Posted 3-6-2005

From a candidate's perspective, career management is a noun used to describe the penultimate destination in one's career "journey".   One might also use the term as an active verb, meaning the collection of activities and decision-making events that lead to the state of career management.  

As Professional colleagues, Career Services Consultants offer their assistance in the career management or career decision-making process of the candidates they serve. This metaphor best defines the Internet presence of the (www.)careerpilot and is offered in order to stimulate dialog aimed at defining a profession for those who assist others, usually corporate sponsored, in the broadest reach of career decision-making.

On rivers, harbors and coastal waters, even the most seasoned skippers call on "pilots" to guide them through extreme local conditions. Pilots are uniquely skilled, experienced and knowledgeable of those conditions, enabling them to assist the skippers in getting their ships through the challenging waters!

This analogy, then, is struck using the definition of PILOTAGE taken from the Website of The International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA).  

What is Maritime Pilotage

Pilotage is a unique service based upon local knowledge and special conditions prevailing in the pilotage area. It may be performed in coastal waters, estuarial waters, rivers, ports, harbours, lakes or enclosed dock systems or any combination of these areas which may come within a port's jurisdiction, it's prime goal being the safe and efficient moving of shipping whilst assuring the protection of the marine environment. 

A pilot's function is to combine technical knowledge concerning the operation and handling of a vessel with his local knowledge concerning special conditions which exist in the port area and with which the Master of the vessel cannot be expected to be conversant. In this respect, pilots must first of all be technically capable of piloting vessels of all types which call at the port. They must be very familiar with the latest equipment and navigational aids as well as the regulatory and environmental requirements and have an overall appreciation of the special regulations and unique conditions which exist in his waters.

What are "Career Services"?

Career Services are based upon special and unique knowledge of career-oriented issues and process prevailing within a professional's total career.  Career Services are corporate (or organizationally) or individually sponsored and delivered in a variety of venues, including over-all TALENT MANAGEMENT programming. 

The prime goal is efficient and appropriate career decision-making assistance in its many forms, delivered to the candidate...whilst assuring a high quality "FIT" between the professional and his chosen employment goal (including self-employment and retirement).

A professional Consultant's function is to combine unique technical knowledge of various career processes with their total resources to include access to information with which the individual professional cannot be expected to be conversant.  In this respect, effective and ethical Consultants are those with experience in a variety of industries, functions at all levels, and skilled in both individual and group process. Their familiarity with career decision-making process usually comes from the combination of study and "real-life" experience.