How I Entered The Career of Employment Specialist

Around 13 years ago, I met with a case worker from WorkBC while waiting for surgery. As we chatted about why I was there, I remember wondering what it would be like to have their job. Then I thought about all of the education they must have completed to be in that role and I decided it couldn’t be something for me.

I recently found myself at WorkBC again after a major life transition. I met with my Case Manager a couple of times. We talked about what I enjoyed about my previous jobs and where I would like to go from here. I loved the job I had running our local laundromat and working with people. I’m a very social person so it was a perfect fit for me, but when I moved away for a new opportunity, I had to leave this job I loved. When I moved back, a full-time role wasn’t available anymore.

One day my WorkBC Case Manager called me and asked me to come in. She provided me with information regarding a course to become a Disability Employment Specialist. After reading it I was intrigued, but I was concerned I didn’t have enough of an education to complete it. She quickly assured me that this was something I could do, and I trusted her.

This was a 20-week course, 12 weeks of school, and eight weeks of practicum. Classes were mostly online via Zoom, with the exception of a few in person classes like First Aid. Some days were long, classes ran from 9:30 until 4:30 and were followed by homework, but it was a lot of fun. I looked forward to meeting with my classmates online and getting to know them.

I received so many certificates, including Standard First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Informed Care, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, Inclusive/Customized Employment Levels 1 and 2, and more.

I have learned about different career theories, how to apply them to work with clients with varying needs, and accessibility and inclusion in the workplace (more certificates!).

I am excited about working with clients and helping give them the tools they require to navigate their career path. I have learned so much from this course. I started out not knowing what career theories were and now I understand what they are and how they are helpful. I have never worked before as a career practitioner but I am excited about my future as a Disability Employment Specialist. I know this will help me become better at my job, and I can already picture different scenarios where I can use different theories and models.

But I also developed skills for managing my own career. I now have skills in my toolbox to help slow down racing thoughts and to rationalize what’s going on a little better.

One career theory I’ve enjoyed most is the Chaos Theory of Careers. One of the main principles is to be open minded and curious. I’m not going to lie, when my case worker suggested this career to me, I was completely surprised. I had never seen myself in this kind of employment before although I had often thought it would be a great career. I was open minded and trusted her instinct, definitely curious, and started looking more into it.

This theory suggests experimenting with new things and looking for clues. So many of the things we experienced in the course are things I was wanting to do already: to help myself with helping others. For example, I had already been considering taking Trauma Informed Care certification and Mental Health First Aid. I think these things are the ‘clues’ that this was something in the right direction for me.

The Chaos Theory of Careers also looks at taking baby steps – I need to pay more attention to this one as I tend to feel very overwhelmed quite often, and there is so much going on all the time around me.

Finally, Chaos Theory of Careers asks us to understand the bigger picture. I have an understanding of many of the different things I can do with this training, and I am so thankful. Not only will this help me with my career but it is also very beneficial for any interaction with people on a daily basis.

I am very thankful for all I have learned in this class, and I am excited about the opportunities I now have in working with people.

 Written by: Tamara