Career Counseling in the Future: Constructing, Collaborating, Advocating

Abstract

Helping individuals adapt to changing environments is a major strength of career development practice. Additional strengths are a solid theoretical framework, effective assessment tools and technology, and a clear professional identity. Areas of weakness include the lack of integration of contextual factors into career intervention strategies, poor communication between practitioners and researchers, insufficient attention to underserved populations, and inadequate training in counselor education programs. Changes in the economy and in social structures require that people possess adaptive skills; therefore, career counselors should expand their efforts to help clients construct their lives, collaborate with other professionals, and advocate for clients.In writing this article, I found that sometimes it is a challenge to clearly distinguish strength from weakness. Depending on one's perspective, strength can also mean weakness. For instance, the career development of members of minority groups has been viewed as understudied in the literature, but more attention has been paid to this area in the last decade CArbona, 2000; Swanson & Parcover, 1998). Weakness, if addressed properly, can become strength, and similarly, strength can become weakness if not handled appropriately. Internal StrengthThe greatest strength ofcareer counseling lies in its origin and evolutiona reaction to the social and economic changes that occurred in the late nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. The mission of career development practice from its birth to today has never shifted from its focus on helping individuals adjust well to their changing environments. The practice of vocational guidance was launched to address social and psychological needs at the beginning of the twentieth century. As Herr (2001) wrote, vocational or career guidance and counseling and other career development practice have been seen as making access to education and training opportunities; educational reform; economic efficiency; creating human capital; matching persons and occupational opportunities; rehabilitating those on the margins of society by providing support and direction to their career development; and helping persons find dignity, purpose in, and adjustment to work.

Using theory and research to improve student affairs practice: Some current examples

“…Despite the wealth of theory pertaining to career development and choice processes, there is a gap between theory and community college practice (Niles, 2003;Savickas, 2003;Tang, 2003;Whiston, 2003). Niles (2003) argues that this occurs because many career theories describe the career development process rather than focusing on interventions that will help clients, and contends that career counselors need a better understanding of the specific techniques and interventions that are most effective with particular clients.…”

“…One of the most frequently cited strengths of career counseling is that its practice has been informed by many theories and extensive research on career development processes (Harris-Bowlsbey, 2003;Savickas, 2003;Tang, 2003;Whiston, 2003). Flores, Scott, Wang, and Yakushko (2003), in their review of research on career theory, identify five categories of career development theories: person-environment, developmental, social cognitive, social learning, and career decision-making theories.…”

An asset-based approach in career facilitation: Lessons for higher education training

“…Ebersöhn and Eloff (2003, 16) describe partnership as 'individuals joining together'. Tang (2003) advocates collaboration as part of future career counselling. In this regard, it became evident that if the participant did not share the asset-based goal of shared responsibility in terms of career exploration, he/she resisted being part of the partnership.…”

Introduction

“…background, and the environment in which one grows up) (Tang, 2003). Growing globalization of the workforce increases the need to understand the cultural context of their work.…”

“…Studying careers from across disciplinary divides helps overcome two of the common problems in the study of careers: overemphasis of macro-, meso-or micro-perspectives (Özbilgin et al, 2005) and absence of sophistication in theorization of careers (Tang, 2003). The chapters in this section bridge sociological, psychological, management and political perspectives, transcending their variable foci on levels of analysis and levels of sophistication in their conceptualization of career choice and MBA education.…”