The following resource provides a brief introduction to a “systems-based” perspective, one that builds from a holistic approach to career and integrates both individual and contextual factors.
When you look around your community, you will likely find that the lines between work, life, and learning are a bit blurry. Features of one domain flow into the others.
For example:
To account for this, defining “career” as primarily one’s paid employment can be too narrow and needlessly restrictive. A more holistic definition can support individuals, workplaces, and communities as they respond to the realities of a dynamic world of work, life, and learning.
We invite you to consider the following, more holistic definition of career:
“A career is about the life you want to lead – not just a job, occupation or profession. It involves deciding among possible and preferred futures. It answers: “Who do I want to be in the world?”, “What kind of lifestyle am I seeking? and “How can I make an impact?”
~ 8 Guiding Principles of Career Development (CERIC, 2019)
Building from this perspective, there are a few key points to keep in mind:
With these key points in mind, we invite you to complete the Career Lifeline activity.
Create a Career Lifeline that illustrates your journey over time. Begin by reflecting on the important career moments, achievements, or turning points. Think broadly about career to include that full spectrum of work, life, and learning.
As an extension of this holistic approach (i.e., one that extends across work, life, and learning domains), a systems-based approach pushes that lens even further to include additional contextual factors and emphasizes the relationships between them. Although there are many “systems-based” approaches to career, one that is particularly useful is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Here is a simplified version for your consideration which includes 6 layers:
The individual is positioned centrally. Each individual has a unique collection of traits and characteristics – some which may be known to (or assumed by) the broader world, to some extent or another (e.g., age, gender identity), while others may be more hidden (e.g., knowledge, skills, interests, attitudes, motivations, and personal style).
Moving outward, you’ll find the spaces individuals spend most of their time – i.e., their immediate environment. This may include the workplace and community spaces (e.g., home, school). In this space, you’ll find the people an individual interacts with frequently (e.g., parent/guardian, friends/ peers, neighbours, co-workers/colleagues, coach/teacher).
The elements of an individual’s immediate environment interact with each other in the next layer. In some instances, these systems function in seamless harmony. In other instances, they may conflict and clash with each other (e.g., expectations from your family about what you should study or pressure to support with tasks at home).
Next, you will look towards the social structures. Although these don’t directly involve the individual, they do shape interactions within the immediate environment. This section might include the employment and social networks of parents/guardians, availability of community resources/facilities, and even governmental policies (e.g., local, provincial/territorial, and national).
Moving further outward are the larger, overarching cultural/social influences. This can include the more general political landscape, socio-economic and employment landscape, and predominant cultural attitudes/values.
Lastly, transitions occur over time and therefore changes over time are important to consider. This might include large-scale historical events (e.g., war, pandemic) and/or shifting societal norms (e.g., women at work). These changes might be expected or unexpected.
Pick one of the events on your Career Lifeline activity to analyze further here.
Identify what factors contributed to this turning point, achievement, or moment – you may find some contributing factors were your own internal characteristics (e.g., determination). Other contributing factors may have been external, such as people in your support network (e.g., an elder) or physical resources (e.g., a walking aid).
Identify what factors contributed to this turning point, achievement, or moment – you may find some contributing factors were your own internal characteristics (e.g., determination). Other contributing factors may have been external, such as people in your support network (e.g., an elder) or physical resources (e.g., a walking aid).
Look at the list you created and consider which layer (i.e., system) those might fit into.
Consider which layer(s)/system(s) you didn’t identify any factors from. With those in mind, is there anything you’d add to your list?
Clearly, career is everyone’s business. We are all constantly impacting each other’s work, life, and learning – sometimes in unpredictable ways. Although the career development process starts with the individual, there are countless others involved. A rich thriving community of supporters can be tapped into by individuals to support their career goals and success. As individuals grow, develop, and engage more meaningfully in their careers, there are benefits for workplaces and communities.
Hidden Sector, Hidden Talent: Mapping Canada’s Career Development Sector (Challenge Factory, 2024) described some of those supporters and their roles. In this toolkit, the focus is on three groups:
Where do you primarily fit? What strengths and challenges do you identify in this role?
Together, individuals, workplaces, and communities can each play a key role in bridging the diversity disconnect between individuals seeking or striving to maintain employment and the employers in their communities. Preliminary research for the Free Rein project, Diversity Disconnect revealed three interconnected themes
These themes reinforced the need for a holistic, systems-based approach. Recommendations in the table below highlight what individuals, workplaces, and communities can do in a practical way to help bridge the diversity disconnect.
With the three themes introduced here, consider your role (i.e., individual, workplace, community) and reflect on what’s working and what’s not in each. Strive to identify one item that’s working, and one other that’s not, for each theme.
Building Relationships Between Individuals and Systems: What’s working? What’s not?
Offering Inclusive and Equitable Opportunities: What’s working? What’s not?
Providing Partnerships, Consultation, and Supports: What’s working? What’s not?
We hope this resource has supported you to adopt a more holistic, systems-based approach as you move forward in your journey – whether you are an individual or reflecting from the perspective of a workplace or a community group. As you review the materials on the Diversity at Work site, do keep in mind these interconnected, recurring patterns.
Much of career work is dynamic, involving concurrently balancing two lenses – zooming in and zooming out.
Both of these lenses/perspectives are important and necessary to support individuals, workplaces, and communities to achieve success, together.
Just as those large-scale shifting patterns can impact individuals, those small changes individuals make within their workplace and communities can also make big impacts. Reflect on the “butterfly” effect – a metaphor suggesting that a tiny butterfly flapping its wings may ultimately create chaotic storms on the other side of the world.
