Attitudes Regarding Career Counseling: Perceptions and Experiences of Counselors‐in‐Training

Abstract

The authors explored attitudes regarding career counseling. Interview data were analyzed and conceptualized using grounded theory methods. Peers, faculty, and programs influenced participants' attitudes. Participants' observations regarding instruction and developed understanding of their own career development figured into favorable attitudes regarding career counseling. Data revealed that students did not perceive that they were competent or confident conducting career counseling. Implications for counselor education are discussed. Engels, Minor, Sampson, and Splete (1995) stated that counselors who focus on career development concerns must be prepared to address stress, wellness, change, performance, occupational health, satisfaction, interpersonal and intrapersonal issues, family, leisure, technology, and communication issues with their clients. Other authors (e.g., Flores & Heppner, 2002;Lent, 2001) agreed that it is critical for counselors to gain proficiency in the practice of career counseling with all populations in order to adequately meet clients' needs. Hartung (2005) further asserted that economic globalization demands that career counseling assist workers worldwide in adapting to the transforming work environment.Hartung (2005) pointed out a shortage of adequately trained career counselors, despite an increasing need for career counseling. To complicate this issue, authors (e.g., Hartung, 2005;Warnke et al., 1993) described interest in career counseling as low and perceptions of career counseling as negative within the profession. According to Watts (2005), a closer look reveals that the counseling profession has marginalized career counseling. While Tinsley (2001) remarked that counseling training programs have devolved from training students to offer clients vocational assistance to training them to work with psychopathology, Savickas, Van Esbroeck, and Herr (2005) indicated that master's programs accredited

Identification and Integration of Career Theory: Students’ Perspectives on the Process

“…In fact, despite its significance as a core counseling competency, career counseling has received less attention than other counseling specialties and may often not be considered a crucial area in counseling (Brown, 2016; Corey, 2013). In addition, researchers have found low interest and overall negative perceptions of career counseling among counseling professionals (Lara et al, 2011), and career counseling courses are typically taught by new assistant professors or adjunct faculty (Savickas, 2013). Given a relatively limited focus on career counseling, along with the distinction between career and general counseling training, it is not surprising that there is also a lack of research regarding the integration of career‐related theory and counseling theory generally.…”

“…Underlying mental health problems may hinder the career counseling process if clients are unable to engage in the cognitive processing and decision‐making usually involved in career counseling (Walker & Peterson, 2012). Despite this potential interconnection, perceived divisions between career and general counseling persist (Lara, Kline, & Paulson, 2011) and have the potential to affect career counselors’ training experiences, including their process of identifying a preferred career theory and applying it to the counseling context.…”

Back to the Basics: Career Counseling

“…While career professionals can read about theories, knowing a career development theory and executing it effectively take training and practice. Practical career counseling experience connected to readings is invaluable (Lara, Kline, & Paulson, 2011).…”

Para além da escola e da empresa: contribuições para o atendimento em orientação de carreira

“…Os temas das publicações variam desde a discussão em favor do papel fundamental dos orientadores na divulgação de áreas carentes de profissionais (Schmidt, Hardinge, & Rokutani, 2012), passam pela identificação do fenômeno do assédio moral e aconselhamento de pessoas vulneráveis a ele (Fitzpatrick et al, 2011), pelo uso da tecnologia na prestação de serviços de orientação (Venable, 2010) e, no caso dos orientadores em preparação, ressaltam a importância da percepção sobre o próprio desenvolvimento de carreira para a futura atuação 30 (Lara, Kline, & Paulson, 2011).…”

“…Almeja-se ultrapassar o pensamento excessivo -críticas à organização e gestão do trabalho ou anúncio de grandes possibilidades e mudanças profissionais -que a nada leva e acoberta um pseudomovimento de carreira. Como pode o funcionamento desejoso (Deleuze & Guattari, 1976 Embora seja tentador discutir a questão da formação dos orientadores, talvez baste, para não nos distanciarmos de nossos objetivos, a indicação a respeito da relevância da sistematização e divulgação dos achados para a preparação desses profissionais, conforme a prática de Parsons, precursor da OP (Ribeiro e Uvaldo, 2007) e em linha com várias publicações destinadas ao tema (Clark & Breman, 2009;Gushue et al, 2008;Lara et al, 2011;Mcllveen et al, 2010;Reese & Miller, 2010;Venable, 2010 e outros).…”