Being the Best

For the BC Public Service

CareerPlanning

Workbook

B E I N G T H E B E S T

Plan, Learn, and Experience 4

Using Your Career Planning Workbook 5

First Things First: Discover Yourself 6Identify Your Preferred Job Characteristics 7Examine Your Strengths 8Which Abilities Do You Enjoy Using? 8What About Your Interests? 10What Have You Learned From Failure? 11

Phase One: Plan: Prepare For Success 12Step One Determine Your Strengths 12Step Two Get Input From Your Supervisor 13

Step Three Be Curious! Do Some Networking 15Step Four Think About Your Potential Career Path 17

Choose A Career Path Within The BC Public Service 17Check Out @YourService 18 Career Profile 19

Step Five Organize Your Plan And Enter It Into Your EPDP 20Organize Your Plan 21Review Your Plan With Your Supervisor 23Enter Your Plan Into Your EPDP 23

Phase Two: Learn: Build Knowledge And Skills 24Step One Identify Areas You’d Like To Develop 24Step Two Identify Activities That Address The Need 26

Step Three Set Realistic Timelines 26Corporate Learning Programs 27Other Learning Programs 29Ministry Specific Learning Programs 29

Phase Three: Experience: Enhance Your Skills 30Self-Development Opportunities 31

Career Planning Reading List 33

Career Planning Online Resources 34

Workbook

Career Planning

FOR THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE

A message fromJessica McDonald, Deputy Minister to the Premier, Head of the BC Public Service

Plan, Learn, and Experience

W E W A N T Y O U T O S U C C E E D

Whether you’re new to the public service or you’ve worked within government for many years, we believe that career developmentis important. That’s why it’s such a fundamental element of our Corporate HR Plan, Being the Best, which states that the BC PublicService wants “to put more focus on requiring every employee to have a strong career path so the BC Public Service can identify anddevelop those with broad interests and potential.”While having a career path will mean different things for different people, thefoundation for success is rooted in one simple idea: your career development is driven by you. Managing your career is a continuous process that typically includes these elements:

PlanThe planning section is where you begin your journey. Effective planning allows you to understand and learn about your interests, strengths and weaknesses and chart what learning and experiences you need to achieve your goals.

LearnHere you begin to research and discover what learning opportunities exist and how your strengths andinterests factor into those opportunities. The more information you seek out, the closer you will cometo identifying areas where you want to invest your time and energy to develop.

ExperienceThere are many ways to put into practice the different skills, knowledge and competencies youhave developed. With support from your supervisor, you can look into project work, volunteerfor committee work or temporary/developmental assignments to enhance your effectiveness and efficiency.

Helping our employees to grow and develop professionally greatly contributes to our goal of ‘Being the Best’. I hope you enjoy working through the ideas and exercises supplied in this Career Planning Workbook.

Using Your Career PlanningWorkbook

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

This Career Planning Workbook is intended to provide a resource for all BC Public Service employees to supportyou in managing and developing your career. It includes a number of exercises that are aimed at stimulating ideasthat will help you to determine your career development goals, as well as to establish a clear plan to help you

successfully achieve them!

One of the core elements of career development is the idea that the process belongs to you. No one is more qualified than you to figure outwhat’s in your best interests in terms of the direction that your career will take and the best time to make those course changes. This bookletalso incorporates the ways in which we, as your employer, will support you in your career development. This includes highlighting how youcan best utilize your supervisor’s support in developing your career plan. It also identifies many other organizational resources at your disposal and how you can take advantage of them.

Please remember, however, that while your supervisor can provide support and guidance, it is you that has to consider this input and thendetermine if you’re going to act upon it. The public service can provide many different learning and experiential opportunities, but youmust decide if or how you will take advantage of them. In essence, you are the “driver” in your career development journey!

This booklet uses a number of “best-practices” typically used by virtually all career coaches and follows a step-by-step format. Allyou need to do is to go through the exercises in a thoughtful way. To do this, it’s best to find a quiet, comfortable place where youcan reflect on the questions being asked, so that you can properly consider your answers. Take your time. You don’t have to do all of the exercises in one sitting.

