 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 About Us > > > > Frequently Asked Questions
Individuals from every Industry and Workplace They range in age from 22 to 67+. Prior incomes range from Entry Level to Executive Levels. They are Canadians as well as newcomers from all over the world. They include university graduates with B.Sc., B.A. degrees to post Ph.D. training. They also include graduates of a variety of technical schools or with specialized on-the-job experience and training. Our clients are typically hard working, trained, ambitious achievers. Their careers may have been blocked, gone off-track or negatively impacted by personal issues or business changes. They may be dealing with uncertainties or confusion, frustrations or set backs. We usually are able to resolve these issues at the outset of our service and quickly move ahead towards larger, more rewarding goals. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strengths, abilities and potentials are thoroughly assessed. Values, needs, preferences and goals are carefully reviewed. Realistic career options are discovered and evaluated. Our assessments of individual personality, strengths and potentials do not rely just on so-called psychological tests. Instead, we make an in-depth, comprehensive study of the client's history, motivation, values, interests, life-style and aspirations which provide clients with greater personal self-awareness and a foundation for sound planning and personal growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Each has differing needs, abilities, issues and goals. So each client's program is individually designed and carried out with sensitivity to each client's requirements. We work hard for our clients to help make their work better, more satisfying and more rewarding. We are happy to meet with prospective clients to determine the appropriateness of our services and to answer your questions. We deliver quality services and results on a highly competitive and individualized basis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. Our complete programs guarantee successful interviews and job offers provided you attend scheduled sessions, cooperate and do your part in following up on our suggestions. Occasionally (about five percent of the time), our initial efforts do not produce adequate results. When this occurs, we stand ready to continue our efforts on your behalf until positive results are achieved. No matter how difficult your situation is, we will work with you until you are successful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes. Some clients find major value in our Personal Assessment and Career Planning services, others just need help with contacts, an improved strategic résumé or interview coaching. Your Career Advisor can help you select the services most beneficial for you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are currently employed, much depends on your time availability. Many job finding campaigns are completed in a matter of weeks, often with the job seeker selecting from several offers. This includes many individuals who have looked fruitlessly on their own for months. Of course, for certain professional fields or higher level positions, the period of interviews and negotiations may take longer before you select the best possible offer. Usually, successful job finding is accomplished in less than half the time it would require on your own. If you are unemployed, this is important, both to your morale and your finances. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our fees are very competitive for comparable services. Should your short term financial circumstances present a problem, we can help you through payment terms or financial aid. CareerPlan's Career Advisors are here to help you select the program or service mix that best meets your personal needs and to structure an affordable arrangement to pay for our services. If you need and want our help, we will usually find a way of providing it within your means. Clients find our programs to be one of the best investments they have ever made. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you learn the basic techniques of successful job finding and how to apply them to yourself and your goals, you will have developed a lifetime skill which you can use again and again to advance your career in future years. If you again find yourself without adequate advancement opportunity, in a frustrating, boring or dead-end situation, or unemployed, you will know exactly how to proceed to make a positive and successful change. And, you will be able to re-use all of your job finding materials (letters, executive contact lists, résumés, interview aids) with just some minor updating. Statistics indicate that the average person will be seeking employment at least four times in his/her adult life. You will have clearer, more realistic goals. You will obtain appropriate job offers more quickly. You are more likely to get multiple offers from which you can choose. You will probably get more earnings and fringe benefits. You will approach the task of job seeking with more confidence and less stress. You are more likely to move in the best direction and at a level consistent with your real abilities, needs and aspirations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When clients are married or partnered in life, we also counsel with and take into account the feelings, needs and issues of the partners and the practical considerations of the relationship. Today, when so many couples have dual careers, this can be especially important. And, periods of crisis or change often place new strains on relationships. Distress often saps energy and motivation. So it is equally vital to deal with each individual's issues of self-esteem, resolving uncertainties, confusions and angers quickly to enable the client to move on to a more stable situation with optimism and energy. We take into account and provide assistance with family budget realities to help clients plan their expenses and debt handling during periods of lost income. Our fee arrangements are also sensitive to budget realities. And, because our program is proactive, intense and effective, most clients find their new positions in far less time than is usually required. As a result, our fees are often less than other approaches which may needlessly require many more months. