After reading about all the different forms of career information, I feel as if I would never use any of it to benefit my own career choice. These informational databases hold a wealth of information and statistics related to the workforce, but it seems to pertain mostly to those that are unemployed. If I were younger and unsure about my career, I think this would be the last form of help that I would resort to. I think working with children at a younger age and playing games as Brown suggests is a cheap and effective way of getting youngsters a head start in their career path (Brown 2012).
These databases provide knowledgeable information yet take away from the idea that a career should be chosen based on who you are, and what you enjoy doing.
Job shadowing and internships provide the best form of insight and experience into an occupation’s true nature. This hands-on experience will help an individual get a true feel of whether or not that job will suit them well. My college offered what was called an externship course, which counted as credits toward my degree. If more schools and institutions would offer such an opportunity, individuals will appreciate how helpful it is to gain field experience. This externship provided me with exactly what I needed to understand the workforce. It eventually led me into a real internship with the same company. I really enjoyed the experience I gained working with problematic teenagers. Using what I learned, I grew to appreciate the field of psychology, confirming my choice to proceed with clinical counseling.
The layout in the beginning of Chapter 8 seems very appropriate in terms of what is valuable to understand at certain stages in life. The awareness and appreciation of education and work is the goal for career counselors to work with children. Adolescents should focus more on their identity and beginning to plan for postsecondary education. Adults then need to develop and enhance their skills in their current occupations (Brown 2012). In summary, learning about different occupations and their components, such as salary, benefits, etc. can be helpful; yet can also be very blinding to an individual. For example, if a person focuses too much on the components of a job such as how much they will make, or what benefits they will receive, it may pressure them to ignore job opportunities they find interesting. I think that hands-on experience like career workshops, job shadowing, internships, guest speakers, and career conferences, will be the most beneficial and comfortable way of finding the best occupation for an individual.
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