The exercises in this booklet are designed to help you stimulate ideas and help start conversations. Remember, as with mostthings in life, you get back what you put in. If you invest the time to go through the exercises in a thoughtful way, you will likely dis-cover things about yourself and your career that you might not have thought of before…that’s exciting!

This booklet is also available online. Please go to @Your Service and click on the Careers & Hiring link in the Information column on the left side of the screen.

B E I N G T H E B E S T

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There’s an old saying that states that knowledge is power. This is especiallytrue when it comes to finding a career that excites you. Before you can

make any decisions about career direction, it’s important to know what drivesyou…what inspires you. The more you’re inspired and motivated at work, themore successful and happy you’re likely to be in your job.

Define What Success Means For YouDefining success is important because a successful career maymean different things to different people. For some, success isbased on advancement or job titles. For others, it might berelated to salary and benefits. For some, it’s the level to whichtheir skills are advanced. And to some, it may revolve aroundmaking a clear contribution to society.

How can you find out what inspires you? One way is to make sure that the key characteristics of the job match-up favourably to the things that are most important toyou at work. You could call these the “characteristics”that you’d most like to have in your job.

Knowing these characteristics before you start yourcareer planning will give you a sense of what to look forin a job when you’re ready to start examining potential career paths.

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ShaunaAssistant Deputy Minister

Discover Yourself!FIRST THINGS FIRST

JOB CHARACTERISTICS IMPORTANT FAIRLY IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT

15. Loyalty is valued in the organization16. Allows me to make important decisions17. Mobility: can move to other locales18. Multi-cultural affiliation19. Can exercise power and authority20. Involves precision–detailed work21. Gives me a sense of prestige22. Recognition from colleagues/superiors23. Job stability24. Good relationship with supervisor25. Time freedom – flexible hours26. Opportunities for travel27. Allows me to work w/ others most of the time28. Allows me to work alone most of the time

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JOB CHARACTERISTICS IMPORTANT FAIRLY IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT

1. Affiliation/friendships with co-workers2. Alignment w/boss’s expectations3. Artistic creativity4. Working autonomously/independently5. Work offers change and variety6. Activity with my community7. Healthy competition between departments8. Excellent employee benefits9. Allows me to help others/impact society

10. Can influence people positively11. Intellectually challenging work12. Leaving a positive legacy13. Physical work environment/office space14. Location is close to home

Identify Your Preferred Job CharacteristicsUse this table to help you determine which of these 28 job characteristics are most important to you:

Adapted from Right Management Consultants ‘Career Survey’ Jot down the ten job characteristics that are most important to you:

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

Examine Your StrengthsKnowing your interests and abilities allows you to take stock of your core strengths.When your natural strengths are fully utilized at work, it increases the likelihood of you feeling satisfied and engaged.

Which Abilities Do You Enjoy Using?

Knowing how to move forward in your career really begins with an honest evaluation of your abilities. When you get a better awareness of yourself alongthese lines, you’ll be in a much better position to make good career choices.

One of the most important considerations in thinking about your future path is thenotion of using the abilities that you actually like to use. We all have many abilities, butsometimes our work requires us to use abilities that we don’t enjoy using. So, why not try to visualize a career in which you get to use those skills that you actually enjoy using? The next few exercises can help you to determine what those abilities may be for you.

From the list below, place a checkmark beside the abilities you like to use:MY ABILITIES GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ABILITIES LIKE DOING DON’T LIKE DOING

1. Research research, observe, investigate, study, perceive, sense, measure, test, inspect, examine

2. Analysis analyze, compare, extract, correlate, derive, evaluate, differentiate, identify

3. Interpretation interpret, explain, understand, portray, advise, deduce, read-between-the-lines

4. Problem-Solving solve, trouble-shoot, improve, critique, re-direct, redesign, restructure

5. Systematizing systematize, coordinate, organize, develop procedures, bring together

6. Planning plan long-term, plan short-term, forecast, strategize, set goals

7. Management manage, supervise, control, direct, budget, administer, delegate, cope, administer

8. Leadership lead, show the way, govern, inspire, motivate, assert, decide, advise

9. Initiative take the initiative, be among the first to do or try

8

Adapted from Right Management Consultants ‘Career Survey’

