The present outcome study of an initial session of career counselling using a narrative framework and method of practice builds on findings of an earlier outcome study that examined multiple sessions of the same narrative framework. Career development professionals frequently struggle to engage clients in an initial session and may lose opportunities to help clients more by continuing on to further sessions. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the effectiveness of a narrative framework blended with technology, within a single career session with a client. This study found statistically significant increases in all study variables including optimism, clarity, confidence, organized thinking, and internal and external search instrumentality from the beginning to the end of a single session. These results, coupled with monthly client return rates of up to 85%, suggest that career professionals seeking to engage clients in an initial session and have them return for future sessions - to tell another story - should consider utilizing some of the strategies and interventions included in this study's narrative framework. Recommendations for career professionals seeking to increase client engagement in and after an initial session are provided, such as: elicit client stories, embrace evidence-based approaches, and utilize tools to help clients organize their thinking.

The experiences of graduate engineering students enrolled in a credit-bearing, career management course at a Canadian University were explored from a narrative perspective. Scant literature exists on the outcomes of career planning courses at the graduate level, largely because these classes tend to be aimed at undergraduate students. Individual interviews were conducted with 10 students who completed the semester-length course. The inquiry focused on students' life-career plans and their experiences in the course. Applying social constructivism to career development as a theoretical framework, thematic analysis was used to generate results in the form of three main thematic categories. These categories included: fostering career awareness and exploration skills; finding affiliation with others; and developing optimism and confidence. Findings highlight the benefits for graduate students who are offered opportunities to develop career planning skills through credit bearing courses. Implications for practice, policy, and research exist based on the data analysis, including alternative strategies to incorporate life-career planning skills into graduate-level coursework.

Traditional engineering doctoral programs prepare students for academic work; however, several national reports have highlighted that graduates pursue a wide range of career paths [1, 2]. In Canada and the United States, fewer than 20% of engineering PhDs are employed in tenure-track positions, and in comparison to PhDs from other fields, engineering PhDs are more likely to be employed outside the academy [1, 3]. Doctoral programs provide a transferable skillset that is valuable for many careers, for example, communication, project management, and innovative thinking [4]. Despite this, many PhDs struggle to transition from school to the workforce. This has prompted a number of calls to broaden graduate curriculum to include career development and professional skills training for diverse career options [5, 6]. This paper presents an example of a high intensity, professional preparation initiative, The OPTIONS Program (Opportunities for PhDs: Transitions, Industry Options, Networking and Skills) at the University of Toronto, for PhDs and post-doctoral fellows. In particular, it discusses the program’s development, evaluation, findings, and recommendations. The OPTIONS Program is a non-credit, cohort program for 30 PhDs and post-doctoral fellows. Facilitated by faculty and professional development educators, the program consists of weekly two-hour sessions that take place over eleven weeks. The sessions cover three learning outcomes: 1) reflect on strengths, desires, interests, and personal qualities to formulate an individual development plan; 2) communicate skills and experiences using job search strategies to highlight expertise and personal value; and 3) apply networking tools and labour market resources to identify and clarify career aspirations. In addition to the in-session portion, participants have access to an individual development plan, one-on-one meeting with a professor and career coach, and personalized feedback on their job application material. To foster peer-to-peer support, participants are placed into teams that provide feedback on job application material, and a forum to discuss content and ideas from sessions. Program evaluations show that The OPTIONS Program foster participants who are more confident and optimistic about their future. The most frequently identified program strengths include: learning practical skills for the job search (e.g., resumé writing, interview skills), having structured time for career exploration, joining a community of like-minded individuals, and an opportunity for self-reflection. Participants favoured activities that involved feedback and have a practical, immediate benefit such as resumé writing, informational interviews, and one-on-ones with a professor and career coach. Our findings suggests that The OPTIONS Program provides participants with the time and place to self-reflect, develop a career exploration plan, and refine their job search skills. Faculty and professional development educators should look for ways to incorporate training that allows students to reflect on and translate their skills and experiences to make well-informed career decisions, and effectively position themselves to pursue non-academic careers. References: [1] J. Edge and D. Munro, Inside and Outside the Academy: Valuing and Preparing PhDs for Careers. Ottawa, The Conference Board of Canada, 2015. pp. 22, 54-66. [2] National Science Foundation, “Survey of Doctorate Recipients,” National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/srvydoctoratework/ - tabs-1 [Accessed: Oct 9, 2018]. [3] M. Fiegener, “Number of Doctorates Awarded Continue to Grow in 2009: Indicators of Employment Outcomes Mixed,” National Science Foundation, NSF 11-305, Nov 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf11305/ [Accessed: Oct 9, 2018]. [4] M. Sinche, R. L. Layton, P. D. Brandt, A. B. O’Connell, J. D. Hall, A. M. Freeman, J. R. Harrell, J. G. Cook, and P. J. Brennwald, “An evidence-based evaluation of transferrable skills and job satisfaction for science PhDs,” Plos One, vol. 12, no. 9, pp. 1-16, Sept. 2017. [5] D. Denecke, K. Feaster, and K. Stone, Professional Development: Shaping Effective Programs for STEM Graduate Students, Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools, 2017. [6] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Graduate STEM Education in the 21st Century, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2018.

