SSP-BPI Group & Career Vision Partner to
Put Young Adults on the Path to Success

For employees of all ages, today's career options are overwhelming and the job search process more complex than in the past. Not surprisingly, young adults or "Early Careerists" have a particularly tough time securing and retaining a job that fully utilizes their talents and interests. Early Careerist is a term used by SSP-BPI Group, a Chicago-based firm providing executive coaching and career services. Though typically their clients are seasoned, mid-career adults, they are now offering workshops and coaching services addressing the needs of these Early Careerists.

"Recent college grads and young adults several years out of school need access to great career advice, job search resources and planning strategies," according to Duncan Ferguson, Senior Consultant at SSP-BPI Group. "Research trends show that a lot of young adults leave college without career goals, much the same way they began college. As a result, they are willing to experiment 'on the job' by changing jobs frequently to find the right fit."

However, not every Millennial enjoys this job surfing. Not knowing what type of work would be personally satisfying, or how to look for those positions, is a significant cause of anxiety and frustration for themselves - and their parents. Both Career Vision and SSP-BPI Group have observed that the needs of a large number of Early Careerists are not served by traditional resources. Career Vision has seen a significant increase in the past few years in the number of young adults in college or in their twenties who come in for guidance, often at the recommendation of their parents. Some have dropped out of college before earning a bachelor's degree and are currently working in minimum-wage, dead-end jobs; others have their degree but no understanding of how to apply it to obtaining a career-building job. A third segment is represented by eager young professionals who have had poor experiences on their first or second jobs; they need help to make some course corrections and better choices for themselves.

"SSP-BPI Group and Career Vision are building a positive partnership to fill this gap. Both of us serve young adults in different ways, but there is an overlap between the two organizations that makes our collaboration add tremendous value for the client," according to Ferguson.

"For example, two Early Careerists were referred to us. They were smart and from good universities, but were having trouble identifying a good career fit and effective job search strategies, not unlike our traditional older clients. We suggested they work with Career Vision first, where their assessment process and personalized consultation provided a more in-depth understanding of what a good fit looks like. They received specific recommendations for career options that were ideal for each of them. The Career Vision consultant briefed SSP-BPI on the results, which enabled us to help them define their offer to an employer. We used our firm's contact network to set up informational interviews, and coached them on setting up a job search plan."

"The insights provided by Career Vision's personalized process provided us with robust information that far exceeded our expectations," Ferguson continued. "Their input enabled our consultant to begin the coaching relationship with the young person armed with invaluable information that it would have taken us far longer to learn. The coaching is immediately more targeted and the client makes progress more quickly."

The collaborative work of SSP-BPI Group and Career Vision provides the essential elements needed by young adults to make great career decisions: self-knowledge, knowledge of the marketplace, work that is a best fit for aptitudes and interests, and a competent support system.

See related article, "Why Gen Yers Fail to Launch"

© Copyright 2008, Career Vision. Article may be reprinted with permission.

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