Continued on the next page

MY ABILITIES GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ABILITIES LIKE DOING DON’T LIKE DOING

10. Flexibility be flexible, adapt easily to change, be “politically” aware

11. Innovation innovate, invent, change, develop, devise, break with convention

12. Team Player work well with a team, be a team player when necessary

13. Vision ask “what if?” or “why not?” then act to find the answer; “see” the future

14. Synthesis synthesize, adapt, bring together with imagination, fuse, produce

15. Listening listen actively, understand the message others are delivering

16. Written Presentation write clearly, concisely and effectively; eye for grammatical errors; editorial ability

17. Verbal Presentation speak clearly, concisely and effectively; use the spoken word to get results

18. Persuasion persuade, convince, influence, overcome opposition, sell, win over

19. Negotiation mediate, intervene, resolve differences, arbitrate

20. Imagination imagine, visualize, conceptualize, fantasize, picture

Adapted from Right Management Consultants ‘Career Survey’

Jot down seven or eight abilities that you most like to use:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.7.

8.

9

There are a number of tools that can help you to assess your skills and abilities. Please see the Resources section on pages 33-34 of this workbook to find out more

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What About Your Interests? It makes sense that there’s a greater likelihood of achieving job satisfaction if you’re doing things that you actually enjoy doing! So give some thought to your work-related experiences over the past year. List the three or four activities that you enjoyed most during that time and the reason(s) why:

Now consider your entire professional career (and include your educational career if you’re new to the world of work). In which jobs/assignments did you find the greatest interest and satisfaction:

ACTIVITIES I’VE ENJOYED MOST OVER THE PAST YEAR THE REASON I ENJOYED THIS ACTIVITY

1.

2.

3.

4.

JOBS IN MY CAREER THAT PROVIDED THE MOST SATISFACTION THE REASON THIS JOB WAS SO SATISFYING/REWARDING

1.

2.

3.

What Have You Learned From Failure?Everyone has, at some point, worked in a job or been assigned a task where we didn’t succeed. That’s OK – we can learn a great deal from failure. This is also true to finding the right career path. Sometimes, the way to determine where we would like to go, is to rule out the place we want to avoid!

So take a moment and consider your entire professional career (and include your educational career if you’re new to the world of work). Jot down two experiences in which you didn’t succeed; and beside it, write down the reason(s) that contributed to that failure:

So…what did you learn from those unsuccessful experiences – either about yourself or the work – and how will you use this information in your currentcareer planning process?

Are there certain job functions or assignments that you’ll avoid in future? If so, jot them down here:

JOB / ASSIGNMENT IN WHICH I DIDN’T SUCCEED WHY NOT?

1.

2.

3.

4.

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As you learn more about yourself, it’s important to keep track of your findings. Using a career planning booklet like this one can help. It keeps your notes and findings all in one place so that they can be easily referenced again and again. It’s also important to remember

that career planning is not something that is done once or only at certain times of the year. Instead, this booklet should be viewed as anongoing, “living” document that is regularly adjusted to meet your changing needs and progress.

This booklet is designed to provide you an easy, step-by-step process that will help you get a clear picture of how best to develop your career.

Determine Your StrengthsIn the first column of the following chart, list the activities/jobs in your career that have been most interesting to you. Use the Interests charton page 10 to jog your memory. Next, give some thought to the skills that you used that made each job so appealing. Then in the middlecolumn, write down those skills/competencies that you used in those particular jobs that made them so enjoyable for you. In the lastcolumn, jot down the top abilities that you checked off in the chart on page nine.

THINGS I LIKED FROM PREVIOUS JOBS SKILLS I USED THAT MADE THOSE JOBS INTERESTING MY TOP ABILITIES FROM PAGE NINE

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Prepare for SuccessPHASE ONE: PLAN

Asking for input during this “self-discovery process” can give you additional insights that will inform your decision-makingregarding next steps in your career. This can include speaking to a mentor, a career counsellor, a human resources manager, a work colleague and even friends and family members. Remember, the more information you seek out, the closer you will come to more accurately identifying areas in which you will want to invest your time and energy to develop.

