Eileen Synder, Career Practitioner - Snyder Careers

This presentation will focus on the concept of “flow” in private practice.  It's a self -reflective piece that uses the framework of “flow” as developed by Mikaly Csikszentmihalyi to determine your current level of joy you feel in your work and the importance of balance between perceived challenges and skill set in your practice. Knowing how you ""flow"" may inspire you to reshape your practice and take it to the next level.

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• review of the seven constructs of “flow” as developed by Mikaly Csikszentmihalyi.
• learn how to assess your capacity to achieve “flow” though self-reflective questioning.
• learn why “flow” requires a balance between perceived challenges and skill set.
• know how you ""flow"" may inspire you to take your practice to the next level.

Barry Davis, Career Coach & Professor - Gift of Self Career Services LLC

I didn’t see this coming!” Every individual, whether counselor, client, or student -  has experienced missteps, mistakes, errors, even failures in their work and life. Some individuals seem to have the ability recover quickly and effectively while others find their progress stymied, sometimes for extended periods of time. Since all of us will be “surprised” by such events, even with careful planning, how can we develop the ability to not only move beyond such experiences, but actually improve our ability to gain from these circumstances? Learning how to maximize the potential of asking “what if?” can aid counselors, clients, and students to respond successfully to these inevitable faux pas. 

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• become aware of the extraordinary resource of counterfactual thinking.
• recognize examples of this phenomenon in the experiences of the group.
• review key steps in engaging in effective application of “What If?” thinking.
• receive a short list of pertinent books on the subject.

Lisa Cardello,  Executive Director of Career Preparation & Experiential Learning - Rowan College at Burlington County

Approximately 70% of American adults have been exposed to a traumatic event during their lifetime, yielding a high likelihood that career counselors will encounter clients/students with a history of trauma. Career counselors must familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of trauma, strategies for working with trauma-affected individuals, and considerations for avoiding retraumatization. This is particularly important in the career counseling setting where trauma may present as work-related issues, such as disengagement and failed attempts at gaining employment. While a universal model for providing career counseling with a trauma-informed lens does not currently exist, best practices from trauma-informed care can be applied in the career counseling setting. This session will provide attendees with straightforward and practical suggestions for providing supportive and effective career counseling for all clients, including those impacted by trauma.  

 Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• learn about the impact of trauma on career development.
• familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of trauma as they may present in the career counseling setting.
• become familiar with trauma-informed care and how this approach can be applied to career counseling.

Ayanna Jackson, Career & Leadership Coach - Founder,  AEJ Consulting LLC

This overview of current tech tools will provide participants with the motivation and eagerness to overcome tech challenges they have.  This step-by-step overview of 5 tech tools career pros can use to help their career services business, their clients or both.   

Not every tool will work for them or be what they need, and this overview will help attendees learn the basics to tools that are out today.

Learning Objectives, attendees will 

• become familiar with how to access & use the basics for some of the latest updated tech tools out right now.
• be able to use these tools easily to make marketing and branding faster in their day to day
• be able to help their clients use these tools as needed in their career search, job pivot, etc.
• be reassured that they don’t have to use every tool that's out there all the time!

 

Anne M Herbster, Author & Business Owner - Coach Business Guide

Do you have trouble attracting new clients? If so, it might be your marketing messages that are not working. You may be using language that is ineffective, and your Ideal Client may not see the solutions you offer.  Chances are, you just need to fine-tune your messages.  Your ideal client will be interested in you if they hear and see their challenges and your solutions for helping them.  Don’t leave them guessing what you do and how you can help. During this session, you will be guided through a simple process to craft your messages  that speak directly to your potential clients, keeps them focused on their challenges, and lets them know how you can help.

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• learn a simple process to create effective marketing messages for their practice.
• identify the words that will attract their ideal client and how to integrate them into their messaging.
• understand the power of using questions that will challenge potential clients to seek the solutions the practitioner offers.
• draft a basic marketing message to utilize in a variety of situations; i.e. social media, website, networking, brochures

                          

Samantha J. Herrick, Associate Professor - Rutgers University of New Jersey
Weili Lu, Associate Professor - Rutgers University of New Jersey
Janice Oursler, Associate Professor - Rutgers University of New Jersey  

Soft skills are being increasingly recognized as important in maintaining employment. This workshop will present information about an employment-related soft skill development program (“Soft Skills at Work”) for individuals with disabilities. Soft skills differ from technical or “hard skills” in that the focus is on interpersonal relationships rather than knowledge.  Previous studies have concluded that inadequate work-related soft skills correlate with greater unemployment.  Studies have shown that soft skills competence enabled employees to connect with coworkers and supervisors, promote teamwork, and are associated with higher job satisfaction.  Additionally, workers with adequate soft skills have better opportunities for longer job tenure and career advancement. This presentation will describe the “Soft Skills at Work” and share the results of our study of this small group intervention.

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• discuss the importance of soft skills for success and satisfaction in employment for individuals with disabilities. 
• identify component parts of a skill and how to subdivide a skill into teachable steps.
• explain how curriculum-based small groups can assist in helping individuals with disabilities to develop soft skills for work. 
• discuss results of pilot study to assess feasibility of “Soft Skills for Work” small group curriculum.

               

Judith (Judy) Garfinkel, Career Transition & Job Search Coach - Move Into Change
Heidi Ravis, Career Counselor & Licensed Mental Health Counselor - Self Employed

As career professionals, we frequently help our clients get unstuck from habitual ways of thinking about themselves, their possibilities, their strengths and weaknesses, and their career paths. We strive to provide a safe environment and the tools for clients to explore themselves, interact more effectively with others, and develop strategies to navigate the world of work with authenticity and discernment. Understanding how to tap into the body, a highly underused resource, can have a remarkable effect on our client’s ability to meet challenges and take action. In Get Physical! Somatic Strategies for Career Counselors and Coaches, Judith (Judy) Garfinkel & Heidi Ravis will offer an interactive presentation incorporating techniques to enhance your career clients’ journey by inviting their bodies (and yours) into it. Participants are invited to learn and experience body-oriented activities drawn from educational kinesiology, embodiment and mindfulness practices, and movement research to apply in their work with clients.

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• understand why somatic (body-oriented) approaches in coaching and counseling matter to us and our clients.
• learn how to introduce somatics into the session; the language to use and how to prep clients for somatic-based exercises 
• gain specific techniques and exercises to shift clients’ perspective, body state, and problem-solving potential.

Cassandra Lis, Graduate Coordinator for Undocumented Student Services - Rutgers University, Newark 

The needs of undocumented students are constantly changing as the political climate changes. Moreover, there are new and substantial obstacles facing our students and clients related to career opportunities. This presentation will cover the basics of undocumented terminology, unique career needs of this population, and some best practices for helping undocumented students. There is work to be done within the career development field to be better advisors and allies to the undocumented community and this is the first step in spreading awareness about these specific challenges.

Learning Objectives, attendees will:

• be able to understand policies regarding undocumented students and how they impact the students’ career goals.
• be exposed to best practices for helping undocumented students with career goals and how to best advocate for them with employers, administration, and the institution.
• advance their cultural competency in the area of undocumented students and increase their knowledge as an ally or member of the undocumented community.