Case Counselor
Training
Improving Time Management
TODAY’S PRESENTER
Benjamin Kushner
Independent Contractor,
Jobs for the Future
Los Angeles, CA
[email protected]
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FOUR INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE
 A suite of training modules
 Intended for Case Counselors
⁃ Keeping Precise and Effective Case Notes
⁃ Understanding Different Career Services
⁃ Improving Time Management
⁃ Knowing What Employers Want
 Consider offering a certificate of completion
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TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
 Learn promising techniques and tips to improve time
management
 Apply techniques to service delivery
 Share the responsibility for improved time
management
 Recall techniques and tips from Case Notes training
and Career Services training
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STRUCTURE AND DISCIPLINE
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PRIMARY GOALS OF TIME MANAGEMENT
 Better customer service
 Efficiency in service delivery
 Improved track record in meeting deadlines
 Finding time for professional development
 Improved, less stressed work environment
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STRESS: DON’T LET THEM SEE IT
 Customers and colleagues can tell when you’re stressed
 Find time to relax and recharge before meetings
 Maintain eye contact; be personable and professional
 Use professional body language
 Use best listening skills and remain engaged
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KEEP YOUR WORK AREA CLEAN
 Your work area makes a
statement about your
professionalism
 You want to be able to find
things
 Clear off food
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STRUCTURE & SCHEDULE TIME
 To read and answer email
 To answer phone calls
 To place phone calls
 To conduct personal business
 To get your own “To Do” list done
 To plan ahead (practice, rehearse)
 To deliver difficult news
 To devote to professional development
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FINDING TIME
 Consider flexible hours; it reduces distractions
⁃ Arriving to work earlier
⁃ Leaving work later
 Pizza night telethons
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SCHEDULE TIME TO ADDRESS
CUSTOMER NEEDS
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WHAT ARE YOUR CUSTOMER’S NEEDS?
 Intake and profile updates
 Assessments
 Career exploration and planning
 Resume development
 Interview skills
 Job readiness and employability training
 Technical training and education
 Remedial referrals
 Support services
 Job matching, placement and follow-up
 Career fairs, job fairs
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PRIORITIZE TASKS AND REVISIT PRIORITIES
 Order your priorities on a “To Do”
list
 Schedule time for top priorities
 Move around less-urgent priorities
 Don’t delay tasks indefinitely
 Reserve the mornings for
customer meetings
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SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR TIME MANAGEMENT
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SHARE RESPONSIBILITY WITH CUSTOMER
 How can we save time?
 What can we do by email, text, and phone?
 How should we structure our one-on-one meetings?
 What can you do independently?
 What workshops can free up our time?
 Rate the importance of tasks together
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CREATE AGENDAS FOR EACH CUSTOMER MEETING OR CALL

What goals did we set out to achieve at our last meeting?

What assignments did we each have?

How did the customer progress toward the goals?

What is the status and situation now?

What information does the Case Counselor need to share?
⁃ Training opportunities
⁃ Job openings
⁃ New LMI about the local economy
⁃ The Center’s calendar of events or workshops

What are the new goals and assignments for next meeting?
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CREATE TEMPLATES FOR AGENDAS, TO-DO LISTS, AND TASKS
 Have sample templates ready as you need them
 Ask whether your Case Notes (MIS) program can be
pre-loaded with templates to make note-taking easier.
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USE THE IEP AS A PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOL
 Individual Employment Plan
 Needs assessment
 Resume
 Interview
 Career assessment (aptitude,
ability)
 Analysis of barriers to
employment
 Supportive service needs
 Unemployment insurance
 LMI
 Interpretation of assessments  Job readiness
 Career exploration and
 Training and education
research
 Career goals and objectives
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SHARE RESPONSIBILITY WITH COLLEAGUES
 What time-saving techniques work?
 Incorporate promising practices
 Report out results
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TIME MANAGEMENT
TIPS FROM OTHER MODULES
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FROM CAREER SERVICES TRAINING MODULE
 Eligibility information
 Point of contact at the referral agency
 Address, Website URL, phone
number for the agency
 Name of an AJC colleague
who has some experience
with this referral service
 List of services they
provide
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FROM CAREER SERVICES TRAINING MODULE
 Most in-demand sectors and industries
 Top occupations within the sector in your economy
 Links to helpful web pages with key information and data
 List of employers in your area
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FROM CAREER SERVICES TRAINING MODULE
 Instead of a resume workshop
 Consider the needs of the customer
 Copy parts of other resumes
 Adapt them to particular needs.
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ANY QUESTIONS?
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Jobs for the Future (JFF) completed this project
with federal funds awarded to Maher & Maher
under
contract
number
DOLQ131A22098
DOL‐ETA‐14‐U‐00011, from the U.S. Department
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The contents of this publication do not necessarily
reflect the views or policies of the Department of
Labor, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. Government.
Jobs for the Future (JFF) designs and drives the
adoption of innovative, scalable approaches and
models—solutions that catalyze change in our
education and workforce delivery systems.
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