Do you see any themes emerging? By this point, you will typically begin to see some overlap between the skills that you’ve used in yourcareer that made a particular job(s) enjoyable and the abilities that you like to use. That’s good! These overlapping items tend to identify the key strengths that you enjoy using day-to-day. Take a moment to jot down your top five strengths here:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Get Input From Your SupervisorOne of the most important things to remember about this journey is that you don’t have to take it alone! Your supervisor can offer coaching and support to assist you in your career development process. He or she can help you to align your learning goals with corporatedirection and even alert you to opportunities or resources that you may not be aware of. Please remember, however, that this processbelongs to you. Your supervisor can provide support and guidance, however, it is ultimately up to you to consider this input and thendetermine if you’re going to act upon it.

These questions might be helpful in getting this conversation started

n What would you say are my key strengths? 13

n What skills should I build on?

n What would you suggest as a potential career path?

n Which items from my previous EPDPs should I consider in examining my potential career paths?

n Are there any developmental opportunities that come to mind that you think would be helpful for me?

n Who else should I speak to that could help me in this process?

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Be Curious! Do Some “Networking”

Another way to find out about how to explore your career potential within the BC Public Service is to “network” with some of your colleagues. If you think you might be interested in a particular job-type or if you’re curious about working within a different ministry, you might want to go on an “interest interview” with someone who works in your area of interest. Having this sort of conversation will allow you to find out more about what interest or career-potential might be there for you.

Ask questions such as:

n What would a typical day look like in your work unit? (i.e., fast-paced, lots of variety, work to plan)

n How would you describe the culture here? (i.e., teamwork, leadership style, flexibility, politics)

n What are the most challenging aspects of the work? (i.e., competing priorities, change management)

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n How is career development viewed here? (i.e., professional development, stretch projects, mentors)

n What do you like most about working here?

Why?

n Are there other people that you think I should talk to within your organization?

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Think About Your Potential Career PathBy now, you’ve gathered much important information about yourself and have confirmed your findings with other key stakeholders. You’ve also had an opportunity to talk to others about their own career choices. You are likely starting to get a sense of the types work that you think would be satisfying and rewarding to you.

Choose a Career Path Within the BC Public Service

One of the things that makes the BC Public Service such a great place to work is the number of career opportunities that it provides. Offering 200 different jobs in 280 communities, we are the largest employer in the province!

To help you in researching those opportunities, we’ve developed a Career Profiles section within our @Your Service website that providesimportant information about key career streams within the BC Public Service. These paths include:

CAREER PATH MOST INTERESTING FAIRLY INTERESTING NOT INTERESTING

1. Social Services2. Communications3. Project Management4. Information Technology/Information Management5. Administrative Services6. Policy, Research and Economics7. Compliance and Enforcement8. Security9. Finance

10. Leadership and Supervisory/Management11. Scientific and Technical12. Human Resources13. Court and Judicial Services 14. Education Services15. Health Services

Why is it so important to get all this feedback?It’s always important to check out whether your self-perceptions are consistent with what other key people have to say. This includes your supervisor, peers, clients or people who work for you.

JasonParattack Crewleader

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Most of these key streams are, and will continue to be, in high demand. Which career paths are most interesting to you?

Check Out @Your Service

Within our @Your Service website, you’ll find a Careers & Hiring link in the Infor-mation column on the left side of the screen. Click on this link and once inside,you’ll see a Career Development section that houses numerous resources, including alarge number of “career profiles”. Each profile describes the core elements of thetypes of jobs that you could pursue within each career path. You can use thisinformation to determine if that particular type of work fits with yourinterests, skills and qualifications. On the following page is anexample of one of the many profiles currently listed on the site.

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CAREER PROFILE

Financial OfficerSalary Range: Approximately $41,000 to $80,000 annually

Job Summary

Are you someone who thrives in a challenging field where you can apply your financial expertise? As a Financial Officer in the BC PublicService you would be responsible for planning, executing and controlling accounting, budgetary and financial management practices, systems and procedures towards the efficient and effective operation of government programs and activities. Financial Officers providefunctional direction and advice on the control and use of financial resources. Various job opportunities exist across all ministries, boards, agencies and commissions of the BC Public Service. Some of these positions may include the following:n Financial Analyst n Financial Procedures Analyst n Collections Officern Budget Analyst n Supervisor of Accounts Payable n Collections Officern Revenue Analyst n Accounting Policy Analyst n Auditorn Finance and Administration Officer n Financial Systems Officer n Audit Team Leader

