Career Development Foundation: Advising Philosophy and Mission Statement

My Strengths: Clifton Strengths Assessment

Top Themes and the power of these strengths as an Advisor

1. Strategic
   • My ability to analyze information and data of seemingly disparate pieces of information, and to synthesize it easily, helps me to “identify ways to transform an obstacle into an opportunity.”  I feel that this is particularly interesting and highly relevant skill set for an advisor as I have the ability to make use of the assessment data for each client, along with their personal narrative, to help them navigate their future in unique and fulfilling ways. This skill also helps me to “express [myself] with ease and grace,” which offers me the communication skills necessary to help a client understand what I’m needing them to understand. Strategic is an essential skill for and advisor to be successful.
2. Intellection
   • Along with the strategic strength, intellection is evident in my present success as an English teacher.  As an advisor, it helps me to succinctly learn the information necessary to be a reliable and effective advisor.  My ability to read with focus helps in my ability to synthesize information and data strategically.
3. Empathy
   • Of all strengths, this would be the one most people identify me with in my life and in my role as a teacher – an ability (some say it’s magical) to intuitively and insightfully “tune into the emotions and needs of individuals.”  This is what drives my desire to work as an advisor to “help people grow personally and professionally.”  This allows me to work with clients, naturally, in a heart-driven space and to have them come to trust me, and combined with my  other strengths, I have excellent qualifications for such a position – by nature.
4. Ideation
   • Like strategic, once again my strength is in “find[ing] connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.”  As a creative person, the ability to create and innovate offers me the ability to make unique contributions to a clients’ needs.
5. Adaptability
   • Again this description seems to be a perfect match with advising with a “tend[ancy] to … take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.”  This strength allows me to work with the unexpected that comes when dealing with people and their problems in a positive and proactive way.  Again, my many years of teaching and helping teens to navigate the tumultuous mini-mountains and some serious tragedies has given me a wealth of experience that has honed this particular strength.

In summary, I feel that I’ve been a great teacher, but “my best” will be when I’m able to synthesize my strengths and skill sets into Career and Academic Advising.  As much as I do love my subject expertises with the arts of reading, writing, creating, performing and directing – and I have found great success in doing so – my best days are when I’ve inadvertently worked as an advisor with a student, helping them to examine who they’ve been, who they are, and who they want to be.  The legacy that I want to leave is not only the inspiration I’ve imparted as a classroom teacher, but also the impact, support, and wisdom in helping students to be successful – to find their own paths towards a vocation with a work-life balance.

My Personal Philosophies:

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. – Helen Keller 

Hope – I believe that hope is the most essential quality in helping a student to construct their future, and I commit to creating an office, a centre, where hope resides – where students can imagine the life they want to strive towards, and to believe that they can do what is necessary in order to be successful.  In this regard, I endeavour to use self-assessments of strengths, interests, skills, and values in order to have a language that empowers and validates students.

Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Respect – I believe that common decency is to interact with each other with respect.  I will respect each and every student that I have the opportunity to advise.  I will respect each student as if they were my own child, given the honour to help them strive and achieve with what they need to make for themselves a successful future.  I, respectfully, seek to empower each student and to help maintain a student’s dignity in the face of adversity.  I respect, honour, and embrace diversity of different ethnic cultures, races, religions, economic backgrounds, geographic origins, genders, sexualities, and beliefs.

“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Empathy – I believe that when students feel cared for, genuinely, they will open up to the learning that is being offered.  I will use my strength of empathy to intuitively and insightfully tune into the emotions and needs of individuals.  This is what drives my desire to work as an advisor to help students to grow personally in order to find a future of success, professionally.  I will always endeavour to work in a heart-driven space.

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” ― Hermann Hesse

Understanding – I believe that it is my responsibility to help students to understand who they are: their interests, skills, strengths, and values in order to help them establish their goals and to understand each step they are required to take in order to be successful.  When necessary, with great sensitivity, I will be understanding, with empathy, to the challenges students have faced in their past or are facing in their present that might be a barrier for them to maintain positivity and hope.  I endeavour to give students the counselling and the tools to re-configure their lives towards a better future. 

My Mission Statement:

As a Career and Academic Advisor, it is my mission to help each, individual student to assess their strengths, interests, skills, values, and goals in determining possible paths they may choose in order to develop towards a future of finding fulfillment and success with continued growth and development.  It is my goal to create a caring, inclusive environment that ensures students feel heard and respected in the process – always maintaining and supporting each student’s dignity, hope, and empowerment.  In regards to student advising, my practice is guided by the theories of:

• Super’s Developmental Theories in regards to a study of life stages and a series of developmental tasks through growth and exploration phases; to examine vocational identity by focusing on an individual’s work values, interests, and abilities.
• Social Cognitive Career Theory in particular regards to the Choice Model that “proposes that person inputs and background context  together influence learning experiences, which  influence self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancies.”