Resources for Practice
16-May-2005
Writing a CV is a crucial turning point in the guidance or work choice process for a number of reasons: not least because it represents the point at which an individual chooses to "go public" in the presentation of self in everyday life.
I am currently working with advice-resources, the national resource service for Next Steps Agencies, to develop a specification for a CV writing program or web site, that would work expecially in contexts where personal help was not available from a guidance practitioner or adviser. The definition can include tools to support the development and writing of a CV, the covering letter, the completion of an application form etc.
The aim is to get as many views as possible from practitioners and end-users as to what they would want such a tool to do for them / their clients, and I have developed three questionnaires (for practitioners, pre-level 2 users, level 2+ users. I have to write a report on this in mid-July and would welcome any completed questionnaires anyone may be able to fill in for me or can get filled in for me by their clients etc. This is in addition to a formal postal survey.
I attach copies of the questionnaire for practitioners/adv isers, and for level2+ end-users. If you feel like downloading them or can get anyone else to do so, please return the completed questionaires to me marcusoffer@postmaster.co.uk by the end of June/ beginning July 2005, to ensure you have an impact on this research.
In addition, if you or your organisation already produces or uses such a tool I would be delighted to hear more from you as one of the things I have to do is draw up a list of those who should be invited to tender for the production of such a tool , if it is decided that a new one is actually needed for work with adult guidance seekers.
I also welcome all comments or criticisms....
Marcus Offer, NICEC
Guidanceforum.net - out of date
12-December-2004
Note my message on the next level up, that this list is now wildly out of date and only usable as a model of how websites might be categorised as contributing to guidance outcomes (using the DOTS model in this case). I have no resources to update the list nor access to the page to take it down,(this also illustrates the need to note the date last reviewed on a web page!)
but a related list is also available at http://www.careersoft.co.uk/mainpage.htm developed by Careersoft from my original DOTSMARKS list, and aimed at practitioners working with young people. They are now responsible for updating and maintaining it.
The point of such a list is to demonstrate the need to relate, and possiblity of relating, web-based and ICT-based resources to the outcomes we wish to achieve in guidance, in order to justify using them in certain contexts in preference to other resources: it is not axiomatic that one should always use an ICT-based resource if something else would deliver the same outcome more effectively or efficiently, and unless you identify the outcomes the ICT-based resource are intended to deliver, how can you decide whether to use them or not? This leads on to the point that the use or non-use of ICT/Web-based resources in guidance, is a guidance issue, not a technical issue and requires guidance skills, not technical skills in the first instance - using the Web does not excuse one from applying the same professional guidance skills and knowledge one uses to select resources in other media!!
Marcus Offer, NICEC
Need for update on the Guidanceforum website
12-December-2004
Please note that my list of web sites on www.guidanceforum.net has not been updated for a couple of years and should only be used as a model of the approach to analysis and catgorisation of web sites against guidance outcomes: many of the links are now dead or better replaced by more up to date ones. I have no resources at present to maintain this page.
A related list is also accessible at http://www.careersoft.co.uk/mainpage.htm (and click on Webliinks from the left hand side menu, where Careersoft have taken over an earlier version of my DOTSMARKS list, and adapted it for use with younger people.
Marcus Offer