On the Job

At work, Financial Officers:n Maintain accounting records and systems, prepare financial statements, and compile financial statistics; n Establish or maintain procedures and controls for the identification, claiming, collection and recording of revenues and public money; n Develop, establish and improve financial administration policies, accounting systems and procedures; n Provide functional direction and advice on the control and use of financial resources and on the solution of financial and

accounting problems; n Estimate financial requirements to carry out programs and activities; n Analyze revenues and expenditures in relation to current budgets and long-range forecasts and perform budget monitoring, analysis,

forecasting and reporting; n Supervise accounts payable processing for the ministry and multiple supported entities; n Verify account and payment requisitioning procedures to ensure that payments are made in accordance with legislation, policies

and regulations; andn Conduct financial analysis of business enterprises, municipal governments, boards and commissions to determine conformity

with statutory requirements, and provide consultative services related to ministry financial policies and procedures.

Projected Openings

Currently, there are approximately 934 Financial Officers in the BC Public Service with an average age of 46.1 years. The projected retirement rate is 18.7% over the next five years and 37.7% over the next 10 years.*Assuming there is no shift in the priorities of the BC Public Service, this field could have as many as 352 openings over the next 10 years.

*Source data is the Workforce Planning Branch, June, 2008

Education and Experience

Education and experience are determined by the type and complexity of the position. Requirements can range from the completion of at least a second level of CA, CGA or CMA or equivalent with at least two years related experience or a two-year diploma or certificate in a recognized financial management/accounting program and at least two years related experience in a professional accounting designation(CA, CGA, CMA) and a number of years experience (e.g. five years experience in accounting or auditing).

Competencies

n Expertise n Planning, Organizing and Co-ordinating n Analytical Thinking

Go to @Your Service and click on the Careers & Hiring link to view some of your favourite career profiles.

Assemble Your Plan and Enter It Into Your EPDPBy this point, you’re likely starting to get a sense of the types of career choices that may be of interest to you. You’re also probably getting a sense of the skill-sets that you’ll need to succeed in those chosen paths.

The question now, is, “What do I need to do to get me there?” The answer is: you need a plan! Having a career plan in place is like having a GPS unit to help you plan out the route you’d like to take.

Putting a plan in place starts with organizing yourself. First, you’ll need to review your answers to the questions in this booklet to make sureyou’ve captured all of your key information. It’s easier to review your key responses if they’re all in one place.

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Organize Your Plan

To assist you with this, we’ve set aside the next couple of pages for you to re-enter your responses to the various exercises in this booklet:

n Job characteristics that are important to me (copy your entries from page 7)

n My seven or eight top abilities I like to use the most. (copy your entries from page 9)1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

n The work-related activities I enjoyed most in the last year (copy your entries from page 10)

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n The jobs in my career in which I found my greatest satisfaction (copy your entries from page 10)

n The functions and/or assignments that I’d avoid in future (copy your entries from page 11)

n My top five strengths (copy your entries from page 13)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

n The career paths that interest me the most (copy your entries from page 18)

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Review Your Plan With Your Supervisor

Before you enter your plan into your EPDP, it would also be helpful to get a final, objective perspective to gauge yourthinking. Once again, the best person to do this is your supervisor. Engaging your supervisor throughout this processwill help both of you establish a mutual understanding about where you’d like to take your career. It will also give youan opportunity to have an honest dialogue about the best ways to get there. Your supervisor can be an important guide in this journey as she/he can make you aware of resources or opportunities that you hadn’t considered.

To help facilitate this discussion with your supervisor, you can print out those pages in this booklet where you’ve organized all your key answers (see pages 21-22). Give your supervisor some time to review before your meeting. This way, she/he will be able to give some thought to your findings and be better prepared for your meeting(s).

Enter Your Plan Into Your EPDP

Your EPDP should be used to keep track of your development goals, establish appropriate deadlines for completion, as well as provide opportunities to regularly check-in to ensurethat you’re on course. In fact, the e.Performance tool that we use for our EPDPs providesstructure for these activities by giving you places to document “action steps”, as well asorganizing your objectives into short-termor long-term goals.

