Chapter One Discussion

In our Intro to Counseling Theory class last evening, we had a discussion about the nature of work and the reasons and motivations why people work.  I shared my experience of working in a light bulb factory for only two days because my economic motivation was not high enough in order to endure the monotony of the job and the working conditions.  At the time, I was a freshman in college and did not have loans to pay or a family to support.  I assume that my ability to endure the experience may be higher now that I have many more needs and thus, a higher threshold for discomfort.

According to Brown , the demand for career development services is at its highest since the Great Depression  (2012, p. 13). This surprised me because I had always viewed career services as a luxury for those who had the time and the finances to explore their options rather than a service for those in need of a job.  It makes sense though that the actual job placement is an important component and end goal of career services.

The concept of a career and the definitions of terms, such as “position, job, and occupation” are related to this discussion as experts have differing viewpoints as to what exactly constitutes a career.  While Brown defines it as a “series of paid or unpaid occupations or jobs that a person holds throughout his or her life,” (2012, p. 14), others are more encompassing in including the totality of one’s life, which may include leisure (McDaniels, 1989), and other life roles and responsibilities which “combine to express one’s commitment to work in his or her total pattern of self-development” (Super, 1976, p. 4).

Out of the two definitions, I tend to gravitate towards the definition of a career that includes other life roles and responsibilities because I believe a person’s career decisions are woven into the decisions they make about their personal life. I also view the financial incentives a job offers as one piece of a package which also includes the time the job affords me for leisure, the independence and autonomy of the position, and the ability I may have to make an impact in whatever field I choose.  This view of work has recently led me to choose to go to graduate school when I relocated instead of trying to take the first job I could find when I moved.  I’m interested in building a career in a field that I love rather than having a series of jobs that fulfill my needs at certain times. Of course, I’ll also need to support myself when I leave school so balancing my desire for a significant career with my financial responsibilities will be a significant decision when I graduate.