Career professionals build a confidential guidance relationship. Career professional screen the client's or group's readiness and guidance needs and sets the goals for the guidance process together with the client or group members.

The career professional has knowledge and understanding of

• the importance of building a guidance relationship in the early phases of the guidance process and screening the need for guidance
• the multidimensional nature of career management skills
• the client’s personal goals that are having an impact on the guidance situation and the instructions and objectives related to the core task of their organisation
• the guidelines and statutory documents used in the organisation for drawing up the client's development plan
• the importance of multiprofessional and multisectoral cooperation during the guidance process

 The career professional is able to

• identify the client's personal goals as well as the normative and administrative objectives related to the organisation's core task that apply to all client groups
• assess the client's or group's career management skills, competency level and areas for development
• utilise various tools and methods in screening the readiness and guidance needs of clients and groups
• build a confidential guidance relationship
• provide guidance with the client or group in acquiring self-knowledge and self-assessment skills
• provide guidance with the client in identifying and articulating their competency
• set goals for the guidance process together with the client or groups
• negotiate with clients and groups about the ways of working, methods and service channels to be used during the guidance process
• engage in multiprofessional and multisectoral cooperation when necessary
• identify and articulate the boundaries of their profession and competency (see also sections A1.2 Professional responsibility and C3.1 Multiprofessional networking)