Career Development Practice

Changing careers is rarely a simple decision. For many people, it begins as a quiet thought — a wondering about what else might be possible — long before any action is taken. Cathy’s story is one many professionals will recognize: the tension between a stable career and the pull toward something more aligned, more meaningful, or simply different.

In this final post on our series on key takeaways from CM2025 (read part 1, part 2, and part 3), this post will summarize my final reflections.

In continuing our series on the key takeaways from CM2025 (read part 1 and part 2), this post will summarize the third and final theme.

In continuing our series on the key takeaways from CM2025 (read part 1 here), this post will summarize the second theme.

The Connecting Minds 2025 conference at Kwantlen Polytechnic University this spring offered a wealth of insights and research into the evolving landscape of psychology, counselling, and career development from undergraduate students all over North America. With diverse research presentations, engaging panels, and a keynote on misinformation, the event illuminated important themes relevant to career development professionals – particularly around diversity, bias, misinformation, and emerging technologies. I’ll summarize the first here. Watch for parts 2 and 3 soon.

CDPs come from a wide variety of sectors and depending on the specific role they’re working in, they might need a Bachelor’s degree in a related sector (e.g., psychology, human resources, business administration). There may be a requirement for additional career-specific training or certification which is generally offered as professional development certificates through several training providers (e.g., our Career Management Professional Program). In Quebec, CDPs work within a regulated profession, so you will need a relevant credential to practice. Because of the wide variety of settings in which CDPs work and the diverse roles they play, their salaries, not surprisingly, can vary, averaging $40,000 to $65,000 annually. Those with higher education or in more niche roles might make more; those in government-funded or non-profits might make less.

To do their job effectively, it is vital that Career Development Professionals possess certain skills, including:

1. Strong Communication Skills: CDPs work with people from all walks of life and must be able to communicate well with these individuals in person, over the phone, through email, and in virtual settings. Beyond individual clients, CDPs need to communicate with employers and educators, as well as funders and policy makers in some circumstances. CDPs need to be sensitive to the needs of each of these audiences, tailoring their approach as necessary. 
2. Good Interpersonal (People) Skills: CDPs often support individuals in the midst of major life changes, whether those were planned (e.g., graduating from college) or unplanned (e.g., being fired from a job). They may be interacting with individuals with complex needs within dynamic (perhaps volatile) situations. Being able to offer understanding and empathy within a judgment-free environment is important in establishing trust and building rapport. With those essentials established, the CDP can move forward supporting the identification of goals and implementation of action plans to achieve those goals.
3. Excellent Listening Skills: CDPs demonstrate their listening through both verbal (e.g., “okay”) and non-verbal cues (e.g., posture, head nodding, eye contact). These skills support not only the relationship-building component of the practitioner-client relationship, but also ensure needs are assessed accurately and reliably. CDPs may use probing or clarifying questions to confirm their understanding. 
4. Top Teamwork Skills: CDPs are often working in collaboration with a larger team or network of service providers to support individuals. This means CDPs need to coordinate their work with others from within the organization who play different roles (e.g., job developers, resource room coordinators, workshop facilitators) and those outside the organization involved in their client’s action plan (e.g., student advisors, employers). 
5. Patience: Given the lifelong, ongoing nature of the career development process, CDPs need to be patient with their clients. Unexpected setbacks, challenges, or barriers might mean considering an alternative path forward or revising the client’s action plan. This can be both frustrating and disappointing; CDPs provide assistance in a calm and supportive way through difficult times and/or changing circumstances.
6. Self-Awareness: CDPs need to be aware of how their own feelings, personal experiences, and biases may impact the way they understand and work with clients. Engaging in thoughtful and ongoing self-reflection can help surface these aspects.
7. Awareness of Diversity: CDPs operate from the understanding that an individual’s cultural identities interact and shape the way they understand, connect with, and experience the world. Cultural identities could include race, nationality, socio-economic status, and gender; however, this also extends to level of ability, history of trauma, educational background, and much more. CDPs should be humble, curious, and avoid making generalizations about how clients might identify and what impact that has had on their career.  
8. Flexibility: CDPs need to be adaptable in their approach when working with clients as they will have unique circumstances, contexts, desires, and goals. Being able to adjust and offer a tailored, client-centred approach will ensure services are tied to a client’s needs.

Read Part 3 Here.

CDPs are Career Development Professionals (or Practitioners) who work with individuals and/or groups to navigate their career journeys through self-reflection, career exploration, decision-making, and planning. The field is a growing and exciting one. CDPs use their creativity and imaginations to find customized and unique ways to help others. CDPs often serve as educators, mentors, role models, and advocates – all at the same time.

Career development has been around for many years in a variety of settings – in schools, workplaces, and community service agencies. As far back as ancient times, philosophers would discuss what was important in life and how to live decent lives with purpose. Those discussions continue today in the career development sector.

The term “career development professional” is not always a formal designation although many professional associations have begun to offer voluntary certification. CDPs tend to “go by” many other job titles depending on their specific job role and work settings. A career or employment counsellor, for instance, may be a trained counsellor who specializes in career and holds a counselling certification/designation. CDPs represent a wide variety of educational backgrounds, including psychology, sociology, education, business, economics, and more.