INFORMATION AND CONSENT FOR CAREER SERVICES

Thank you for choosing Brand Career Management for your career management needs. I welcome you as a new client and look forward to working with you. The purpose of this form is to further explain my policies and procedures and to let you know about my qualifications and your responsibilities. Please review this form carefully along with the Client Agreement.

Scope of services, fees and appointment information (including lateness and cancellation policies) are included in the Client Agreement.

Confidentiality

I will not disclose your information with anyone unless you give consent or it is legally required to do so. If you have been referred by a career professional who you are working with, you give me consent to share your progress for the referred services. In other cases, I am happy to share information about our work with another person or agency if you wish, provided that you give me written instructions to do so. In cases where it is legally required (such as disclosing suicidal tendencies, intent to harm others, or sexual abuse of minors), I may need to break confidentiality. It is rare that confidentially would be broken without a discussion between us of why it has become necessary, but I cannot guarantee advance notice if confidentiality must be breached for legal reasons.

Social Media/On-line presence

Social media is a reality of today’s world of work and having no presence or an inappropriate online presence can be detrimental to your career. Like anything in life, social media has advantages and disadvantages. It makes some things easier, such as communicating your personal brand, connecting with others and being found for employment opportunities. At the same time, because social media is in the public eye, it can increase the chance of identity theft and can be the cause of some embarrassment. Sometimes actions cannot be easily removed from the internet. A fine line must be walked between sharing appropriate information and sharing too much personal information. Because of these dangers, is it is important to use social media wisely. I can assist you in making informed choices for behavior on social media and answer any questions you may have.

If you choose to connect with me on social media, it may become obvious that we know each other. I am happy to connect you to people within my network for informational interviews, job leads or other networking purposes. In these cases, you will need to tell me what is acceptable to share, if I am asked how we know each other. Also, if you are willing to help others who are interested in learning more about your area of expertise, please let me know. I believe everyone has something to offer another person. This is the basic premise of successful networking. I am happy to facilitate this effort within the boundaries that you define.

Specific social media sites:

LinkedIn: Because of the benefits and value it provides with employment opportunities, I am open to connecting with you on LinkedIn (connecting is not required in order for us to work together on your LinkedIn profile). If you want to recommend my services on LinkedIn, we must be directly connected (meaning a first-degree connection). When making recommendations or endorsements on LinkedIn, your full name and/or your picture may be displayed.

Twitter: My handle is @brandcareermgmt and you are welcome to follow my page. If you share your Twitter handle, I may follow your page too.

Facebook: I have a personal and a business page on Facebook for Brand Career Management. You are welcome to “like” my Facebook business page (www.Facebook.com/BrandCareerManagement)by visiting or to connect with me on Facebook.

Instagram and Threads:  My handle for these sites is paula_purple_parachute.  They were established to promote my book, The Purple Parachute.  You are welcome to follow my pages and I may follow you back.

Policies and procedures for in between appointments:

I understand that life goes on in between sessions, so you are welcome to call me and e-mail with your success or concerns outside of scheduled times.  However, if it is necessary for us to talk in between sessions, I ask that you keep the call to 10 minutes.  After that, my hourly rate will apply.

If you ask me to review your LinkedIn profile outside of a scheduled session, I will charge for the time it takes to review the profile, draft a summary of my feedback and send it to you.

If you have documents that you want me to review before a session, please email them to me at least 24 hours in advance so that I have time to open the email, download it and review the content. Sometimes documents sent at the last minute do not make it through cyberspace in time for a session.

Your responsibilities

I work with clients who I believe have the capacity to resolve their own career issues with my assistance. Helping you with your career management is a process that requires both time and effort. This is a partnership and each of us must do our part. You enter into this relationship with a sincere intention to realize the objectives we agree upon. To get the most out of our time together, you will want to be prepared for each session. I expect that you will complete any assignments between sessions as requested. You understand that your long term success depends on your ability to follow through on assignments, accept constructive feedback and keep me up to date on any issues affecting your ability to accomplish tasks and goals.

You agree to communicate any problems as soon as they arise so we can discuss them and work to produce a positive outcome. All of our sessions are assumed to be acceptable unless otherwise indicated by you. If your objectives change, please don’t hesitate to tell me that there’s something new that you want to focus on.

For career coaching services, I use a variety of strategies to help people identify and implement their career goals, including exploration of values, interests, skills and personality. As with any process of self-exploration and growth, uncomfortable feelings may surface. Please understand that exploring negative emotions is an important part of the process and allows progress.

My qualifications

I am a trained career development practitioner with certifications as a Certified Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW), Certified Salary Negotiation Specialist (CSNS), and Certified Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC). I hold a master’s degree in applied psychology, but I am NOT a licensed counselor or a therapist. If, during our sessions, any issues come up that require the services of a therapist or physician, I will advise you to seek such assistance and will assist in providing referrals as appropriate.

My background includes professional experience in the areas of human resources, workforce development, career counseling and education. I am an active member and past leader of the Maryland Career Development Association (MCDA), a lifetime associate member of the Career Thought Leaders (CTL) and MACCA (formerly the Middle Atlantic Career Counseling Association). I abide by the Codes of Ethics of these Associations