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Reflection on career development
Theories of career development
The career development theory
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In education, research is a primary tool utilized to enhance academic curriculums and examine new perspectives and opportunities for teaching strategies. According to Oxford Dictionaries, research is “the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions,” (n.d). Education evolves and furthers complexity as time progresses, and using research and data analysis, educators can adapt to expansions in curriculums and standards. Career counseling requires complex techniques and assessments that convey a client’s abilities, desires, and goals, whether the service is conducted in a school setting or beyond. Individuals seek career counseling for various reasons, expecting dependable …show more content…
In the article, “Telling Stories of Career Assessment” by McMahon and Watson (2012), a quantitative approach is applied for researching benefits of using narrative career counseling and story telling approaches with the self-directed search model (SDS) and the integrative structured interview process (ISI). Blustein and Flum (1999) suggested that career assessment be judged by the degree to which it promotes a self-exploration process in clients rather than confirms an end product, for example, a career choice (as cited in McMahon and Watson, 2012, p. 441). The ISI process allows for personalized assessment of the client to better understand the results, how they were formulated, and include quantitative SDS codes. For this research, a case study is presented exploring a female’s attempt to change career paths by seeking assistance from a career counselor. The career counselor utilizes the ISI process to conduct an evaluation of the candidate, Margaret. With the codes presented from the SDS model, the career counselor incorporates the ISI process by collecting information from Margaret through narrative career counseling and story telling. McMahan and Watson (2010) express “during the process of career counseling, life themes are identified that enable connectedness between stories that may have been previously viewed as disconnected or discrete events,” (p. 447). A table is provided to display the code relationships defined through the ISI …show more content…
The FCA case study can be improved in certain areas. For instances, Rehfuss and Di Fabio (2012) stated, “the small number, single sex, and restricted geographical location of participants limit the generalizability of the findings,” (p. 460). Also, since the FCA is a technique used to show change within a client’s life through narrative counseling, other related data, stating previous life goals, would support findings from the FCA. Rehfuss and Di Fabio (2012) explained, “since, the eight thematic constructs were developed to focus upon occupational change, (Rehfuss 2009), their utility in describing changes in personal life proved to be somewhat cumbersome,” (p. 457). Developing a model to assist counselors in personal life changes would benefit the findings from the FCA
Ehrenreich opens the book by seeking out a “career coach”, in other words, someone who will help her navigate the sea of job opportunities. From Ehrenreich’s description, the biggest thing the coaches bring to the table is enthusiasm and support. Many results have been positive from someone having a coach to guide them. Barbara was off to a good start in her journey.
According to Maree and Beck, traditional career counseling involves a heavy emphasis on psychometric tests, work sheets and computer programs were utilized to form an objective image of the individual. As a result the assessment drives a “image” that is usually matched with the character and traits suited to a logically matched specific career. If the values, interests and abilities of the individual were considered congruent with the requirements of a specific career, the assumption was made that the individual would find that career stable, productive and satisfying. The 'matching', 'objective' image was accepted as generally seen as concrete, real, and true. However, the traditional method deprives an individual of the opportunity explore their interests because the heavy testing emphasis generally created a label for a cl...
In this article, Byars-Winston and Fouad, seeks to assess the importance of cultural factors and their impact on multicultural value of career counseling from the perspective of a counselor. The authors further examine the Culturally Appropriate Career Counseling Model and offer an expansion of the model through incorporating metacognitive processes. Culture is believed to play a significant role in one’s career decision making but the extent to which it does remains unknown. It is therefore imperative that career counselors try to understand
...s philosophically and clinically congruent for career counselors as a modality to promote career enrichment and vocational well being. Although the present consideration to make bridge between the two counseling modes is an inductive attempt, it has presented some interesting thoughts in search for more effective and efficient career counseling approaches (2006, p. 2003). As well the specific techniques of solution focused counseling, such as the use of; compliments, goal driven futures, scaling perspectives, and statements normalization and reconstruction only further the career counseling process by giving the client real and tangible forum to help and improve their lives.
