Further suggestions for using ProMICAD in different contexts

Careers services and youth offending teams:

1. Use ProMICAD to establish positive dialogue with clients in minutes.
2. Offer ProMICAD to clients at the first meeting, if possible.
3. React positively to statements appearing on the screen. Show that you are impressed. Voice your approval frequently.
4. At all times avoid making cynical or sarcastic remarks in response to positive statement appearing on the screen.
5. Encourage the client to talk freely about statements on the screen.
6. Discuss the reasons for the client rejecting a statement. Often a person will reject a statement as inaccurate, while at the same time, admitting that he or she would like to have that quality. This is a positive sign. Build on it.
7. Encourage the client to accept what is true and to avoid false modesty. At the same time, however, do not allow clients to ‘own’ statement that cannot be supported at interviews.
8. Relate the client’s past work experiences and interests to statements on the profile if possible.
9. If the first profile was produced using the colours version, suggest making another profile using the black and white shapes version.
10. Ask users to compare second and third attempts and to say which profile is the more accurate.
11. If circumstances allow, it can benefit a friend or family member, especially one who is unemployed, to come in with a client and to use ProMICAD too.

Schools, colleges and youth development centres:

1. Include use of ProMICAD in personal development courses.
2. Use on a one-to-one basis with difficult clients and those at risk of exclusion.
3. Relate statements appearing on the screen to the client’s activities at school, on the sports field, or home.
4. Encourage a young person to make more than one profile in a session and compare them to decide which is more accurate. Doing this, the client becomes increasingly aware of the satisfying self-image that he or she will want to live up to.
5. Include the preferred profile in the client’s Record of Achievement.
6. Allow clients to take home a copy of their profile. This focuses parents’ attention on the positive aspects of their children and encourages praise and encouragement at home.
7. Compare profiles with later versions made after an interval of two months or so. Teachers will notice a remarkable consistency that can be helpful in encourageing the development of particular qualities.
8. Allowing pupils to see their teacher make a personal profile can be great fun, explain a lot and be rewarding for all. This can encourage understanding and better relationships between teachers and pupils.
9. Encourage pupils to make a profile of their class, school, or team, selecting colours and answering the questions collectively, by majority voting. Discuss the resulting group profiles.
10. Encourage pupils to use Character Studies to make thumbnail character studies of their friends, classmates, teachers, family, or anyone they know, so they can present them as tokens of esteem.

Adult guidance and community care centres:

1. The proMICAD System is not designed for use by people with extreme learning difficulties or mental illness.
2. It is recommended that the use of ProMICAD in these centres should always be under the supervision and guidance of an experienced administrator.
3. The ProMICAD System is particularly suited for use with unemployed clients who wish to return to work or commence training.
4. Encourage clients to discuss statements appearing on the screen as much as possible.
5. Encourage unemployed clients to send personal profiles to employers with job applications.
6. Encourage ex-offenders , alcohol and drug abuser clients to use ProMICAD as often as they wish.
7. If you recognize any of the qualities attributed to the client in the personal profile – say so. Voice your approval as often as you can.

Management training:

1. Encourage unlimited use of the system by members of staff, especially the game/exercises.
2. Use Headhunter to construct thumbnail character studies of ideal candidates required for a vacancy.
3. Use the game/exercises for amusement, to relieve stress and, above all, to acquire a greater awareness of peoples’ strengths and other positive qualities.

Using the CV writer:

1. Encourage older children to practice making CVs.
2. Use data preparation forms, printed from the program, to prepare CVs offline. Note the helpful hints on the forms.
3. Include in CVs the summary that is at the top of the bullet-point personal profile, changing the words according to the client’s use of language.
4. Save CVs to disk or hard drive for later updating or improvement.