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HANDBOOK ON CAREERGUIDANCE AND COUNSELLINGeign citizens. They conduct an analysis of the labour market and adjust adjust thequalifications of the job seekers in accordance in accordance with the demand ofthe employers. There is a possibility within the electronic system that wheneverthere is a vacant position vacant position a filtration of the job seekers is processed is processed in order to find them. There are individual and group counselling sessions for the unemployed. The main advices are based on how to writea cover letter, CV, and preparation for an interview. For those unemployed whorequire additional qualifications they are offered to participate in various coursesdepending on the needs of the training and the topics developed of the trainingand the topics developed. Courses usually last for 3 months. After the completionof the courses they receive they receive an internationally recognized certificate.The counsellors emphasized that the vocational high schools should inform thestudents for the services offered by the employment centres. A particular problemis the fact that certain businesses do not announce their vacancies in the employment centres.Higher education institutionsCareer development centres which are situated are situated in the public or private universities offer services for the students in the sense in the sense of careerorientation, their capacity building their capacity building and offering internships.There is a database in the university consisted of actual students and those whohave already graduated (unemployed), classified according to the trainings thatthey have attended have attended, where they have their internships etc. Thetrainings are about CV preparation, cover letter, interview preparation, approachto the labour market. The trainings last mainly for half a day or two hours for aspecific topic.Universities post vacancies for internships. Some faculties have this regulatedin their programs. The selection is done by the council of professors. Differentnotifications are sent using the list with e-mail addresses, social media, sms, information on web pages of the universities etc. There are evaluation forms forthe Career development centre. There are group or individual counselling for students. There is also a questionnaire about career orientation.Career fair is organised where students and job seekers participate. There isalso orientation days organized for the newly enrolled students. In one of theUniversities In one of the Universities there is a student’s club which is managedby the students themselves. The participation of the students in different competitions is supported.8

Vocational high schoolsIn these schools there is a circulation of information about the profile and qualifications. There are various evaluations conducted for the students through different tests. There is student counselling to see what their expectations are tosee what their expectations are. They are informed about the meaning about themeaning of a job? What is profession? Various questionnaires and tests are prepared. Individual and group counselling are organised. The students who havecompleted high school are contacted in order to see where they are in order tosee where they are, if they are employed or have continued with studies. Throughinternships 20% of the students who have completed it have been further keptby the employer. The subject of career orientation will be integrated in the 10thgrade.5. RECOMMENDATIONS5.1. CAREER COUNSELLING CENTRE MISSIONSTATEMENT STATEMENT Mission Statement: The mission of the new Career Counselling Centre is toteach students/job seekers job seekers how to prepare for career employmentusing techniques such as CV preparation, Cover letter design, networking, jobsourcing, interview techniques, career strategies, etc. It is to initiate contactinitiate contact with potential employers within the region to promote the institution and request related request related job opportunities. This involvesusing tools, such as training courses, a website, bulletin boards, the media,and daily communication with students/job seekers and employers.5.2. CONTACTS WITH STAKEHOLDERDSSTAKEHOLDERSA. Specific Targeted EmployersEmployers are eager to meet with institutions, administrators, and students/jobseekers for educational networking purposes. The big Yellow Book property ofthe Telecommunication providers in Kosovo is one source The big Yellow9

HANDBOOK ON CAREERGUIDANCE AND COUNSELLINGBook property of the Telecommunication providers in Kosovo is one source,associations, and other relevant resources should serve as the potential list ofemployment contacts. These massive resources need to be carefully reviewedby staff in order to identify the organizations most likely to serve most likely toserve the institutions. Every major organization with which we met regarding theCareer Counselling Centre expressed a positive interest in developing a continuous working relationship with institutions.B. Employer ContactInitial visits to local and regional potential employing organizations, public andprivate, indicated a willingness to cooperate. Employers were interested to learnabout the unique curriculum of the institution and eager to participate in instruction, workshops, student/job seeker counselling, student/job seeker consultingexperiences/projects student/job seeker consulting experiences/projects, internships, part-time employment, and full-time employment after graduation.It is very important to hold regular meetings with employers. Better promotionalmaterial is needed to share with employers in order to more efficiently communicate to this very important group. Better promotional material is needed to sharewith employers in order to more efficiently communicate to this very importantgroup. Actual visits to a wisely chosen group of public and private organizationsare the first step of initiating contact with an external community. For the mostprestigious employers, such as ministries and the top 50 largest private firms, theRector, deans, and senior leaders from the University should participate and helpopen doors and create new relationships.The Career Counselling Centre has the task of maintaining maintain externalrelationships but the initial contact needs the power of senior leadership. TheCareer Counselling Centre can nurture and facilitate most meaningful contactsonce the initial approach has been initiated has been initiated. This is a “team”working environment between various offices that share that responsibility withthe institutions and administrators.C. Students/Job seekers Job seekers ContactThe Career Counselling Centre is the focal point of career related content careerrelated content and education between students/job seekers and potential employers. The role of staff is to identify employment opportunities for students/job seekers job seekers and to facilitate interactions between students/jobseekers job seekers and potential employers.10