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our services are provided with full assurance of confidentiality. Where appropriate, we can provide direct communication with employers on our client's behalf while maintaining confidentiality until there is a sound basis for the parties to meet. Special services are designed for those who live some distance from Vancouver and can come here only infrequently. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is the difference between your services and an agency? An employment agency works primarily in the interest of the organization and are paid on a commission basis. They are are a source of job opportunities in the search process once an individual has completed a transition program and is fully prepared and able to present themselves and their skills and experience effectively. Our job ends only when our client has improved their situation and are happy with their work. We are paid on a fixed fee basis on behalf of the individual client, not on a commission from an organization. This aligns our interests directly with the individual client. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Given the client's availability and cooperation, we have been consistently successful in achieving positive results over 15,000 times since 1975. We offer a guarantee of availability during the first two years, should new problems develop. Fewer than two percent of our clients have requested this service. Contracts, obligations and guarantees are clearly spelled out. Each program is under the direct supervision of a Career Consultant, each of whom has many years of experience providing individual assessment and career assistance. They are backed by a full time staff of professionals who, together, are experienced and knowledgeable in almost all fields of work. All of this experience is brought to bear in solving individual career problems. Our goal is not simply to get people into new jobs quickly. Equally important is discovering each person's untapped potential and aspirations and to help in choosing the best positions. We offer Canada's most experienced staff specializing in individual assessment and development, career planning and relocation counselling. We specialize in high achieving or aspiring executives, managers, administrators, professionals, well-trained technical people and businessmen and women. We are not an employment agency. We are a professional counseling service offering guidance, assistance and resources to enable each client to best set and achieve their goals. Our goal is maximizing career and personal achievement. We never charge fees for placement to either the individual or the organization ; our fees and payment terms are set in advance based on services required. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have found that few individuals know how to accomplish each of the basic job finding steps without experienced guidance and assistance. Sometimes your goal may be too high, too low, too narrow, too broad, or it misses the mark by not being stated in the same terms as management is using in their recruitment. Some people know what their proper goals and values are, but do not know where to look or how to present themselves. Others know where to look, but are not communicating their goals and abilities in terms that are meaningful to the employer. Only to the degree that you follow all of the basic steps to effective job finding, will you usually be able to pick your job and land it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We will not promise you a specific salary. Your compensation will ultimately be determined by the marketplace and how well you have presented yourself. In terms of salary alone, typically we find that a properly conducted job campaign combined with personal development often results in salary gains of fifteen percent or higher. Of equal importance, our clients find greater satisfaction in both their work and personal lives. We will accept you as a client only if we believe you have the abilities and motivation to make a positive career move to enhance your situation while in your current employment. Our work together with you will be directed toward career and personal improvement through enabling you to better meet your needs and to help you make your career search and development less frustrating and speedier with better and happier results. |
 We make an in-depth, comprehensive study of the client's history, motivation, values, interests, life-style and aspirations which provide clients with greater personal self-awareness and a foundation for sound planning and personal growth. "... It may well have been the best investment I will ever make ... I have gained a greater recognition of both my positive traits and those that may have been something of a hindrance in the past. The net result is that I feel much more comfortable about myself, both in my personal life and in my quest for a new career ..." Sales Manager, Paper Industry "... I was extremely frustrated and felt boxed in as a teacher. At this time I am working as a marketing representative. I view this position as a positive step toward a long and fruitful career in the business community ... I have the confidence to pursue direction, something the counselors facilitated greatly ..." (Former Teacher) Now Marketing Representative
|
