Dr Emma Bolger

The final proofs of my forthcoming book have been checked and it has gone to the printers! A few reflections at this point on how it came about, and why. I wrote The Career Professional’s Guide to Research  primarily to encourage career development professionals to engage in practitioner-led research. Through it, I hope to demystify research, and promote how frontline practitioners are uniquely positioned to conduct meaningful, ethical, and impactful research project. In the book, I explore the full research journey; from identifying and justifying a topic thought to data collection, analysis, and dissemination (sharing your work with the right audiences). I cover what makes a good researcher and topic, explore key skills such as qualitative and quantitative methods, and provide practical tools to support you through the planning and delivery of a research project. Throughout the book you will find practitioner quotes and practical templates to support readers’ learning now an...

This month will see the publication (in translation) of an article I have written in collaboration with Uuganaa Ramsay , on the importance of addressing unconscious bias and white privilege in career guidance practice, for Skills Norway . In addition we will be delivering a webinar  on this topic on 27th August, for the same organisation.  We will be sharing our work more widely in coming months. Students on the Postgraduate Diploma in Career Guidance and Development at UWS can also look forward to seeing more in relation to race-aware career practice in their learning this year, as we focus on what we can do as a sector to address racism in our society. 

Following the recent ballot, I am pleased to say I have been elected to the Career Development Institute Professional Standards Committee as the Career Education constituency representative. Many thanks to members of the CDI who voted for me!