Module leader: Ian Day
Aims
The Career Coaching (Information, Advice and Guidance) modules aim to:
1/ Develop understanding and skills in career coaching to facilitate participants’ career development learning in at least one (CE995) or two contexts (CE993).
2/ Develop confident and creative career coaching practice linked to a strong working alliance and informed by key career development concepts.
3/ Develop effective practice appropriate to a range of relevant roles e.g. career-related information, advice and guidance.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, the student should be able to:
1/ Systematically identify the central features of the working alliance and key concepts from within career development theories in relation to career coaching.
2/ Creatively discuss the role of career coaching in the facilitation of career development learning.
3/ Comprehensively distinguish, with reference to career coaching: contrasting interview structures; ethics and values; and opportunities, requirements and limitations within own situation.
4/ Creatively apply the knowledge and understanding listed above in career coaching practice in order to refine its effectiveness in at least two contexts.
5/ Systematically synthesise the knowledge and understanding listed above to ensure competent and professional career coaching practice in at least one (CE995) or two contexts (CE993).
6/ Critically evaluate career coaching practice and its relationship to the working alliance and career development learning.
7/ Systematically interpret the career development of service users in conceptual terms and relate this to career coaching practice informed by relevant ethics and values.
8/ Creatively and comprehensively present material in clear written form by identifying, analysing and applying key texts and practices using appropriate and adequate structure, spelling, grammar, syntax, length and referencing.

Outline syllabus
1/ Contracting the working alliance (bond, rapport, relationship, roles, topics, agendas).
2/ Maintaining and ending the working alliance.
3/ Facilitation of career development learning (Patton & McMahon).
4/ Career development theories and linking these to creative career coaching practice (Krumboltz, Holland, Super, Law, Hodkinson, Savickas and Cochran).
5/ Interview structures (styles, models and frameworks).
6/ Identifying and responding to service user needs (growth, crystallising, exploring a range of options, implementing change, disengaging, the role of career information, agreeing action).
7/ Boundaries and referral.
8/ Ethics and values.
9/ Further skills, methods and techniques.
10/ Additional perspectives (e.g. cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic, neuro-linguistic, solution-focused and narrative-informed approaches).
11/ Integration into existing or future working context.
12/ Organising and managing career coaching activities.
13/ Developing a systematic and distinctive career coaching style.

Summary of teaching
Approximately 15 hours (CE995) or 30 hours (CE993) of blended learning consisting predominantly of intensive, attendance-based workshops combined with independent learning using the virtual learning environment, online module reading pack and tutorial support. The attendance-based teaching for CE995 and CE993 is combined and advertised in the AGCAS training calendar as Career Coaching (Information, Advice and Guidance).

Module timing and duration
Usually, these modules run annually and teaching takes place in the April-June period. Participants are allowed 5 months to complete.

Summative assessment
The assignment consists of a 2500 (CE995) or 5000 (CE993) word project. Typically, participants are asked to record career coaching interviews from within their own context and interpret these in theoretical terms to enhance practice. Before enrolling on these modules, you must ensure that you will be able to record and conduct some interviews within the 5 month timescale.