Remember, even the best plans encounter obstacles at times. When this happens,don’t be discouraged. Be flexible. Talk to your supervisor. Modify your plan if you feel you must, but don’t lose sight of your goals! 23

RayneConservation Officer

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The knowledge and skills that we had when we began work are typically not sufficient to take us through our entire career. In fact, aHudson Institute survey, Workforce 2020, warns that by 2020, 60% of jobs will require skills that only 20% of today’s population now has.

One of the best ways to further develop your career is to build on your existing knowledge and skills and/or develop new skill-sets. Doing so will help you feel more confident and better prepared to deal with a fast changing workplace.

Once again, the best place to start is having a conversation with your supervisor. He or she will work with you to ensure that you’ll achieveyour learning goals, by following these three key steps that can be incorporated into your EPDP.

Identify One or Two Areas You’d Most Like To Developn State your goal in specific terms. Goals like “being a better project leader” are too vague. A more focused goal might be:

“I would like to improve how I go about planning a project”.

Build knowledge and skillsPHASE TWO: LEARN

Check it out!There are many potential developmental opportunities within

the BC Public Service. See pages 31 and 32 of this booklet for opportunities that you might want to discuss with your supervisor.

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n Ensure clarity around the nature of your need. For instance, is your developmental need knowledge-based i.e., related to information that youneed to acquire? If so, jot down some ideas for building your knowledge in this area:

n Is your need skills-based i.e., wanting to improve a specific ability such as facilitation skills, policy-writing skills? If so, list some ideas for increasing these skills:

n Or is your need experience based i.e., you need more involvement in a given project? If so, note how you will go about getting this experience:

Identify Activities That Address the Needn Does your goal require specific education or training? If so, identify the course(s) you need.

n What are the potential obstacles to you completing these activities? (It might be helpful to get your supervisor’s input on this question, so as to get his/her support on a plan to overcome these obstacles).

Set Realistic Timelinesn Schedule target dates for completion and set checkpoints for you and your supervisor to review progress along the way.

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Corporate Learning Programs

Learning Services Branch

Whether you’re a new employee or you’ve been with government for many years, there are always opportunities to learn. For instance, the Learning Services Branch of the BC Public Service Agency offers numerous learning programs, all aimed at assisting you in furtheringyour career. These programs include programs specific knowledge and skill areas such as: n New Employee Orientation n Financial Management n Human Resources Management n Leadership and Management n Contract Management n Information and Technology n Project Management and Procurement

Welcome to the BC Public Service

New employees can participate in a great corporate orientation program called Welcome to the Public Service. Here, you can learn about theBC Public Service by meeting and networking with people from many different ministries. The guest speakers who participate in this programgive very valuable insights as to how their careers began within the public service, highlighting the many different career paths that exist within this organization.

“It was a great opportunity to hear people talk about their experiences in the BC Public Service; hearing how their careers began and where they work provided good insight.”

Financial Management

As public servants see their roles in government expand, an increasing number of positions will require basic financial knowledge. Our finance training provides public servants in non-finance positions with basic knowledge and skills and offers finance professionals skillsbeyond balancing budgets. We also offer a para-professional accounting designation for dedicated finance personnel.

“Really good government financial overview - a great orientation course for all government employees”

Human Resources Management

Human resources management courses provide public servants and human resource practitioners with the competencies needed to establish,maintain and enhance productive working environments, in accordance with collective agreements, legislation and human resources policies and procedures.

“I attended the EPDP: Establishing Quality Performance Plans to assist myself and my reports to have effective EPDPs and to assist them in achieving a successful career in the public service.”

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Leadership and Management

As more senior employees retire, more senior positions will become vacant. We recognize the importance of providing the successors tothese positions with leadership and management skills. Leading the Way helps current and future leaders learn methods to coach, educateand support employees in dealing with continual change, rising to challenges, anticipating problems and coming up with innovative ideas for greater productivity.

“The entire session was extremely well delivered and is probably the most enjoyable and most effective session I have been to.”

Information and Technology

Part of working effectively is using the technology and software available in the most productive and advantageous way. The Learning Services Branch provides information and technology courses on business architecture, business analysis and information software forinformation services professionals. These courses focus on core technology management and systems administration.

“This course met business needs and career goals.”“I'm working in a strategic branch and this course applied to my career path.”

