Career Development Counseling

Interview a person who meets one of the following criteria: (a) a high school student considering the transition to college or employment, (b) an adult who lost his/her job, or (c) an adult considering a career change. You will chronicle the individual’s career development pathway to this point in her/his life. Prepare a career development plan for that person, taking into account issues, trends, new technologies, and applications specific to their work or intended work context, and evaluate the effectiveness of your plan. The report should include the following components:

Section I: Provide an overview of the individual’s presenting issue or concern and self-perception regarding interests, skills, accomplishments, and what motivates them. Here are some guided questions to help you with the interview. You must include but are not limited to:

1. How and from whom did she/he gather information about this career?
2. How does this career fit her/his life interests (including avocational) and personality?
3. What is her/his level of satisfaction in this career, and in what ways does she/he plan to continue to challenge him/herself in this career?
4. Explore how the current career is fulfilling at this stage of life
5. What are the concerns he/she has about the career & some of the struggles?
6. What cross-cultural factors do the individual think have impacted his/her career pathway (e.g., a woman not getting a promotion because of sexism; a Latino getting a job as a result of affirmative action and being able to advance in the company). The individual’s perception counts, even if it is not the case. Hence you want to report it as the individual sees it, suspending your judgment.
7. How does this career fit her/his family and personal life?
8. Are there impediments from the job to home life or home life to a job?
9. What recommendations would he/she give to someone thinking about this career?

Summary of the interview:

• What does the future look like for her/him in this career?
  1. What are the challenges?
  2. What direction does she/he intend to go?
  3. What are her/his future pursuits?
  4. What are the changes in the field & the opportunities for advancements?
• Based on what you learned about this person, what theoretical career orientation (s) best fits this person’s journey through her/his career developmental pathway to this point? State your reasons for choosing the (these) theory(ies) and give examples.

Section II: You will complete the O* Net Profiler, the O*Net Ability Profiler, O*Net Work Importance Locator, and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II for the individual. You will then provide an overview and analysis of the career assessments related to the individuals’ work interests, values, and personality identification.

Section III: Action Plan. Browse the O*Net database and the Occupations Outlook Handbook to recommend at least three career options for planning consideration, providing a rationale and the next steps.