This research, building on the approaches of Participatory Action Research and Qualitative Career Assessment (McMahon & Watson, 2015), implements a series of new tools that share the fundamental principles of a postmodern orientation to career construction (committed to equity, social justice, individual and collective activism, and sustainability). This paper has chosen to show the procedure followed with one case, although we would like to underline that this research is consolidated with a larger sample (three Second Chance Schools participate, and a total of 22 young people). Our aim is to show the methodological procedure followed and its potential. In the following, the tools designed are described and theoretically underpinned:

§  My treasure-box (Pahl & Kelly,2005)

This tool helps us to approach the personal, social and cultural context of the participants. To do so, a symbolic box is used where the participant and the researcher/professional introduce elements that are part of their daily life (e.g., objects, sayings, QR of songs, photographs, among others).

§  A day in the life (Cameron et al., 2018, 2020)

This is a mapping exercise where, in addition to identifying actions, it is of interest to know in what context each action is situated, which people accompany you, what they do, how you feel at each moment, etc. from morning to night.

§  The eat-eat jar (Thayne & West, 2019)

The participant puts into a recycled jar those situations and events that make him/her uneasy (the person is usually told: "put in everything that makes you sleepy/eats you up/eats your jar/head"). The aim is to identify what elements in your life are disturbing you and preventing you from moving forward.

§  Emotions calling (Vacheret, 2000, 2008, 2010; Baptiste & Belisle, 1991; Rascovan, 2007)

This technique (based on photolanguage) consists of presenting a series of photographs from which the participant is asked to select the one that corresponds to their needs, perceptions, or expectations in relation to a given topic (this can be done from the viewpoint of the past, present, or future depending on the purpose of the intervention).

§  Body storytelling (Prados Mejías, 2020)

Body expression (e.g., creation of body sculptures, expressive movement, dramatisations, performance, systemic movements, among others) is another artistic form that helps the person involved in the counselling process to become aware of aspects and influencing factors in relation to his/her life and professional project. Through body storytelling, the person creates/creates with his/her body (sometimes individually, sometimes in small groups) past and present situations.

§  The 'Snap' for change (Ahmed, 2017; Thayne & West, 2019)

The researcher presents the participant with a series of actions aimed at "snapping" into a wide range of issues that may affect the development of their personal, social and cultural identities. The "'Snap' for change" aims to invite debate in relation to the public and the private, the governed and the self-governed.

§  My landscape mapping systems (Rey & Granese, 2018; Romero-Rodríguez et al., 2021)

This technique consists of visually constructing the narrative of a personal experience in relation to a specific topic. Depending on the topic, we ask the participant to take a series of photographs (photographic tour) that will help in the realisation of their visual composition. This tool facilitates reflection, communication (beyond the textual-oral mode), as well as the incorporation of spatial dimensions that undoubtedly act as defining agents of our vital and professional projects.

The presented tools are used in combination with other artistic techniques such as drawing (Taylor & Savickas, 2016), collages (Burton & Lent, 2016; Chant, 2020), free visual representations (Ronkainen & Ryba, 2018), digital storytelling (Lambert, 2013, Wu & Chen, 2020), performance development based on Design Thinking (Brown, 2009), among others.

All the tools used in the data collection process follow the principle of researching "with" and not " about” and uphold the principle of a responsive design that seeks the empowerment and development of a critical attitude in the participants. The design of these tools is inspired by the qualitative techniques of counseling and collaborative ethnographic research. Our intention has been to "rethink" them and adapt them to the study of career guidance. Another aim has been to make them more inclusive, rejecting the exclusive use of the verbal and written code that occupies an almost hegemonic value in Western society with an average socio-cultural level. In this sense, other forms of expression are incorporated which involve the use of the body, and of each person's own skills (e.g. music, painting, sports, etc.). The results presented here correspond to the case of Acrux. He is a 26-year-old boy with a long trajectory in a Second Chance School of the Don Bosco Foundation in Cordoba (Andalusia, Spain). He is currently studying 3rd ESO through a radio training program and wishes to become a soldier. Acrux describes a very difficult childhood marked by bullying and family disagreements (physical and verbal abuse). At the age of 15, he changed schools, where he says he became an "ogre" to everyone, hitting and insulting all his classmates and teachers, and living with a constant feeling of hatred. He spent his free time stealing from small shops and businesses. About the analysis of the results, the format and intention of our work are to share the scope and potential of the tools. In this sense, a critical analysis of the tool's contribution to the Acrux case is carried out.

The results of our research show the importance and value of adopting a collaborative ("research with"), situated, and community-based intervention approach in career guidance processes. Moreover, it shows how narrative (oral, written, digital, artistic, corporal, etc.) is a tool that allows the person to play a more proactive role in the process of building their life and professional (career) projects. In the same way, shared tools have been shown to be a suitable means to improve personal and professional development and the development of personal, social, and learning to learn competences inherent to this process. We consider that they are also an opportunity for expression and reflection on emotions, which is key in any process of diagnosis, intervention, and research. The results of this work also show how the use of these tools has contributed to the construction of a collective and community projection of the career, previously interpreted by Acrux as an "individual goal". Our experience in their application shows that participants report improved mental and emotional well-being, as well as the development of more critical thinking. The repeated use of these tools also makes it easier for the person to recognise him/herself as a unique being (under construction) who has a unique potential to share with society, which also improves his/her self-esteem. In addition, empowerment is observed in the person, which translates into a greater desire for struggle and activism (individual and collective, as well as a greater capacity for adaptability).

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