Project Management

The Project Management program is designed for employees who have project management responsibilities. Build and enhance your project management skills through a variety of learning programs. In addition, periodic forums for current project managers offer the lead-ing edge in project management best practices. Participation in the program yields a comprehensive project management experience,including early stages of defining project scope, requirements, developing work breakdown structures, risk management, communicationsmanagement, change control, and closeout.

“Good mix of lecture, exercises, etc. The best part of the course was hearing what other people and other ministries are doing, sharing lessons learned and making contacts.”

Procurement and Contract Management

As the purchase of goods and services is increasingly employed by government, public servants must be equipped to assess risks, arrangebids and manage contracts. By training and preparing public servants to make procurement and contract management decisions, cost andservice efficiency is increased.

“The knowledge obtained in this course enables me to improve the overall efficiency of my area in specific and the ministry contract management in general.”

Other Learning Programs

BC Government Mentoring Program

Another valuable program to help you with your career development is the BC Government Mentoring Program. Our corporate mentoring program provides employees with the opportunity to develop one-to-one relationships or partnerships with knowledgeable mentors.Mentoring encourages individuals to actively pursue careers in the government by linking them with people already established in their field or in other areas of interest who can act as role models and advisors.

“The best thing about government is the people and the mentoring program gives you access to the best of the best.”

Pacific Leaders Program

The BC Public Service also recognizes that employees might want to develop their skills through ongoing adult education. To support employees’ learning needs, the public service offers the Pacific Leaders Program where employees may access up to a maximum of $5,000 per year for undergraduate degree, diploma and certificateprograms and $7,500 per year for master’s or PhD programs to be for tuition and books in areas that alignwith government's current and future skill needs.

“It is a privilege to work for an employer that encourages education and professional development. Over the past two years, the scholarship has supported my continuing education in human resources.”

Ministry Specific Learning ProgramsGiven the diversity of work done within the BC Public Service, many ministries willoffer training courses and programs specifically focused on their own unique needs.Participating in such structured learning can be very valuable if your choice of careerpath involves movement within a specific ministry. Speak to your supervisor or manager to find out what types of training your ministry is currently offering.

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SergioPerformance Management Analyst

Enhance your skillsPHASE THREE: EXPERIENCE

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There are a number of ways in which you can developyour potential, including taking advantage of the

opportunities that exist within the BC Public Service.Talk to your supervisor about how you can utilize any ofthe activities below – or even a combination of activities– to meet your identified learning and developmentalneeds. By doing so, you’ll be ready for new opportuni-ties when they develop!

Taking control of your career requires you tohave the curiosity to search out new ways ofincreasing your experience. It also takes courageto stretch your horizons by trying differentthings. Put simply, increasing your experienceincreases the likelihood of a challenging and rewarding career path within the BC Public Service.

We want to help you experience

your potential.

For greater detail on the opportunities highlighted in the diagram, see pages 31 and 32.

Self-Development Opportunities

1. Coaching

Coaching involves specific on-the-job advice and support that helps the individual convert formal training on a given topic, into day-to-day practice. As such it is oriented to the specific tasks of the job. Whether you’re interested in receiving additional coaching or in becoming a coach, you should speak to your supervisor to get more information as to how coaching might advance your career.

2. Mentoring

Mentoring is less focused on day-to-day functions but rather is aimed at providing advice and support to the employee who is in the midstof exploring career-related options. Mentors encourage individuals to actively pursue careers in the government by linking them withpeople already established in their field or in other areas of interest who can act as role models and advisors. Mentors do not normally provide job-specific knowledge and skills.

3. Temporary Assignments

Temporary assignments is a broad term that includes different kinds of new work assignments. It can include substitutions, a formalassignment for a specific length of time, secondments, or other kinds of role changes. Generally, we define the term temporary assignmentas a time-limited role change within the public service. Temporary employee development assignments within and between ministries areintended to: broaden the experience of employees; help create more rewarding careers for those interested; develop skills through expo-sure to new challenges; and assist government in enhancing horizontal integration and cross-government, citizen-centred approaches.

Temporary assignments are posted regularly and can be found on the @Your Service website.

4. Job Shadowing

Spending a day or two “shadowing” another person is a great way of getting to know what it’s like to work in a different area. It offers a real-world snapshot of a potential area of interest. Speak to your supervisor about this interesting way to increase yourknowledge and experience in one of your areas of interest.