Consider the following scenario from multiple perspectives:
Over the past 10 years, since completing high school, Janice has been in and out of a variety of training programs. She’s worked on and off doing bookkeeping during the busy season for a friend of her father, but it’s not a reliable, stable paycheque. She loves learning and often does so independently, but struggles to figure out how to meet a program’s completion requirements with confusing/vague assignment expectations and little guidance/support from instructors.
Janice was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder which she’s isn’t surprised by. Although the diagnosis has helped her to understand a lot about herself, she’s worried about being labelled as weird or unemployable. She was referred to a local service provider to support her next steps.
Johal, a manager at a manufacturing company, is struggling to find a new staff member to support updating their customer relationship management and order tracking systems – specifically, they need someone who has programming skills, can work independently, and has strong attention to detail. Corporate has recently implemented an additional strategic priority for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As such, Johal is expected to actively seek out qualified candidates who have a disability, whether that disability is visible or not. Johal isn’t sure how to make that happen so they’ve been limping along with out-of-date, cumbersome systems that are frustrating the entire staff
Ester works for a community service provider who specializes in helping individuals with disabling conditions access skill-based training and work-integrated placements. They work closely with colleges/universities and employers.
Ester normally works directly with the students and job seekers; however, recently her manager has tasked her with finding new potential work sites to refresh their current roster.
A zoomed-in look at this scenario across perspectives reveals that:
If we zoom out, we can see how a variety of systems are impacting each group:
Ultimately, in this scenario, the three groups worked together to find a mutually beneficial situation:
Janice goes to Ester’s community service agency and completes a programming certificate to formalize skills that she’s picked up along her career journey thus far. She completes both a learning readiness program at the beginning of her studies and a workplace readiness program at the end, prior to her work-integrated placement.
Janice ends up working with Johal’s company – part-time on-site troubleshooting and training staff, and part-time from home independently managing system updates and patches.
Johal attends his normal Chamber of Commerce meeting and hears Ester speak about job placements and job coach supports – something he had never considered.
Based on his discussions with Ester, Johal approaches the owner of the company about revisiting their recruitment and hiring policies to align with the strategic priority (for example, letting the technical staff work from home, at least part-time).
They end up hiring Janice after her placement ends.
Ester connects with the local Chamber of Commerce and begins attending regular networking events, speaking at one about the job placement supports they offer.
Here she connects with Johal and they discuss the benefits of hosting some of the recent programming graduates and what job coaching supports the agency can offer to ensure success.
They discuss being a little more flexible with work locations and how work-from-home options can actually support neurodivergent individuals.
As you can see in this scenario, there are many small factors that intersect with others to create a larger impact:
If any one of those things weren’t present, the outcome might have been different for everyone.
Review the scenarios below and critically reflect on the perspectives of all parties involved.
Scenario A: Ben, a job seeker with a motor disability, is searching for a job that allows him to work from a desk, specifically with a computer. Ben has a wealth of experience with design and drafting. During his job search, he discovers a relevant position with a local company which seems to provide cutting edge design solutions for an international market, despite being located in a small community. Through the employer’s website, he submits his work-search documents, requests an interview opportunity, and discloses his motor disability. Despite being curious about the job seeker, the employer is afraid of hiring someone with a disability as their office is cramped and he doesn’t think Ben could get around, so Ben isn’t invited for an interview – no rationale is provided. The employer feels bad, but as they are such a small company, they need an employee who “fits” in with the current staff and environment.
Ben is disappointed with constant rejection; he feels he just needs a chance and some one to help him advocate for himself. As he’s venting to a friend, she recommends connecting with a career coach – her son recently had a great experience. Ben’s friend emphasizes that his unique perspective as a person with a disabling condition gives him real-life experience with accessible design and should be presented as an asset. Ben meets with a career coach, Sanjit. Sanjit agrees with Ben’s friend’s perspective. She realizes this candidate only requires support in relationship building with the employers – she’s confident they’ll see his suitability if he can demonstrate his skills. Sanjit knows a construction management company she’s worked with to fill contract work on several occasions who may benefit from creating an on-staff designer position – they’ve struggled with accessibility requirements on many occasions which has stalled projects. She sets up a meeting with the employer to discuss that new potential position and presents Ben as a suitable candidate.
How can all parties (Individual, Workplace, Community) work together to find a win-win solution?
Scenario B: An employer is in urgent need of hiring summer staff for their orchard after they failed to secure employees through a local college’s horticultural program – the location was just too remote. The employer contacted an employment service provider in a nearby community. The service provider shared the opportunity with their career direction program participants and a few of them indicated interest. They’ve been out of work for a long time, so even if this position isn’t a best fit, it would give them some good recent work experience and references for their next steps. One of those participants is Jillian. She wants to ultimately work as a chef, but doesn’t feel ready to take on a full-scale culinary program. Working in an orchard might let her re-connect with nature and learn more about horticulture and the food supply chain.
The service provider works with several of their clients, including Jillian to get their work-search documents together and interviews arranged. The employer has scheduled on-site interviews all on one day. The service provider arranged special transportation via a shuttle to bring everyone up to the orchard. Unfortunately, road closures due to flooding in the area prevented them from getting through. There was no cell service so Jillian and the others couldn’t update the service provider or employer until later in the day. Disappointed, the employer loses trust in the service provider and hiring does not take place.
How might this situation be resolved? What can each party do?
Do you see any similarities between Scenarios A and B? If so, what patterns are present?
In this resource, you’ll find several inspiring stories of individuals and employers who have successfully navigated the employment landscape within rural and remote communities. Emily, Harmony, Heather, and Wendy have graciously agreed to be interviewed and profiled here
