Sustainable Career Card Sort – Linking career aspirations with global challenges
Tool source
© S. Rochat & J. Masdonati, 2018, design@Josua Rochat, name idea@Barbara Silva
Introduction
Traditional approaches to career guidance focus primarily on the individual: their interests, skills, and values. While these dimensions remain important, they are often disconnected from major contemporary challenges. Increasingly, however, people—young and adult alike—seek to give meaning to their path by contributing to issues that go beyond their individual trajectory. This tool proposes linking the vocational question to a broader reflection: How can my career aspirations contribute to the needs of the world? Inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it broadens reflection by integrating social, environmental, and economic dimensions, and by moving beyond a strictly individualistic view of career.
The YOUR TURN game is particularly relevant in the Analysis of the desired situation to encourage future-oriented thinking by turning the difficulties of today’s world into motivating challenges, and in Choice support to foster commitment to options that are consistent with a desire to contribute to society (see also Shékina Rochat’s 5As model of career guidance).
Objectives
By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:
- understand how career aspirations can align with the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- promote career choices that are meaningful for the individual and sustainable for humanity and the planet;
- link their career aspirations to the needs of the world.
Required resources
- “YOUR TURN” card game (19 cards based on the Sustainable Development Goals), download here.
- Digital version of the game available here: https://e-scalar.com/games/a-ton-tour
Activities
- Invite the person to sort the cards according to the extent to which they feel affected by or concerned about each goal;
- Invite the person to distinguish whether they would like to contribute to these goals in their private and/or professional life;
- Examine together the links between these goals and their strengths and interests, as well as the compatibility of the options being considered.
Reflection / consolidation of learning
Invite participants to reflect at the end of the activity:
- Which issues affect you the most? Why?
- What did you discover about what gives meaning to your plan?
- Do you see new career or engagement pathways?
- Are there tensions between your aspirations and certain realities (labour market, working conditions, etc.)?
- What first step could you consider to move in a direction more aligned with your values?