According to Merriam-Webster, research is defined as careful study done to report new knowledge on a topic. ("Research | Definition of research by merriam-webster," n.d.). Success in the field of Guidance and Counseling is dependent on accurate information. Counselors well versed in pertinent research make a strong impact on the clients. Counselors using research as a guide for intervention have a better understanding of the clients why and also the how to serve the client best.
You will most likely see career assessment and counseling in a broad range of employment settings. For example, mental health agencies, Veteran Affairs hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and school and college counseling offices. The most crucial types of career counseling measurements are interest, aptitude, and values better known as “the Big Three”. “ Other measures pertinent to career counseling include measure of career choice and development, such as the Career Maturity Inventory and Career Decision Scale. The different career assessment measures have been used to (a) increase client self knowledge, (b) help clients make career choices and (c) encourage client participation in career counseling” (Hays, 2013, p.16).
The Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE) was developed by Karen Taylor and Nancy Betz to apply Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy expectations to the domain of career decision making. Career decision self-efficacy was originally defined by Taylor and Betz as the individual’s belief that he or she can successfully complete tasks necessary in making career decisions. To define these tasks, the theory of career maturity of John O. Crites was used. Crites’s theory defined career maturity as the individual’s degree of possession of five career choice competencies and five career choice attitudes. The five career choice competencies and sample items are: 1. accurate self-appraisal, 2. occupational information, 3. goal selection, 4. planning, and 5. problem
Mindtools, (2013) Identifying Career Opportunities: Setting Yourself Up for Success [Online] Mindtools. Available from: [Accessed: 10 Dec 2013].
The implementation of career interventions is an important process that helps students to choose the career path that best suits their needs, goals, and desires. Unfortunately, Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2013) state that many students are not very enthusiastic about participating in career intervention programs (p.3). It is imperative that schools incorporate career intervention into their comprehensive counseling program because it is an essential component of helping students to be successful. Counselors must also be knowledgeable about the career intervention process and specific methods of career counseling to best meet the needs of all students. According to Akos, Niles, Miller, and Erford (2011), the ASCA identifies the three areas that must be included in a comprehensive counseling program are academic, career, and personal/social (p.203). The career intervention component accounts for a third of the counselor’s responsibilities, thus
The assessment helped me to deeply think about my career and the things that I would want in the organization that I hope to work for. I believe it to be an accurate assessment and helps an individual put what is important to them into perspective. It is often helpful in career counseling to have an indication of where the client is in terms of career decision or indecision (Whiston. 2017). This tool
Lowman, Rodney L. (1991). The Clinical Practice of Career Assessment: Interest, Abilities, and Personalities (1st ed.). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Sharf, R.S. Applying Career Development Theory to Counseling. 2d ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1997.
Parents often play a major role in their child’s process of career exploration. Norman E. Amundson and Kurt Penner developed the PICE strategy to help counselors guide students (usually age 14 to 18) in preliminary career exploration with the aid of parents. When used correctly, this strategy can help build a sense of support and cooperation between students and parents. This provides the students with a great resource as they continue exploring their career options. This strategy includes 5 stages and is intended for use in a single counseling session.
Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) emphasizes cognitive-person variables that enable people to influence their own career development, as well as extra-person, contextual variables, which enhance or constrain personal agency (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994). SCCT attempts to understand the processes through which people form interests, make choices, and achieve varying levels of success in educational and occupational pursuits (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2000). Cognitive-person variables include qualities such as self-efficacy and personal goals that enable people to exercise personal control or agency in their own career development; while environmental variables consider a person’s physical attributes, features of their environment, and particular learning experiences which have influence on career-related interests and choice behaviors. Environmental variables can be further divided into two basic categories according to their relative proximity to the career choice-making process. Distal factors are those which have had an impact on the learning experiences through which expectations have developed, for instance the type of career role models to which one is exposed and the support or encouragement one receives for engaging in
Traditional research has broad topic, in contrast to action research that has a specific topic in a specific classroom, school or school district. This paper addressed both traditional and action research, their features and their influence on education. Within the paper there were comparisons between quantitative, qualitative, and action research and how they may be used within the school setting. As a result, educators and researcher can conduct research that may be used to make efficient and effective decisions to make positive changes.