The paradigm in career counselling is shifting from traditional matching assessments to narrative methods. Storytelling approaches, life design principles, and evidence-based methods of practice are integrating theory into practical tools that career professionals want to use and can easily learn. Evidence of effectiveness of such methods are key to their being implemented, and broad career management variables beyond employment status need to be identified. The retrospective outcome study of one such method reported here explored variables of hope, optimism, resilience, self-efficacy, collectively psychological capital, personal growth, and curiosity and exploration. Participants (N=68) were clients of a busy career management social enterprise. Analyses revealed statistically significant increases in all six career management variables, and identified key correlations with person-job fit, career clarity, and employment status. These results make a case for the continued adoption of narrative methods, and move this particular method into the realm of evidence-based practice.

Narrative and storytelling-based methods for career counseling, advising and coaching are gaining more attention as the career management field shifts from traditional matching assessments to storytelling approaches and life design (Savickas, 2012) principles. Narrative assessment offers an opportunity to fully engage clients by honoring their past, and building their psychological capital (Luthans, Youssef & Avolio, 2006) necessary to navigate a life of transitions. Narrative methods, tools and techniques to bridge theory and practice have been emerging with greater frequency from Cochran's (1997) textbook to Brott's Storied Approach (2001), and from Severy's (2008) techniques to Stebleton's (2010) careful analysis of the strengths and limitations of narrative methods.One such narrative approach, the CareerCycles method of practice, with its conceptual model, suite of tools and holistic definition of "career" comprehensively includes the many human and systemic variables shaping a client's experience. This method of narrative assessment also provides a concrete framework and set of practical and engaging tools to support the career counselor and specialists' ability to engage in useful practice.Introducing a career counseling social enterprise that uses a narrative method of practiceA jobless recovery, corporate reorganizations and problematic underemployment among college graduates create challenges for clients. Yet CareerCycles, a busy career management practice, continues to attract clients seeking to make career choices that lead to increased meaning and purpose in their lives. Don, a CareerCycles client, captured what many clients feel as they search for their next steps, "I don't want to just job search and run around with my resume, I want to know what I want to do with my life" Don, a 55-year old sales manager, was recently terminated due to a business downturn. Career counselors and specialists know that Don isn't alone. Scanning the daily headlines, job loss and transition are increasingly prevalent. What's different is that Don, like many career management clients, is starting to see termination, disengagement or instability as a blessing in disguise (Zikic & Klehe, 2006). Like many clients, at first Don was distressed about his situation and future employment prospects, though after engaging in career counseling Don began to identify and get excited about future possibilities more aligned with his emerging interests. He had been interested in horticulture, and as a means of exploring this career interest he traveled to Scotland to spend time at a world renowned ecovillage, which was a very positive experience for him. With the help of narrative assessment methods, career changers are finding opportunities to make career and life choices that finally "connect their self-concepts to work roles, fit work into life, and make meaning through work" (Hartung, 2013, p. 11).This article reports on a suite of narrative career assessments grounded in a method practice created within a successful private career management practice based in Toronto, Canada. The assessment suite helps clients tell and transform their career and life stories so they can make choices leading to greater possibilities. Yet the question remains: how do clients thoughtfully and successfully make these choices? Amundson's (2003, 2008) notion of a backswing provides an apt metaphor for the narrative process. Sometimes the best way to rebuild energy is to go backward to build momentum. Whether we are swinging a golf club, a broom, or a hammer, there is a need to have a short, focused backswing to build energy. For someone who is unemployed, this might mean a review of past accomplishments and the identification of transferable skills. Of course, a great backswing doesn't amount to much unless there is also a clear focus on a goal and follow-through afterward. (Amundson, 2003, pp.149-150) In career and life, taking a backswing means reviewing the road one has taken to get to the present moment. …

Career Cycles (CC) career counseling framework and method of practice integrates and builds on aspects of positive psychology. Through its holistic and narrative approach, the CC method seeks to collaboratively identify and understand clients' career and life stories. It focuses on their strengths, desires, preferences, assets, future possibilities, and the influence others have had on their choices.