Career Guidance and Development: Employment Workshops Supporting the Sector's Attractiveness

The sector has one particular characteristic that makes matching job opportunities with candidates less straightforward: there is no HR department in an individual employer's home. A significant proportion of recruitment needs never appear through mainstream employment channels, while traditional employment support services are not always familiar with the specific features of this hidden job market. As a result, motivated and qualified candidates do not always know where to look or how best to position themselves.

To understand what these workshops offer in practice, consider a recent session focused on activating a job search, led by two COEPS advisors. Three participants attended, each with a very different background: one professional with two years of experience and a recently completed certification programme; another who had completed a Validation of Prior Learning (VAE) pathway after changing careers from teaching; and a former self-employed professional looking for a salaried position in home-based employment.

The impact was particularly clear during the final discussion: each participant left with a practical action plan that she had not considered before attending the workshop. These included approaching local professionals and businesses, contacting Fédération Mandataires, and creating a CV and other communication materials. One participant said she had learned “certain things she didn't know before”.

Not everyone considering a career in the sector starts from the same point. Some people have yet to define clearly what services they want to offer; others struggle to introduce themselves or communicate the value of their experience. Others may already have an up-to-date CV but are unsure how to respond effectively to a vacancy—or where to find opportunities in the first place.

This is why COEPS has developed not one generic workshop, but a complete pathway in which each workshop addresses a specific stage of the employment journey.Before beginning an active job search, workshops such as “Introducing Myself with Impact” and “Highlighting My Strengths” help future candidates refine how they present themselves and identify what sets them apart—an essential step even before writing a CV.“Creating an Advert or Flyer That Reflects Who I Am” and “Improving My CV” then focus on developing effective communication tools. “Activating My Job Search”, illustrated above, helps participants clarify the services they can offer and understand where and how to look for o ortunities in a largely hidden employment market. Finally, “Responding to a Job Opportunity” prepares participants for the final stage: making contact with an individual employer or an organisation operating within the sector.

This pathway-based approach allows each employee or future employee to join the programme at the stage that genuinely matches their needs, without having to start from scratch or repeat steps they have already mastered. The employment workshops are another valuable resource offered through COEPS as part of the professional branch's wider commitment to professionalisation, alongside its ongoing work on professional certification.