For success to occur between students/job seeker and potential employers,the students/job seekers need to be aware of the employment process. Once ameeting occurs occur between a student/job seeker and employer, success onlycontinues if the student/job seeker is well-prepared. Students/job seekers needtraining in techniques such as CV preparation, cover letter creation, career portfolio development, interview techniques, networking strategies, professional careeretiquette professional career etiquette, etc.The better prepared a student/job seeker is, the higher the probability of an offer of employment whether The better prepared a student/job seeker is, the higherthe probability of an offer of employment whether for a class project, part-timejob, internship, externship or full-time employment.The employer must have positive experiences with students/job seekers. Poorearly student/job seeker experiences could severely damage long-term externalcommunity relationships.5.3. CAREER COUNSELLING CENTRE FUNCTIONSAND STAFFING STAFFINGA. FacilitiesThe most ideal Career Counselling Centre facility is where students/job seekersand employers can gather for private one-on-one interviews with employers andCareer Counselling Centre professional staff. The Career Counselling Centre hasa room designated for private interviews. Over time, as success grows as successgrows, more space will be needed for interviewing purposes.The Director and Assistant Director of the Career Counselling Centre need private offices in which to visit with students/job seekers and employers. Here arerecommended some type of privacy walls set up between the director offices andthe workshop training area.The amount of space for students/job seekers to browse through career related information, including job listings, is adequate for the current time. This areais likely is likely going to be staffed with volunteers initially so short student/jobseeker questions can be immediately answered.The Career Counselling Centre will need highly visible signage so students/jobseeker and employers can readily identify it, when they visit the institution. At thecurrent time, the Career Counselling Centre facilities are adequate for a start-upoperation start up. Obviously, from time to time from time to time, the CareerCounselling Centre staff will need to use classroom facilities/offices and largeareas for student/job seeker/employer events.11

HANDBOOK ON CAREERGUIDANCE AND COUNSELLINGB. StaffingThe Career Counselling Centre should be staffed with a full-time TechnicalSupport Person (or Assistant Director) in addition in addition to the Executive Director. The Executive Director will need to be “on the road” and “onthe telephone” contacting external partners. The Career Counselling Centreshould not be left unattended should not be left unattended at any time. Also,support of a website must be accomplished locally. A technical support person such as an Assistant Director can read e-mails, answer telephones, enterjob information into a local database in addition in addition to helping createand maintain the website. Student/job seeker/employer information must beuploaded, along with student’s CVs, and to a central computer server. As theCareer Counselling Centre Director travels and continuously contacts potential cooperating organizations, the Assistant Director must focus relationshipsupon students/job seekers and the office administration. This person shouldbe expected be expected to work in the office from early morning until lateafternoon in order to accommodate the time when students/job seekers andexternal customers need to need to use the services.The hiring of a semi-technical semi support person, preferably with proficiency in MS Access database, Excel spread sheet, FrontPage and HTML,very soon is essential. A graduating student/job seeker from the computerscience computer science curriculum would be an ideal person to handlethis job.A job description for both the Director and the Technical Support Assistantshould be developed as soon as possible. Two well-trained full-time staff withpart-time student/job seeker assistance should be able to manage the CareerCounselling Centre during the first two years.C. Student Volunteers/Junior personnelA full-time Director and full-time Technical Support Assistant (Assistant Director)are not adequate to staff the Career Counselling Centre alone. With so manystudents/job seekers wanting access to services, volunteer staff of part-timestudents/job seekers or junior personnel assistance is absolutely necessary absolutely necessary. It would be appropriate for these staffers to be rewarded witha small stipend or partially paid tuition scholarships, if it’s a student. However,students always want to work in the Career Counselling Centre in order to inorder to have early access to potential employers.12

The duties of the student volunteers/junior personnel will include the followingactivities: CV and cover letter reviews. Advice sharing Website training and programming. Website design and HTML programming. Database design Database design, programming, and implementation. Classroom setup and instruction. Event promotion. Event management. Greeting Greetings students and employers in the Career Counselling Centre. Resource recommendations. Employer job solicitations solicitation. Job fair management. CV, student data, and job information data entry CV, student data, and jobinformation data entry. Networking with other students. Other duties as assigned.Student volunteering/junior personnel are essential in all Career CounsellingCentres and very important for a smooth management flow during programevent times when interactions with potential employers and students are especially busy.D. Working Hours.The Career Counselling Centre facility should be highly visible and open forstudent/job seeker and employer visitations from early morning until late in theworkday. The internal part of the office, staffed with computer and other technical equipment, should never be left unlocked or unattended should never be leftunlocked or unattended. Quality customer service demands that at least one fulltime staff be present at all times at all times during normal business hours normalbusiness hours.E. EquipmentSmall workshops of 10-30 students/job seekers are ideal learning groups. Thesmall group seminars should be given be given in a workshop format for thecreation of CV and Cover Letter Cover paragraphs so the student/job seekers13