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5. Job Rotations

A job rotation involves two people who typically work within the same work unit or the same field of work (e.g., human resources)exchanging responsibilities for an established period of time. Speak to your supervisor about this interesting way to increase your knowledge and experience in one of your areas of interest.

6. Cross-Training

Cross-training involves the same principles of a “job rotation” but is much more short-term in nature and does not require there-assignment of employees. Speak to your supervisor about this interesting way to increase your knowledge and experience in one of your areas of interest.

7. Secondments

A secondment is a process by which the employer may assign an employee to another agency, board, society, commission, or employer not subject to the Public Service Labour Relations Act. (Article 30.1 Collective Agreement).

8. Projects and Developmental Assignments

Being involved in a project–even if it’s not in a leadership role–can provide valuable experience in terms of developing new skills or enhancing current skills. A developmental assignment is another good way to develop valuable skills. It provides employees withopportunities within a specific ministry or even with an organization outside the BC Public Service.

9. Internships

Internships can vary from program to program. Generally internship refers to a formal process where a graduate moves into a job for a specified period of time with the purpose of gaining knowledge, skills and experience in a particualr career stream.

10. Lateral Transfers

A lateral transfer is when an employee moves from one position to another which does not constitute a promotion or a demotion. Lateral transfers are ideal for gaining more experience across the ministry or across government.

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ReadingListCAREER PLANNING

Arruda, William And Dixson, Kirsten. (2007). Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

Arruda, William And Dixson, Kirsten. (2007). Managing Your Career. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Bruce, Anne. (2008).

Bolles, Richard. (2008). What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual For Job-Hunters And Career-Changers.

Buckingham, M. And Clifton, C. (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York: Free Press.

Buckingham, M. And Coffman, C. (1999). First, Break All The Rules: What The World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently. New York: Simon And Shuster.

Covey, S. (2004). The Eighth Habit: From Effectiveness To Greatness. New York: Free Press.

Erickson, Tamara J. (2008). Retire Retirement: Career Strategies For The Boomer Generation. Boston: Harvard Business Press.

Frodsham, Joe And Gargiulo, Bill. (2005). Make It Work: Navigate Your Career Without Leaving Your Organization. Mountain View: Davies-Black Publishing.

Garton, Jeffrey. (2008). Career Contentment: Don’t Settle For Anything Else. Alexandria: ASTD Press.

Harkness, Helen. (2005). Capitalizing On Career Chaos: Bringing Creativity And Purpose To Your Work And Life. Mountain View: Davies-Black Publishing.

Houghton, Anita. (2005). Finding Square Holes: Discover Who You Really Are And Find The Perfect Career. Williston: Crown House Pub.

Karseras, Hugh. (2006). From New Recruit To High Flyer: No-Nonsense Advice On How To Fast Track Your Career. London: Kogan Page.

Quinn, R. (2000). Change The World: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary Results. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.

Richards, Dick. (2005) Is Your Genius At Work?: 4 Key Questions To Ask Before Your Next Career Move. Mount View: Davies-Black Publishing.

Russell, Nan S. (2008). Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way. Herndon: Capitol Books.

Russell, Nan S. (2008). Shaping Your Career: Expert Solutions To Everyday Challenges. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Ryan, Robin. (2006). Soaring On Your Strengths: Discover, Use And Brand Your Best Self For Career Success. New York: Penguin Books.

Stein, Marky. (2005). Fearless Career Change: The Fast Track To Success In A New Field. New York: Mcgraw-Hill.

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n Career Developer-BCCAT This career planning site has resources for self awareness and assessment development and covers vir-tually all topics in the field of career and educational planning.

n Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development This website provides useful information and resources on the BC labour market and career planning projections and tools.

n Achieve BC –Job Profiles This site provides job profile listing by type of work.n Work Infonet Provides information and resources to help employees make career decisions.n Provincial Government Jobsn Service BC- Knowledge Centre Library resources and articles on change and resiliency, business and social networking,

and career planning.n Education and Training Resourcesn Making Career Sense of Labour Market Information The Canadian Career Development Foundation offers this online guide

to researching labour market information for making career decisions.

Online ResourcesCAREER PLANNING

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