Career Conversations - Invitation for early career professionals
Are you at the start of your tech career and looking for some direction, or just someone to talk with?
ACS is offering a complimentary, short-term ‘Career Conversations’ program to ACS members who are under-grads, recent graduates and early career professionals.
Applicants will meet with an experienced ACS staff member to create a career development goal and identify a Skillsoft short course to complete. The whole process will provide ACS with valuable data to inform a potential Career Coaching program for members and non-members.
More detailed information is available below.
Participation is limited to the first 20 eligible applicants. To lodge an expression of interest, go to https://forms.office.com/r/tryuWX78FK and complete the form (10 minutes).
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What is the ACS Career Conversations Proof of Concept (POC)?
A short-term project designed by the Careers team to test the viability of an ACS career coaching service. ACS staff (“Consultants”) will volunteer their time to conduct sessions with individuals interested in career conversations and advice (“Members”). The focus cohort includes students, graduates and early career workers. The conversations will focus on general career opportunities rather than specific technology career advice.
When will the POC be run?
From Monday 30 September 2024 to Friday 29 November 2024.
Will there be a cost for ACS Members?
Not for this POC.
How many Coachees will be part of the POC cohort?
20
Why are we running this project?
Aspiring and working tech professionals can benefit from a service that provides direction at various moments that matter in their careers. ACS will benefit from improved member feedback which can help unlock improvements in products, services and events.
What are the sessions’ outcomes?
Through the facilitated conversations, Members will receive:
- Two 30-minute conversations with an ACS employee
- A SMART Goal
- A recommended Skillsoft training course
What is required of the Members?
- Complete an EOI application
- Attend to two online meetings
- Create a career SMART goal
- Complete the SMART goal
- Identify a Skillsoft course
- Complete the Skillsoft course
- Complete an evaluation survey
How will data be collected?
- Expression of Interest (ACS SharePoint via Microsoft Forms)
- Existing Salesforce data
- Interview conversation records (ACS SharePoint via Teams (Recording optional), PowerPoint)
- Post-session evaluation (ACS SharePoint via Microsoft Forms)
What will happen with the data collected?
Personal and membership data is securely hosted within the ACS Salesforce platform. Data gathered for the POC will be securely hosted within the ACS SharePoint. The EOI requires personal information. The post-session evaluation is anonymised.
Who are the Consultants?
For the purposes of this pilot, the ACS Consultants are not professional career advisers. They will be ACS staff who are volunteering their time to assist in testing the viability of this service.
How will it work?
The first 20 eligible registrants will complete an Expression of Interest and receive an email to indicate acceptance. They can then book a 30-minute session with a designated ACS Consultant. During the session, a script will be used to facilitate a conversation and assist the Member to explore career development. A follow-up session will be booked after the first session to complete the engagement.
The Member will create a SMART Goal plan and complete a suggested Skillsoft short course to be ready for the follow-up session. During the follow-up session, the ACS Consultant will unpack the progress made in the time between the two sessions. The Member will then complete an evaluation.