Are you looking for outplacement services, advice in career transition, career coaching or a skills assessment?
There is often confusion between the different topics and it is not easy to understand who does what and how these services differ from each other.
This is because each of these is not defined very precisely on one hand and because every outplacement consultant, career coach or career counsellor will offer services that vary from one to the other. When one talks about job searching, career progression or career transition, it is not always easy to know which kind of help to ask for, as the programmes can sometimes overlap.
OUTPLACEMENT
Outplacement programme is an external professional service mandated – and most of the time financed – by the employer in the context of a contract termination, whether the termination is the consequence of a restructurating or not.
The main objective of an outplacement is to focus energy and time to find a job that matches one’s competencies and aspirations, thanks to :
- Personalized support,
- Individual and/or group sessions,
- Practical advise to identifying a job,
- Advice on application documents (CV, summary, cover letter, Linkedin profile, networking),
- Relevant information on the job market ,des informations sur le marché du travail,
- Role-playing.
The approach and content of career transition counselling is very close to what you’ll find in outplacement. The difference is that it is most often initiated – and financed – by the individual. Some companies do sometimes decide to pay for this service, when an employee is in a difficult situation, to let him/her explore internal or external options because the status quo is not an option.
SKILLS/COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT
A skills / competency assessment aims to evaluate an individual’s experience and competencies. This exercise is a starting point to explore and define new professional paths. In this programme, we use a set of tools and techniques such as :
- Exercises (oral or written),
- Psychometric testing,
- Discussions,
- Personal work,
- Coaching sessions.
The objective of a competency assessment is to take stock of the competencies acquired throughout the course an individual’s education and career, to outline some ideas for the next phase of their career and to formalise an action plan. The action plan is the end the skills assessment as such and it will be then up to the client to decide if he/she wishes to translate the action plan into concrete actions on the job market or into a business (if the plan is to create a new business).
CAREER COACHING
Career coaching is professional coaching, that focuses on all aspects of your career. Coaching (following a methodology that is usually conducted by a certified professional coach) aims to enabling the coachee to find his/her resources and solutions.
The objective of career coaching is to define, together with the client, one or several career objectives and to work towards them, using questioning, exercises, role-plays and visualisations. The results of following a career coaching programme can be a new job, a promotion or a new career, but not necessarily just these things. It could also be a solid career development plan, a clear picture of one’s long-term career strategy, an improvement in performance or an important career decision.
In theory, the difference between all programmes is clear. But in my experience, I often see that they overlap.
OVERLAPS AMONGST OUTPLACEMENT, CAREER COACHING AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT
Sometimes outplacement or career transition programmes start with a skills assessment, because the client needs to take stock of his/her professional situation. Also, career coaching may lead to an application for a new position, where concrete advice on job searching tools is needed or a client in a skills assessment needs some coaching to dig deeper into a challenge or to solve a dilemma.
CAREER PROGRESSION
In conclusion, the differences between the outplacement (or career transition counselling), skills assessment and career coaching programmes are in their objectives and approach. However, what is common to all of these programmes is that they all aim at enabling a career progression using different tools, techniques and advice. What is important is that the coach or career specialist clearly identifies the client needs and objectives and that they make sure the programme is well designed to help the individual reach his/her most important career objectives.
To learn more more about outplacement and career transition : https://www.leadingenius.ch/outplacement-and-career-transition/
career coaching : https://www.leadingenius.ch/executive-coaching-career-counselling/
competency assessment : https://www.leadingenius.ch/competency-assessment-coaching/
GET IN TOUCH
Anne-Laure Egger-Dormond founded Leadingenius – HR Consulting and Coaching, a boutique coaching and consulting company, in 2014, after having spent 15+ years in business and in HR, in various industries and functions and in contact with leaders at all levels. She has a passion for career and leadership coaching and she has found her calling in helping individuals understand the talents they have within to realise their full potential.
To speak to a competent certified coach about what matters to you for your career, get in touch with Leadingenius today ! Call now on +41 79 464 92 70, drop an e-mail under info@leadingenius.ch or fill your details into our contact form.
