myths about Cultural Competence Training (Sights on Success Consulting) [Blog]
- Using Cultural Humility and Narrative Approaches with Diverse Clients (Career Convergence) [Article]
- What Works: Career-Counselling Strategies for Diverse Clients (Government of Alberta) [Article]
