Week 3

I found the readings both in the textbook and the assigned article to be quite relevant to what I am currently going through in my own personal career development. Experiences in our past along with the environment in which we grow up are able to sway the types of career decisions we choose to make (Krumboltz, 1979). I know that my family and environment in which I grew up as a child influenced the decisions that I have made today. Through my life experiences, I became interested in understanding human behavior and due to particular life events that have occurred I have learned more about what I truly want to pursue as a career.  I also agree that career choice is also dependent upon the ability to effectively process information so that an individual is able to make a decision on what types of careers would be of interest to them (Brown, 2012). In addition, the exploration of spirituality/religion and its effects on career development and choice, even if an individual is not particularly spiritual/religious, seemed like important factors to consider when choosing a career environment. Duffy (2006) writes that a sense of community and their personal values influence the types of careers individuals choose to pursue. I know that one of the big personal values I developed when thinking about the ideal career for me was the ability to help others. I hadn’t really thought about in what way I would like help other people, but I knew that I wanted to pursue work where I would have the opportunity to work with other people rather than sitting at a desk working on a computer.

In regards to career counseling, it is extremely important that the individual be able to identify what they define as a problem and be able to find a solution with the help of a counselor (Savickas, 1995). This is in contrast to expecting career counseling to provide an immediate answer. In my own personal life I have a friend that is questioning what exactly she would like to pursue as a career. When we speak on the phone I ask her what it is that she enjoys and where she envisions herself in the future. The only problem is that she would much rather have me provide her with an answer since she knows that I am currently taking this class. She has been working at her current job for the past four years, but she would like to explore different career opportunities. Her plans have ranged from attending a 4-year school to study biology, cosmetology school, and nursing school. I am at a point that I really do not know what it is that interests her so I am hoping she can do some self-exploration rather than looking to others for answers.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development. Upper Saddle River,     NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Duffy, R. D. (2006). Spirituality, religion, and career development: Current status and future directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55, 52-63.

Krumboltz, J. D. (1979). A social learning theory of career choice. In A. M. Mitchell, G. B. Jones, & J. D. Krumboltz (Eds.), Social learning theory and career decision making. Cranston, RI: Carroll Press.

Savickas, M. L. (1995). Constructivist counseling for career indecision. Career Development Quarterly, 43, 363-373.