HANDBOOK ON CAREERGUIDANCE AND COUNSELLINGgroups can review these with the instructor and student/job seekers colleagues.Interaction with questions and answers is one of the best is one of the bestways to learn. An instructor, with student volunteers/junior personnel, who canassist students/job seekers immediately after they are taught they are taughttechniques, is one of the best learning experiences.The Career Counselling Centre needs both an inexpensive laptop inexpensivelaptop and LCD projector for its workshops, seminars, and lectures. Many related PowerPoint’s should be up-loaded on the Career Institution web portal (tobe developed) which can readily be modified readily be modified and used forboth workshops and courses.Incidentally, access to transportation for employer visits will also need to beaccommodated need to be accommodated. Visiting external employers is themajor component of the job of the Career Counselling Centre Director.F. Association Cooperation.There are a number of other associations and government agencies that couldbe introduced introduces to the new Career Counselling Centres. Rather thanmeet individually with each potential employer, a better strategy is to work towork through the leadership in professional associations. It is common for suchassociations to allow Centres leaders to present brief remarks at meetings and/or join the group.Examples of such associations are computer trade groups, human resourcesAssociations, chamber of commerce’s in various cities and towns, professionalaccounting societies, government organizations, bankers associations and economic development groups, etc.5.4. MARKETING AND PROMOTIONA. BrochuresAny new activity, like the Career Counselling Centre, must be marketed to itsconstituencies marketed to its constituencies. Although the Career Counselling Centre has been introduced to institutions, students/job seekers, andsome potential employers, appropriate marketing brochures need to be created. An excellent starting point starting point would be would be the information available on the existing institutions website existing institutions website, particularly information that is unique to each of the Career CounsellingCentre.14

One brochure should be directed to the employing organizations. Another oneor two page brochure should be designed for student use. Each should focus onspecial services offered by the Career Counselling Centre to each audience. Thewebsite will be the major communication vehicle to students/job seekers so thebrochure should drive drive students/job seekers and employers to the CareerCounselling Centre website.Perhaps help in designing these could come from classes in marketing andcommunications or career counsellors. Student teams often are very clever increating attractive informational materials.These brochures, along with the new mission statement mission, will also become an integral part of the Career Counselling Centre website.B. Networking receptions NetworkingThese receptions are an excellent way to get to get an announcement of thefunctions and services offered by the Career Counselling Centre. Often theseassociations have periodic newsletters which carry announcements as well. Itis always more cost-efficient to work with groups in both the public and privateemployment sector. It is always more cost-efficient to work with groups in boththe public and private employment sector. Alumni Associations’ receptions areoften a great way to bring everyone together. We have found that alumni that areworking are the ones most likely encouraging their employers to list jobs with us.Examples of such associations are computer trade groups, human resourcesAssociations, chamber of commerce’s in various cities and towns, professionalaccounting societies, government organizations, bankers associations and economic development groups, etc.5.5. CAREER COUNSELLING CENTRE SERVICESA. WorkshopsUntil formal career education trainings/classes are started are started, the recommendation is that the Career Counselling Centre staff should plan on presentingat least one workshop on How to Prepare Your CV every day. With hundredsof students graduating/job seekers, it is a sizable challenge to teach that manystudents/job seekers before they start attending job fairs and other employmentevents.In addition, it is recommended that on every Monday and Tuesday, a two-hourworkshop should be presented on the topic of Cover Letter Creation. On every15

HANDBOOK ON CAREERGUIDANCE AND COUNSELLINGWednesday and Thursday, another two-hour workshop should be presented onthe topic of Interviewing Techniques.The three topics will be thoroughly covered in the two career planning coursestwo career planning courses once they are started once they are started. It issuggested that you exempt students/job seekers in those courses from participating in these workshops but Require Everyone to attend at least these threeworkshops before they can be “seeded” in the software that permits them to usethe website. Given the enormous value to the student/job seekers of the websiteto the student/job seekers of the website, this is a strong incentive to either toeither take the course or attend each of the three workshops.Several materials titled Career Planning Strategies will be left to assist staff increating lecture/workshop materials.CV Workshop Materials: The CV workshop should be conducted as often as asmall group of 6-10 students/job seekers can be assembled as often as a smallgroup of 6-10 students/job seekers can be assembled. A group meeting is alwaysfar more productive from a learning perspective and highly efficient from a staffing perspective. The Career Counselling Centre facility should have an excellentconference area for teac

WEB BASED CAREER COUNSELING . 29. HANDBOOK ON CAREER GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING 4 1. THIS THIS HANDBOOK T his handbook is written in a way that is practical for developing, implement-ing and evaluating career counselling services and is intended to be a guide for starting a career-counselling centre within a post-secondary setting, to .